Chapter 2

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

It was never a good sign when Ernesto Ramos showed up at David’s door unannounced, and it was no surprise when the offer of aged whiskey accompanied his presence. This would play out as usual: Ernesto would start talking about the ‘good ole’ days,’ then follow through with how the department has changed so much since then, and finally end his gambit with either asking for money or worse, a favor.

They both settled into the living room, David’s face implacable with wariness and Ernesto with an unshakeable slyness across his own.

“You’re lookin’ good Dave.” Ernesto placed a palm on David’s shoulder and gave it a hard squeeze. “Still haven’t missed a day in the gym have you? You look as solid as ever.”

“Not if I can help it. You know what they say though, the hardest part about working out –.”

“- Is being distracted by all the ladies in the gym.”

Ernesto said cutting him off.

David shot him an inscrutable stare. “You know, you’re not the dumbest person in the world, but you better pray they don’t die.”

Ernesto laughed at the jab and his own joke while David returned a smirk. Ernesto would never change.

Discussions went back and forth for quite some time, and it became evidently apparent the conversation was drying up, a staleness growing in the air between topics and talking points. Ernesto drew in a breath, and David prepared himself for what was to come.

“So … Dave,” Ernesto said letting out a breath. “I need some advice.”

It was a bit of a shocker; Dave had already prepped for the worst, and maybe it might not be as bad as he thought. “Go on. Anything I can do to help, I’ll try.”

“You remember my nephew, Roman, right?”

There was no way David could forget Roman, and the way in which that poor boy’s life had ended. David’s voice grew tight in his throat. “Of course. What about him?”

“Well …” Ernesto hesitated a moment. “I’ve come into some new information about his death.”

“When you say you have come into new information, how exactly did you come by this info?”

“I’d rather not disclose that at the moment.” There it was. Ernesto’s old ways shining through. He’d always cut corners in the past and suffered two long suspensions as a result. Without knowing it, David suddenly found himself rising to his feet. “What exactly is it that you need? This hardly sounds par

for the course as far as advice goes. I can tell from your voice it’s worse than what you’re letting on.”

“I’ve got a bead on who killed him, Dave, and I think I know why. And you’re right, I don’t need your advice. I need your help.” With this new line of dialogue, David wished that his old buddy had only come with prospects of panhandling him. “Come on, Ernie, what do you expect me to do? I’m retired, man.” Ernesto’s voice lowered, a timbre of sadness lacing every word.

“You know as well as I, that guys like us don’t just retire. We can’t walk off into the sunset with a happy ending. We don’t get that luxury. We don’t deserve it.”

David pointed an accusatory finger at Ernesto’s chest and shook his head. He spoke with calm measured words. “Maybe not you. But don’t bring that on me. I’ve done my duty. I put in the long hours, and I watched my children grow up at a distance. I will not do that with my grandchildren.”

It was Ernesto now who rose to his feet having sensed he had worn out his welcome. “Like it or not, Dave, this will eat at you, as it has me. You can’t let this die away.” He placed his unfinished glass down on the coffee table and walked to the entryway. He opened the door and quietly stared into the distance beyond for a long moment. His shoulders sagged and he dropped his head, then glanced back in David’s direction. “I know you, Dave. Maybe better than you know yourself. You won’t.”

(In the Hunt by Timothy Dalton, available on Amazon)