Grey: A Novella

Chapter 8

On our way back to the station, I caught quite a sight. There was a police officer in an alley talking to a very shady looking fellow. He was wearing all black and it looked like he hadn't shaved or washed his hair in months. This seemed like an interesting scene to eavesdrop on, so I hung back and splayed myself against the wall near the alleyway, peering around the corner.

Dave noticed this and was about to comment when I made the shushing gesture with my finger. He stopped and went against the other wall. This is what I loved about Dave. He didn't ask questions at the wrong time. He just followed along as best he could.

"All right, Rick," came the officer's voice. "We found the cocaine in your truck. It's time to go to the station."

"Please, man, I'm sure we can make some sort of... arrangement."

The cop shuffled his feet. "What kind of arrangement?"

"How about we shake and forget about it, huh?" I could see a couple ten dollar bills in his hand.

"All right." The cop shook his hand and grabbed the money. He slid it into his pocket. "I guess we can let that slide for now."

"Thanks, man. You're real nice." Rick then walked to his truck.

When the cop passed me coming out of the alleyway, I cried, "Is that standard operating procedure now?"

He turned around. His eyes went wide for a second, but dropped almost immediately. "You didn't see nothing."

"Oh, I saw something, All right. What I saw was a no good dirty cop selling his soul for some of that sweet, sweet cash."

He pointed his finger at me. "Listen here, buddy. This ain't your jurisdiction. Why don't you hightail it outta here?"

"I don't think so, my friend."

He looked me up and down and then snorted. "Wait, aren't you Derek Morrow? The guy who couldn't catch a perp because he was too drunk to walk at the time? Aren't you on probation?"

My lip went up into a snarl.

The officer laughed and walked away. "What a joke. A worthless drunk lecturing me on how to do my job."

"For someone who doesn't like following the rules," came Dave's voice. "You sure hate it when others break them."

I took out the cigarette I was smoking and threw it on the floor, stomping it out so hard I thought the ground would crack. "I only break the rules to make sure justice gets served. What he did wasn't justice."

"All right, buddy, let's calm down. We better get back to the station. I'm sure the chief would wanna have a word with us."