Her Only Love-48

[Zochitl]

 

  O’Connor could now see the lights of the city as he got off the express-way.  It had taken him less than an hour and a half instead of the two hours he thought it would take him to gather all the information he needed.   He was anxious to get to his office and review everything he had acquired back at the Nursing home.  Also what he had found at City Hall with Fischer but he could hear his stomach rumbling for food at the same time.

“I better feed meself or I won’t be able to do any good thinkin’ later on.”  He told himself.   “I’ll just stop at the first diner I will see in front of me. A hungry eye sees far and the stomach surely reminds me of that, for a blessing does not fill the belly either.”   He kept looking along the side roads to see if he could spot a place to stop and eat.

After a few minutes passed, O’Connor began to see a neon sign flashing in front of him.   As he got closer he could read the sign that said; The Roadside Café, so he quickly looked for the next exit and began to get off.   Making a U-turn he headed towards it.  Parking by the flashing light he went inside and found the place was very lonely except for a cook sitting at the counter reading the evening paper and a waitress filling some sugar bowls further down.

“Take a seat wherever you can find one. “She shouted.

“Thank ye.”   O’Connor responded.   “I see you’re not too busy tonight.  A nice turkey sandwich and a good hot cup of coffee would do me stomach fine if yer cook can break away from his daily newspaper. “   He laughed.

The old cook sat the newspaper down and without a word headed for the kitchen.

 

“Don’t mind old grumpy O’Leary over there.  He never talks to anybody.”  The waitress began. “He hasn’t uttered two words since I can remember but his ears don’t need any cleaning either ‘cause  he can hear that train a half hour before it passes through the back here.  Then he hurries up and  he starts to hold on to the pots in his kitchen so they won’t fall on top of him.”  She broke out in laughter.  “That’s when you hear him cussing some Irish words from his home town in Ireland.”

“Ahhh, so the man is from Kilarney is he now?   A wise head keeps a shut mouth, missy.   So don’t ye worry O’Leary as long as ye can make me food soon enough that’s good enough for me.  Air words never fed a traveler and this one’s insides keeps rumbling like that train has arrived inside of me already.” O’Connor hollered to O’Leary laughing.

A short time later O’Leary brought out the sandwich himself and set it on the table. Then he sat in front of O’Connor and stared at him.

“So you be a cop, right?” He said in a gruff voice. “I can smell ‘em a mile away.   And an Irish one at that.    What brings ye here to this part of the territory?”

O’Connor takes a bite from the sandwich and a swig from his coffee that the waitress had poured before and wipes his mouth with the napkin. He chews slowly and gives out a deep sigh.

“Saints alive so ye do have a tongue, I see?  Bless yer little Irish heart.  Yes I’m a detective me fellow Irishman and a wee bit tired from my rounds of today.  Do ye get many travelers in this here diner?”

“Some but not too many cops, I dare say, mostly fard’ners like ye.   I’m not one to offer a free meal, seeing how old Millie and I just keep the place dusted from riff- raff. “So where are you headin’?”

“Branton is my town not too far away.  To be sure maybe another two hours and I shall be there.  I was getting a bit uneasy in the stomach so I’m glad I saw yer diner and glad I stopped by. You make a mean turkey sandwich, thank ye but I must be getting along.   I don’t want to get there too late ye know. I thank ye for a good meal and I wish that   the blessings of each day be the blessings you need most O’Leary.”

O’Connor got up and placed his hand in his pocket.   O’Leary reached over and grabbed his arm stopping  him.

“All happy endings are beginnings as well. Maybe we shall meet agin’ and you can tell me the ending of what you have carried with you back home today.”  He said with a twinkle in his eye.

“May the hinges of our friendship never grow rusty, my friend. It was a pleasure to have met you, to be sure.”  They shook hands and O’Connor left.

As he began to open his car door, he suddenly felt a hard object press the middle of his back.

“If you try to move or turn around you will be getting a bullet in your back.”  A muffled voice said.

The diner’s sign was flashing on and off above and O’Connor was able to view a dark-hooded figure with a ski mask on its face from the car window. The hooded man began to frisk him and took out his gun from the holster that O’Connor had on his left side and threw it on the ground.

“Now give me those papers you have.” He demanded still pushing the gun on O’Connor’s back.

Without a word O’Connor reached in his left coat pocket and brought them out, lifting his right arm in a forty-five degree angle. Immediately the hooded man grabbed them. “You better stay as you are or your life won’t be worth a plug nickel.”  He threatened him.  The figure from the window suddenly disappeared and as O’Connor quickly turned around, all he got was a thick cloud of smoke from the person’s car speeding away.

He picked up his gun and tightened his jaw as Millie stepped out of the diner.

“Detective, detective, I was able to get the license number.   Here, I wrote it down.”   She said excited, waving the piece of paper in front of him.  “Oh my Lord, who was that   hoodlum?  Are you alright?   O’Leary and I were watching through the side and got you the plate number.   We were shocked to see you being mugged.”

O’Connor quickly got in his car and opened his radio. “This is a code 245, assault with a deadly weapon.  Detective Shaun O’Connor here.   Car heading your way and must apprehend him.    Connecticut license plate number HR37582, dark coupe speeding your way.     I’ll be on the look-out in case he backtracks.    Heading that way now myself now. Ten three, over.”  

He stopped transmission and waited.   After a few minutes had passed,  a voice came over the radio.    “We have spotted said car and have taken him into custody after a good chase. Ten –four.   Didn’t find a gun.  Just found a wooden stick in the back seat.   See you at the precinct, detective.”   The voice came over the speaker, and then a click was heard.

O’Connor smiled and turned to wave at Millie and O’Leary as he took off.  They both stood by the door nodding their heads and waiving back at him.

[RavenDelcor]

A real "stick-up" it was! One wonders what the papers reveal and about whom? Someone following O'Connor to be sure. Makes old suspicions arise and new ones left to be found. Such intrigue!

[Zochitl]

Guys I think I lost you. About the papers. Don't you remember where he went to get them???? Tah tah- you forgot??   I must make some popcorn now for all of us. :-)

[RavenDelcor]

This is always the part of a story where I prefer to be lost. There are any number of people who could have hooded-up and take back the papers, not many of whom would have Connecticut plates. So, I simply wait for the next installment to see and be enlightened. Thanks for the popcorn refresher!

[Zochitl]

Yup! Your on it Luvy.