would bet his badge on it. But did Reed shudder
when he thought of Malcolm or did he smile fondly? That was the question.
Baltimore felt he was getting closer and closer to finding the answer. He could
almost see the far-off wistful look in Reed’s eye and the nostalgic grin on his
face.
Detective Baltimore was instantly transported
back to his own childhood as he walked into the bustling elementary school. His
grade school had been just like this one, filled with students’ artwork and
awards, stupid motivational slogans about getting along with others and
anti-drug messages painted on the peach-colored walls. This school, however,
seemed to contain four times as many kids as had attended his little academy.
It seemed like there were more kids crowding the hallway between him and the
principal’s office than there had been in his entire school. Baltimore was
fighting against the current on a seemingly endless tide of pre-adolescents
making their way toward the schoolyard. He was stepped on, kicked, elbowed and
cursed as he struggled through the crowd. He felt like he should have worn full
riot gear.
Finally, Baltimore made it to the principal’s
office without having to draw his gun. He was a little bumped and bruised, but
he had survived the recess rush. A young blonde-haired woman, who looked as if
she had graduated from elementary school not too long ago herself, sat behind
the reception desk, appraising him with a bright Colgate smile as he walked
into the office. She had big blue eyes and was dressed in the same oversized
baggy clothes as the kids.
“Excuse me, I’m here to speak to Vice Principal
Lamb,” Baltimore said, showing her his badge, at which point her smile faltered
and her eyes hardened a little. I guess he wasn’t so attractive anymore. Hating
cops was in style these days.
“Do you have an appointment with her, Officer?”
“That’s Detective Baltimore and I’m sorry, no, I
don’t. I’m investigating the murder of the Cozen family and I understand the
children attended school here.”
“Oh, yes. That was so tragic. I’ll let her know
you’re here.”
She sprang from her chair behind the desk and
barged, without knocking, into an office only a few feet away. As she stuck her
head inside to talk to the vice principal, her butt swayed from side to side as
she shifted from one foot to the other. Baltimore wondered how he was able to
tell that she had a nice ass when she wore jeans two sizes too large. But he
could tell. He wondered if that show was for his benefit. The girl couldn’t
have been older than twenty, twenty-one at the maximum. True, he was only
twenty-five himself, but the job along with his above-average intelligence made
him feel much older. Too old for this one, although she was tempting. She was
more James’s type, he thought, and wondered where his partner might be right
now, if he was even working the case or if he was off at some sandwich shop
somewhere scarfing down a cheese steak hoagie. Everyone said he was a good
detective and maybe he was at one time, but in the two years that Baltimore had
been paired up with the guy, he’d seen very little evidence of any commitment
to the job. All the guy seemed to want to do was eat and chase pussy. There
could be a body laying cut up on the floor and, while Baltimore was gathering
evidence, James would come out with some story about a girl he fucked two years
ago who had tits just like the corpse.
When the fluffy little blonde returned, she had
two people with her. A short, balding, over-weight, black gentleman stepped
forward and seized the detective’s hand in his stubby little fingers. He pumped
Baltimore’s arm enthusiastically and introduced himself as the principal.
Beside him, in a tan skirt suit with a white silk T-shirt, stood a striking
older woman with blonde hair streaked with gray, high cheekbones, full lips,
and steel gray eyes like a timber wolf. She stepped forward and introduced
herself as the vice
when he thought of Malcolm or did he smile fondly? That was the question.
Baltimore felt he was getting closer and closer to finding the answer. He could
almost see the far-off wistful look in Reed’s eye and the nostalgic grin on his
face.
Detective Baltimore was instantly transported
back to his own childhood as he walked into the bustling elementary school. His
grade school had been just like this one, filled with students’ artwork and
awards, stupid motivational slogans about getting along with others and
anti-drug messages painted on the peach-colored walls. This school, however,
seemed to contain four times as many kids as had attended his little academy.
It seemed like there were more kids crowding the hallway between him and the
principal’s office than there had been in his entire school. Baltimore was
fighting against the current on a seemingly endless tide of pre-adolescents
making their way toward the schoolyard. He was stepped on, kicked, elbowed and
cursed as he struggled through the crowd. He felt like he should have worn full
riot gear.
Finally, Baltimore made it to the principal’s
office without having to draw his gun. He was a little bumped and bruised, but
he had survived the recess rush. A young blonde-haired woman, who looked as if
she had graduated from elementary school not too long ago herself, sat behind
the reception desk, appraising him with a bright Colgate smile as he walked
into the office. She had big blue eyes and was dressed in the same oversized
baggy clothes as the kids.
“Excuse me, I’m here to speak to Vice Principal
Lamb,” Baltimore said, showing her his badge, at which point her smile faltered
and her eyes hardened a little. I guess he wasn’t so attractive anymore. Hating
cops was in style these days.
“Do you have an appointment with her, Officer?”
“That’s Detective Baltimore and I’m sorry, no, I
don’t. I’m investigating the murder of the Cozen family and I understand the
children attended school here.”
“Oh, yes. That was so tragic. I’ll let her know
you’re here.”
She sprang from her chair behind the desk and
barged, without knocking, into an office only a few feet away. As she stuck her
head inside to talk to the vice principal, her butt swayed from side to side as
she shifted from one foot to the other. Baltimore wondered how he was able to
tell that she had a nice ass when she wore jeans two sizes too large. But he
could tell. He wondered if that show was for his benefit. The girl couldn’t
have been older than twenty, twenty-one at the maximum. True, he was only
twenty-five himself, but the job along with his above-average intelligence made
him feel much older. Too old for this one, although she was tempting. She was
more James’s type, he thought, and wondered where his partner might be right
now, if he was even working the case or if he was off at some sandwich shop
somewhere scarfing down a cheese steak hoagie. Everyone said he was a good
detective and maybe he was at one time, but in the two years that Baltimore had
been paired up with the guy, he’d seen very little evidence of any commitment
to the job. All the guy seemed to want to do was eat and chase pussy. There
could be a body laying cut up on the floor and, while Baltimore was gathering
evidence, James would come out with some story about a girl he fucked two years
ago who had tits just like the corpse.
When the fluffy little blonde returned, she had
two people with her. A short, balding, over-weight, black gentleman stepped
forward and seized the detective’s hand in his stubby little fingers. He pumped
Baltimore’s arm enthusiastically and introduced himself as the principal.
Beside him, in a tan skirt suit with a white silk T-shirt, stood a striking
older woman with blonde hair streaked with gray, high cheekbones, full lips,
and steel gray eyes like a timber wolf. She stepped forward and introduced
herself as the vice
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