Taddio

These are the cases of Detective Taddio and Constable Blackwell. Come with them as they solve crimes and deeds most foul.

Prologue

TADDIO MEET BLACKWELL.

"Screw you Coppa!" The young hood flipped Detective Taddio a defiant middle finger, turned and darted off into the labyrinth of grimy inner city streets . Taddio, forced his wide girth into a forward motion and tried to break into a run to pursue.  Smith, his much fitter partner, was on the guy.  Smith was only mere metres behind the fleeing crim. Taddio lumbered behind. His heart was pounding, his thighs burned and his face drowned in a tsunami of perspiration. Smith disappeared into the far reaching horizon, he turned a corner and disappeared out of Taddio's view.

The plump detective doggedly fought through the pain and his laboured breathing to keep up the now pointless pursuit. Suddenly he felt a pain, it was like a steel fist clutching at his heart. He grabbed his chest and sunk to the iron steps.  Taddio stared into the grimy grey streets as he choked on his own futility.  No matter how hard he tried Detective Smith, his friend Smithy, had disappeared from view. Taddio rolled onto his back and looked up toward the steel grey clouds, his tears of frustration mingled with the cold sweat as it dripped down his face and onto to the bitumen surface of the alley. The prostrate Detective offered up a silent prayer for his partner's safety.

Several streets away the boy, tired of fleeing, chose instead to fight.  He was sixteen years old and burned with the rage of the disaffected youth. He turned around to face Smith, he did not see a man before him just a blurred image of oppressive authority. The punk took out his gun and pointed it at Smith.  Smith's blue eyes widened, it was not the first time he had a gun pulled on him, but somehow he knew it would be the last. The boy pulled the trigger, suddenly the horror of what he had just done slapped him across the face and he dropped the gun. His sneakers slapped the street as he scurried away to run away from his actions, to run away from his fate to hide from the grim reality of what he had been reduced to.

Smith crumpled to the ground below. His eyes were still wide and hollow. Smith's body was just a cold vacancy of voidness. All that he was and all that he could have been evaporated in the monotony of urban crime.

Taddio's prayers had failed before he had finished saying them. It would be his second failure of that night. He slipped into unconsciousness and did not even hear the sounds of the approaching sirens. Later that night his eyes opened and stared at the flickering fluorescent tube above his hospital bed. The Chief  was sitting on the hard green vinyl chair that was next to Taddio. His eyes did not meet those of the plump detective as he murmured, "Smithy's gone, shot by that little shit. The kid confessed and will do some time in Juvenile Detention.  I am sorry Taddio."  

Detective Taddio, was the greatest mind of the Grover Police Force but he was the worst cop in the precinct when it came to the physical element of the job. Smith had always been the action half of thier partnership. Taddio was the brains of the partnership and Smith was the muscle. It had always worked before until today. When Smith needed backup there was nobody there.

Taddio sank into unconsciousness. As the world turned black he knew his day was done.  It was time for him to retire. That is of course if he found a way to beat the heart attack that was his immediate problem.

Three Months Later.

"Taddio! What is this CRAP?" The Chief was storming through his department upsetting desks and papers as he moved.

A large plain clothed Detective turned to answer his cheif with his usual verbose eleoquence,  "I think it is very obvious what it is, I will not insult your intelligence by pointing out that it is my notice of retirement, I think your line of inquiry relates to my reasoning."