starting a new job and that’s really great. I mean, it’s really great, but this thing…”
Jim placed his right index finger softly across her lips.
“Do you want to meet for dinner tonight, after the show?”
“Yes, I would.” She grinned.
“Good. I’ll call you later.”
He kissed her on the lips.
“Got to go.”
Lisa stole a glimpse of the clock on the wall.
“I thought that you started at nine. Does Detective Jovian not want to be tardy on the first day of school?”
“Very funny. I’m going to run by the Edwards place before I head downtown. I want to show her my badge.”
Day 4: 7:26 a.m.
He rang the doorbell to Alice Edwards’ home and waited for a response. If the regular delivery boy was on time, he had two minutes at best to get inside the house. If he was late, there would be more breathing room. If he was early, well, for his sake he’d better hope he wasn’t early.
Alice’s voice shattered the illusion of white noise that the handful of narcotics had created in his head.
“Who’s there?”
“Newspaper, Mrs. Edwards.”
The door opened and Alice Edwards stood inches away from his face. She gave him a disapproving once-over.
“Who are you?”
“I’m the new delivery boy.”
“Where’s Jimmy?”
Alice stuck her head through the door and briefly looked up and down the street.
“Jimmy’s not here today.”
“Well, give it then,” she said as she proffered her hand.
As he reached his hand towards her, she stared intently at his face.
“You look familiar. Where do I know you from?”
Alice Edwards was unable to say more. He grabbed her left wrist with his left hand and pulled her into a punch with his right that crushed the bridge of her nose. The blow sent Alice flying backwards into the hallway, where she struck her head against a table that held a vase filled with sunflowers. As he started inside, he looked around and saw Jimmy make the turn on his bicycle from Pear to Peach. He calmly picked up his Target purchase, entered the house and closed the door behind him. Within seconds, there was a knock on the door that went unanswered, only to be followed by another. Then silence. He watched from the bay window as Jimmy left a neatly folded newspaper on Alice’s top step and ran back to his bike. Jimmy hesitated on the sidewalk and looked briefly at the house, in a mild state of confusion; then he rode off, his bag laden with the morning news. He watched Jimmy leave and turned to Alice, lying there, unconscious on the floor. There would be no more phone calls from Alice Edwards. You know, he thought, maybe the West Covina police department should give him a medal.
Day 4: 8:05 a.m.
Detective Jovian pulled into a spot across the street from the Edwards house and checked his teeth in the rear view mirror. There was nothing that Jim hated more than talking to someone with food in his teeth; he felt that it was rude and classless. Jim also did not like men who exhibited long nasal hair, but he had given himself a trim in the bathroom that morning, so he was good on that front. He had devoured a bagel, with sesame seeds, that he bought at the convenience store and he wanted to make sure that his teeth were clean before approaching Alice. He must have looked like a kook, furiously working the dental floss as passersby slowed to check on his progress. The newspaper kid on the bike gave him a quick glance, the lady who delivered the milk stared at least five seconds, and the guy with the limp gazed at him for so long that it looked like he had seen a ghost. Fuck them , Jim thought. My teeth come first, public opinion, a distant second. He exited the car and headed towards the door.
He knocked once and then twice.
“Mrs. Edwards, Offi… It’s Detective Jovian. I have my badge.”
Jim rang the bell and then knocked again. She must be out , he thought. He turned and walked to his car. He had almost reached the street when he stopped. Out at 7:30 in the morning?
Jim placed his right index finger softly across her lips.
“Do you want to meet for dinner tonight, after the show?”
“Yes, I would.” She grinned.
“Good. I’ll call you later.”
He kissed her on the lips.
“Got to go.”
Lisa stole a glimpse of the clock on the wall.
“I thought that you started at nine. Does Detective Jovian not want to be tardy on the first day of school?”
“Very funny. I’m going to run by the Edwards place before I head downtown. I want to show her my badge.”
Day 4: 7:26 a.m.
He rang the doorbell to Alice Edwards’ home and waited for a response. If the regular delivery boy was on time, he had two minutes at best to get inside the house. If he was late, there would be more breathing room. If he was early, well, for his sake he’d better hope he wasn’t early.
Alice’s voice shattered the illusion of white noise that the handful of narcotics had created in his head.
“Who’s there?”
“Newspaper, Mrs. Edwards.”
The door opened and Alice Edwards stood inches away from his face. She gave him a disapproving once-over.
“Who are you?”
“I’m the new delivery boy.”
“Where’s Jimmy?”
Alice stuck her head through the door and briefly looked up and down the street.
“Jimmy’s not here today.”
“Well, give it then,” she said as she proffered her hand.
As he reached his hand towards her, she stared intently at his face.
“You look familiar. Where do I know you from?”
Alice Edwards was unable to say more. He grabbed her left wrist with his left hand and pulled her into a punch with his right that crushed the bridge of her nose. The blow sent Alice flying backwards into the hallway, where she struck her head against a table that held a vase filled with sunflowers. As he started inside, he looked around and saw Jimmy make the turn on his bicycle from Pear to Peach. He calmly picked up his Target purchase, entered the house and closed the door behind him. Within seconds, there was a knock on the door that went unanswered, only to be followed by another. Then silence. He watched from the bay window as Jimmy left a neatly folded newspaper on Alice’s top step and ran back to his bike. Jimmy hesitated on the sidewalk and looked briefly at the house, in a mild state of confusion; then he rode off, his bag laden with the morning news. He watched Jimmy leave and turned to Alice, lying there, unconscious on the floor. There would be no more phone calls from Alice Edwards. You know, he thought, maybe the West Covina police department should give him a medal.
Day 4: 8:05 a.m.
Detective Jovian pulled into a spot across the street from the Edwards house and checked his teeth in the rear view mirror. There was nothing that Jim hated more than talking to someone with food in his teeth; he felt that it was rude and classless. Jim also did not like men who exhibited long nasal hair, but he had given himself a trim in the bathroom that morning, so he was good on that front. He had devoured a bagel, with sesame seeds, that he bought at the convenience store and he wanted to make sure that his teeth were clean before approaching Alice. He must have looked like a kook, furiously working the dental floss as passersby slowed to check on his progress. The newspaper kid on the bike gave him a quick glance, the lady who delivered the milk stared at least five seconds, and the guy with the limp gazed at him for so long that it looked like he had seen a ghost. Fuck them , Jim thought. My teeth come first, public opinion, a distant second. He exited the car and headed towards the door.
He knocked once and then twice.
“Mrs. Edwards, Offi… It’s Detective Jovian. I have my badge.”
Jim rang the bell and then knocked again. She must be out , he thought. He turned and walked to his car. He had almost reached the street when he stopped. Out at 7:30 in the morning?
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