Bronzeville || A Superhuman Tale - 2

Chapter Forty-Six

The delightful smell of the rain would've been blessing enough, but the day's downpours brought a much-needed break from the August heat. 

It also killed business for the day, but Tommy didn't object. He sat for some minutes on a bench next to his cart, the umbrella and overhanging trees proving some scant cover until there was a lull in the showers. When it came, he reached down for a shoe and turned to wringing it out, pondering recent events as he did.

It had been more than a week since his meeting with Lester Savoy and his encounter with the Chinese agent, and he was still getting back into the swing of things in New York. Much of his time had been spent repairing the damage to their home. Rhonda had insisted on returning to their Murray Hill flat the moment he got back from Washington, and he had relented without protest. It was their home, and no one was going to drive them out of it.

He also had exchanged several phone calls with Maxine during that time but had resisted offers to meet again with Savoy or to rub elbows with any other cabinet members. It was clear that insuring their safety would require him to sacrifice much of his quiet and secluded life, but he had no intention of throwing it all to the wind. He already had promised more of his time and cooperation to Maxine and the defense secretary than he wanted.

Most important, he had no intention of letting any Washington bigwigs, law enforcement officers, or intelligence officials learn his face. He had a good feeling from his chat with the former general, and he hoped the man might be a useful ally against other potential threats. But there was always the possibility that nothing would come of Savoy's efforts, and some sort of strife or conflict with the U.S. government might still be in their future.

He and his friends would take things as they came.

Looking up, he saw an NYPD patrol car stop in front of his stand. He recognized neither officer in the front seat, but the huge smile that took up most of the back window was well known to him. The moment the vehicle came to a halt, Camille emerged, thanked the officers for the lift, and gave the vehicle a tap on the hood as she stepped away.

"You look like something the cat left out in the rain," was her greeting.

Things had been so busy that it was his first time seeing Camille since his return. As she moved over, he wordlessly snatched up a semi-dry towel and cleared the bench beside him from the worst of the accumulated moisture before allowing her to sit. As she did, curling up close to him, he reached out with his right foot and toed the cart and its umbrella a bit closer to ensure her shelter from the occasional droplet. The umbrella wasn't water resistant, but it would keep off the worst should the showers return.

"I work for a living, detective," he said with false modesty. "You, on the other hand, look especially lovely today ... and dry."

"Court," she said. "A girl's gotta make a good impression."

"And Eric?"

"He still has to testify ... and I've been aching to come and see you." She paused a moment. "How's home?"

He gave a short nod. "Home is great. Rhonda and I have both seen blood before, so cleaning really wasn't so traumatic. But I'll tell you, it's been nice having Kenny around the place. I see Rhonda prairie-dogging every once in a while, to see if she's still there ... and that she's okay. She'll need that reassurance for a while."

He gave Camille a short squeeze as he chuckled. He always was affectionate with his friends, but having his arm around the young detective had come to mean something special to him.

"You people," she whispered.

"What do you mean 'you people?'" he asked in mock indignation.

She smacked his thigh. "You know what I mean. Your friend is already up and around?"