Episode One: “Good Cop, Bad Cop”
Sergeant Gray sat down at the table in the restaurant, as he’d been instructed. It wasn’t too long before the other man arrived and sat down.
“Let’s get right to business,” said Gray. The other man silently passed a roll of bills across the table. Gray counted them hurriedly.
“All the money’s there,” the man assured him.
“Damn right it is,” Gray announced. “I had to check either way, you know. Got double-crossed once, and almost got caught. I’m making sure it’ll never happen again.”
“So what do they know?”
“They know you’re behind it. Shit, everyone in this city knows you’re behind it. It’s all a question of proof now. You’re gonna be brought in for questioning, but don’t be scared. It’s still a preliminary sort of thing. They have no proof, but they’ll try bullshitting you that they have it.”
“Am I being followed?”
“If you were, I wouldn’t be talking with you now, would I?”
The man laughed. “You have a point.”
“So what did you want to talk to me about?”
----------
TUESDAY
The telephone rang, and Gray picked it up. “Hello?”
“Is this Sergeant Patrick Gray?”
“Speaking. Who is this?”
“I haven’t yet had the pleasure of your acquaintance. My name is Mr. Boddy.”
“What can I do for you?”
“Well, for starters, I would like to conduct a matter of business with you.”
“Business? I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
“Look, Sergeant, stop wasting my time. You should know perfectly well what I mean. Taking bribes from mob bosses, that’s what I mean. Do you get the picture?”
“I see you’ve heard a silly rumour, and—“
“Rumour? Oh, no, Sarge, don’t embarrass me here. This is no rumour. I have proof. Photos, documents, taped conversations, the whole nine yards.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“No. This is called blackmail, and yeah, I know it’s illegal. But I have the upper hand here. You give me up, your secret is out. You don’t pay me, your secret is out. So, you see, your only option is to pay me. The situation isn’t yours to control.”
“If I say no?”
“I understand you’re getting a promotion soon, right? One hint of this, and you might as well forget about it. You’ll be going to jail— this here is a nice, open-and-shut case. Your name will be over the news, in the papers. Think of what your mother will say.”
“Don’t you dare bring my mom into this, you fuck!”
Boddy laughed into the receiver. There were few things he enjoyed more in the world than feeling in power. Currently, he was in power.
“Well, then, Sarge, if you want to spare dear mommy the news, here’s what you’ll do. I’m having a party this weekend, at my mansion. The address is —————. Show up, have some fun, bring some money. We’ll discuss our little… er, financial arrangement, while you’re there.”
To be continued…
“Let’s get right to business,” said Gray. The other man silently passed a roll of bills across the table. Gray counted them hurriedly.
“All the money’s there,” the man assured him.
“Damn right it is,” Gray announced. “I had to check either way, you know. Got double-crossed once, and almost got caught. I’m making sure it’ll never happen again.”
“So what do they know?”
“They know you’re behind it. Shit, everyone in this city knows you’re behind it. It’s all a question of proof now. You’re gonna be brought in for questioning, but don’t be scared. It’s still a preliminary sort of thing. They have no proof, but they’ll try bullshitting you that they have it.”
“Am I being followed?”
“If you were, I wouldn’t be talking with you now, would I?”
The man laughed. “You have a point.”
“So what did you want to talk to me about?”
----------
TUESDAY
The telephone rang, and Gray picked it up. “Hello?”
“Is this Sergeant Patrick Gray?”
“Speaking. Who is this?”
“I haven’t yet had the pleasure of your acquaintance. My name is Mr. Boddy.”
“What can I do for you?”
“Well, for starters, I would like to conduct a matter of business with you.”
“Business? I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
“Look, Sergeant, stop wasting my time. You should know perfectly well what I mean. Taking bribes from mob bosses, that’s what I mean. Do you get the picture?”
“I see you’ve heard a silly rumour, and—“
“Rumour? Oh, no, Sarge, don’t embarrass me here. This is no rumour. I have proof. Photos, documents, taped conversations, the whole nine yards.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“No. This is called blackmail, and yeah, I know it’s illegal. But I have the upper hand here. You give me up, your secret is out. You don’t pay me, your secret is out. So, you see, your only option is to pay me. The situation isn’t yours to control.”
“If I say no?”
“I understand you’re getting a promotion soon, right? One hint of this, and you might as well forget about it. You’ll be going to jail— this here is a nice, open-and-shut case. Your name will be over the news, in the papers. Think of what your mother will say.”
“Don’t you dare bring my mom into this, you fuck!”
Boddy laughed into the receiver. There were few things he enjoyed more in the world than feeling in power. Currently, he was in power.
“Well, then, Sarge, if you want to spare dear mommy the news, here’s what you’ll do. I’m having a party this weekend, at my mansion. The address is —————. Show up, have some fun, bring some money. We’ll discuss our little… er, financial arrangement, while you’re there.”
To be continued…
