The Face of Fear: A Powers and Johnson Novel (18 page)

Paul took his clothes off while watching Fox News and jumped in the shower to get ready for the evening. While he was under the water, his thoughts went to Rachelle. He thought tonight he would have had an opportunity to be alone with her. Yet again, another circumstance with a guard at the house, it just was not going to happen. He’d known her for more than three years and they had never had a chance to be more than friends. His job, her job, his friends, her friends, his father, her sister, now a murder making national headlines, not to mention almost losing her forever to a bullet that grazed her head. He made up his mind he would speak to Rachelle Thursday about holding off on returning to Z Pita. He wanted her to have a good time tonight, and Paul knew that Thursday was going to be a long day.

When he stepped out of the bathroom he heard Shepard Smith on Fox News, signing off, which meant it was 8:00 pm. He had gotten into the habit of keeping his television on the Fox channel because of his dad. His father loved Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Shepard Smith, and Paul found that by watching the Fox channel he got closer to his dad. They did not always agree on the subjects, but he loved the debates they had. Anthony Powers considered himself a Reagan conservative, while Paul thought of himself as a Giuliani moderate. The debates were fun, challenging, and only got heated a couple of times. Paul learned never to bring up politics with anyone else. People he considered close friends became acquaintances after conversations that involved opinions on the status of the current administration.

He picked up the phone to dial his dad’s cell phone and got his voice mail. When he heard the beep, he said “Hi, Dad, this is Paul. I was watching Fox News and was thinking about you. I love you, Dad; just wanted you to know. See you soon. This case has got us all a little busy, but like you always said, it’s not about being busy, it’s about the priorities in your life. You were right, Dad.” He hung up the phone.

Rachelle finished brushing her hair and walked into the kitchen, where Sherry was pouring herself some water. They engaged in conversation about being a cop and how Rachelle ended up having two jobs. They took an immediate liking to each other and shared a few laughs. The conversation eventually turned to Bud and Paul.

“Are they good cops?” Rachelle asked. Sherry seemed surprised by the question.

“You know them, right?” Sherry asked.

“Yes, I know them,” Rachelle answered. “Paul has been a tenant of the restaurant for five years, and I know Bud through Paul. They are good people, but I asked if they were good cops.”

“Both of them are very different from each other but none more loyal to each other. I know Bud better than Paul, but he has said he wouldn’t have any other partner in a time of need. They close more cases than most. Why do you ask?”

Rachelle replied, “Just curious.”

“OK, girl,” Sherry replied, “you’re going to have to elaborate when you get back tonight. Do you hear me, girl?”

“Yes, I do,” Rachelle said as she laughed, going into the bathroom.

Sherry looked at the door close but still said out loud, “I smell trouble, girl.” She walked back to the den to pull out the sofa to get sheets on it. She would lie down, read a bit, and watch television until Rachelle got back from the celebration. She was happy that Paul and Bud were with Rachelle tonight. She would much rather lie down in peace and quiet. Madison came out of her room looking like a million bucks.

“Whew! Look at you!” Sherry exclaimed. Madison laughed. At 5’9”, Madison’s long, slim, and toned legs were featured in her short skirt and top. With the heels she was wearing, she was close to six feet tall, yet she looked even taller with her slim body. “Somebody’s got a hot date tonight!”

“You are funny,” Madison laughed out loud. “And yes, he is hot. The problem is, so am I, and I don’t mean in the vain sense.”

“Oh, man!” Sherry yelled. “To be single again in this day and age.”

Madison stopped in at the foyer, turned around, and asked, “You are married?”

Sherry nodded and said, “For about two years now. You would think once we are married no more protective custody?”

“I guess I never thought about it, but it must be difficult to be married with a job like this.”

Sherry just waved back and said, “Honey, let me tell you. A gig like this is very rare, and you will learn once you’re married, you need a break once in a while. Trust me.”

“OK, I’ll trust you,” Madison replied, “but I don’t know if I could ever marry at this point. It seems like every man I meet, whether they are good in bed or not, they are a slob when it comes to the house, especially the kitchen and the bathroom!”

“Well,” Sherry answered, “if you think you’re going to marry them, you better start training them early, but you may be right about the slob part.”

Madison and Sherry continued their conversation as Rachelle put the finishing touches on getting ready for the “Life Celebration” at Danford’s. They talked about everything from world events to one day having children. Sherry was very easy to talk to about anything. She grew up in the Central Islip area as a kid, which was and still is considered not to be the safest of areas on Long Island. The schools are not considered to be among the best, and the rate of crime is high relative to the surrounding areas on the Island. Sherry recognized this as a teenager, and it was all these factors that made her driven to make something of herself. At 5’5”, she was about the same height as Rachelle with the same tone and muscles of Madison. She worked out three to four times weekly and took a self-defense class.

The process of going through the steps to become a detective is filled with an examination. Once you take the exam you are placed on a list to fill in openings in the detective department. To get on the actual placement can sometimes be a matter of who you know and not what you know. Even though the political process was a part of it, Sherry had a positive attitude that with her record, education, and the support of Detective Lieutenant Cronin, it was just a matter of time before she wore civilian clothes for work.

After she graduated from the police academy at 29, she expected to be a detective within a year. In many departments going from patrol division to detective division was a lateral transfer, but not in Suffolk County, Long Island. You had to go through the process of being promoted to sergeant, then lieutenant, and so on. Sherry loved to read, and going through 10 to 14 books a year was no problem for her. Books about the courtroom were her favorite, which is why she loved most of what John Grisham wrote. Her taste in music was Rihanna, Beyonce, and Usher, and she was fully aware the music tonight was not going to have very much of that. Regardless, she would have attended the affair if she had known Victoria Davis. She was at the funeral in the morning and respected her fellow officers regardless of their personal choices.

Tonight’s book would be
The Confession
by John Grisham. She had read every book he had written, with her favorites being
A Time to Kill
and
The Pelican Brief
. She even wrote John Grisham a letter encouraging him to write a sequel to
The Pelican Brief
and wanting to know whatever happened to Darby Shaw after she went into seclusion. She even liked the movie with Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts, which was a rare thing for her after reading a book she enjoyed.

Rachelle and Madison came into the foyer to say goodbye to Sherry. However, Sherry had other plans. “No, no, no. I will walk you over there, and only when you are with other cops will I leave you. Then I will see you back at the house. If none of the officers are gentlemen, then call me and I will come and meet you. OK?”

“Yes,” Madison replied.

Rachelle saluted Sherry and said, “Yes, Mom.”

“Ha ha,” Sherry replied.

The officer asked for Rachelle and Madison’s cell-phone numbers and began to walk them down the hill toward Danford’s. One of the things that most found attractive about Port Jefferson Village was how close together everything was. Within a three-minute walking distance from the ferry you could have your choice of more than 24 restaurants, two hotels, a couple of bed & breakfasts, inns, and more than 100 independent and franchise stores. In the summer, so many tourists from across New York and the rest of the country jammed into the village that it took an extra 15 minutes just to get into the area due to traffic, and once you made it into the Village, getting a parking spot was even more of a challenge. It was for this reason the town installed metered parking. This would help control the flow of traffic, but even more important, it eliminated the overnight parking due to cars being left for ferry passengers.

The heavy motorcycle clubs also had to be reined in. The bikers used to take so many spots in the ferry parking lot that it was one of the deciding factors in creating the metered parking spots. When it was first instituted, the bikers protested the change by taking all of the parking spots with only one motorcycle per spot, creating no parking spots for any vehicles that needed to make a quick stop into one of the stores. The town responded by installing signs that parking on the side of the road would only be for 30 minutes. The biker protest lasted for about two weeks and eventually died out. Paul had the conversation with Joey Z about the change in parking rules, and he got the impression it was favored amongst the business owners for the most part. The locals who initially disliked paying for parking and then paying for a meal were appeased by most of the restaurants paying for the parking. Joey Z had a meter station installed outside of his building so all a customer had to do was give him their parking-spot number, and Joey Z would insert the coins himself and pay for two-hour parking.

Rachelle, Madison, and Sherry reached Danford’s within five minutes, and Sherry was impressed with the beautiful harbor. She walked the two women into Danford’s, and they were escorted upstairs by the host. When they reached the top, there was a beautiful large banner that read, WE CELEBRATE YOU, VICTORIA.

Upstairs at Danford’s is known as the Brookhaven Room. It had a dance floor about 100 feet by 50 feet, with a bar and an atrium that held more tables and a room at the far end of the dance floor that held seating for more than 100 people. While beautiful, it made Rachelle emotional, and Madison had to give her a supportive hug for a few seconds. Sherry looked around the room for a bit and found Bud.

She walked the women over to him and said, “I’m going to leave her with you and Paul now. Give me a call if you need anything, and give me a call when you are bringing her home so I know what’s going on. I don’t want to end up shooting your ass.” Bud acknowledged her by singing “Sherry Baby” to her. She shook her head and said her goodbyes to Rachelle and Madison.

“Don’t forget,” Madison remarked, “I’m leaving here about nine and won’t be back at the house ’til about 1:00 am.”

“No worries,” Sherry said. She left the club and ran into Paul as she exited.

“Take a walk on the dock,” he told her. “It’s beautiful, and the boats are pretty awesome.”

“I’ll do that,” she answered.

As Paul went upstairs, Sherry did just that. She took a walk on the dock, and during this stroll she was impressed at how beautiful this harbor was, from the mansions up on the cliffs to the boats in the water to the surrounding buildings. She thought it was only about 30 minutes from Central Islip, yet it seemed a world apart.

Instead of cutting through the parking lot known as Trader’s Cove, Sherry walked on East Broadway from Danford’s to Main Street to take a look at the stores and restaurants. Everything was there in this beautiful little town. She had read the reports on the case before going to the house and watched the news on the case, so she couldn’t help but stop and pause at the area where the shooting took place. She walked over to the Ocean City Bistro and the Dessert Factory building behind which Kyle Winters had changed this town forever. The interesting thing is it had not appeared to hurt business too much. Although traffic was down in the village, the spots involved in the shootings and the capture seemed to have the interest of the people.

Sherry decided to cut through Trader’s Cove and look for the Red Onion Café on East Main Street where Bud had shot and apprehended Kyle Winters. As soon as she entered the parking area, the sign for the Red Onion Café was on the back of the restaurant, so it was very easy for her to find. As she approached the front door, she noticed the café usually closed at 6:00 pm based on the sign. It was now 8:20 pm, and it was still open with people inside. It was apparent that this alternative food café was now also a point of interest among the locals and tourists.

Sherry walked inside to find an attractive cozy spot with chalkboards full of healthy menu choices. Her cell phone buzzed, indicating a text, and as she looked at it, she saw it was from Bud. It said, “What are you doing, Sherry Baby?” She wrote back, “You are one crazy psychic cop. I happen to be in the Red Onion Café, where you shot up Kyle Winters’ balls.” He texted back, “Have the peanut butter and banana wrap. My favorite there.” She laughed and did just that.

While she was waiting, she walked out to Daniel’s Deck on the outside. She could just visualize how everything happened from the time he stepped into the café just from the way he wrote it in the report. As she was going back inside, a young couple came out to the back deck, and Sherry giggled as she heard the young man explain to his date, “This is where the cop shot one of the killers.”
Yes, sir
, she thought. The Red Onion Café was now on the map. The young officer was intrigued by the name Red Onion and scanned the walls of the café until she found her answer. The owners had placed a sign on the wall with the explanation due to all the questions. Sherry read with great interest.

When we decided to open a café filled with healthy food choices for our customers we looked for names that would best symbolize our goal. We ultimately decided on the Red Onion because of all their health benefits. They are packed with one of the best natural sources of antioxidant properties and possess the cancer-fighting Quercetin. Red onions also provide Allkin, which is a health-promoting compound. They are a rich source of chromium as well. We knew that by taking the name Red Onion Café we had high standards to live up to in providing a healthy alternative and philosophy in eating. Besides, we thought it was a catchy name!