Pt 05Selina Johnson-Hey, hey? It"s okay baby girl. It"s alright. I am sorry for this,- There was that softness inside his voice. Something you can"t believe as a part of him in general; at least it was like that for all the officers around him, including Frank too.
-Dad...(weeping)...what...what can I do?? I...don"t...know. I have...failed this,- It was almost always impossible to comprehend but somehow only he used to get it.
-No. You went ahead and took necessary steps. Tried your best to a.s.sist him...to save him.
-...
-I couldn"t have done better myself with the given situation and no back up. You are a strong girl Sel, stronger than your mother, than me. Even though we"re not close, you ARE my daughter. I"m proud of you.
-(Sighs)...But...what...how do I face her? The girl...I don"t think..
-Hm, you see Sel Frank could have gone for any child care policies. In fact he had one of the best insurances and Violet can have a very good life. There was this woman named...Star for short, volunteered,- And right then after hearing that name I couldn"t but feel the urge to stand up.
-Yeah. I have heard Frank often used to say that name over his phone.
-What I mean is, you were not supposed to be her guardian but he asked for you, in his last moments.
-Frank said...it was just too much to ask that Star lady to look over Violet..
-He said that so you could take the role of parent.
-...
-Talk to her when you are ready.
-Yes. I will.
-Now eat healthy. And come back safely, okay? Love you sweetie.
-Yeah Dad. Love you too. Try to look after yourself. Talk to Mom at some point.
-(Sighs)...bye baby. And don"t meddle with the locals. You know this.
-Bye Dad.
19:05Outside the apartment
After talking to Dad I felt like I could use a walk. Still needed some real drinks to set my mind right. The bar came into my head as soon as I stepped outside. The little ad was still inside one of my pockets. I took out my phone and started to dial in the number hoping he would pick up...
-Yeah?
-Whoah big guy! I was just thinking of coming to the bar.
-Ms. Inspector huh? I gotta say I didn"t expect a call from you; not until everything"s been clear.
-And what"s that supposed to mean??
-Nothing, nothing. Tell me if it"s not for my new recruit then what am I having the pleasure for?
-I need some drinks, and suddenly you came into mind.
-Is that so? I am honoured.
-And I believe I still have to pay my due. Are you up for that?
-I am...but unfortunately the bar is closed for tonight and maybe tomorrow too.
-Wow...
-You know you may think gunshots, amateurs kids getting beat up by some other amateurs, missing limbs and property damage; these are pretty common here but thanks to you I may have earned a day off.
-Well, you did have that "official safety certificate" hanging over your head all the time.
-(laughs)...yeah...right. Tell you what; say...I won"t hold it against you. Your due at here. Actually, I was gonna convince management anyway.
-That"s a first. I think I can still make a gentleman out of you yet.
-Ugh, I am not exactly looking forward to that. But since you are responsible for my "free" day off...
-Hmm?
-Maybe I can fill up the gla.s.s for you.
-Can you?
-Come at my place tomorrow at your leisure.
-What about tonight? I wouldn"t have called you tonight if I needed a drink tomorrow.
-That...won"t be a good idea. For me, I mean.
-Come on...Jerry. Don"t give me a story now.
-That"s cute; okay, you win this one but I can"t promise anything on alcohol right now. It"s up to you if you"re okay with this.
-Funny, now tell me where do you hide that 42 inches chest of yours?
-(Signs)...do you have pen?
I noted down his address on my phone. I wasn"t sure what I was thinking. Probably I felt like being selfish for one night. I know that I needed some warmth inside my body to wash away the cold storm over my mind. And I was prepared to borrow that warmth from somebody else if I had to.