Heart of Stone by I.D. Russell

Author:I.D. Russell [Russell, I.D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: k'12
Publisher: Ringo Jones Productions
Published: 2016-10-13T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

It was another lonely evening working the midnight beat for Frank Malone and his partner Jimmy Hooper. Driving up and down the streets of a quiet downtown, they were making their presence felt among the dregs of society, those who prey on the innocent, law-abiding citizens doing their best to live innocent and law-abiding lives. The citizens had nothing to worry about from these two cops keeping the peace, but the criminals needed to step lightly.

Frank had been doing this for a long time, had a lot of experience behind his shield. He knew the ins and outs of every street, alley, and dark corner of his beat. He could have transferred to a desk job ages ago, could have gotten away from the action, stayed off the street, saved his marriage, done what most cops with half a brain would have. But Frank was proud of his half a brain; proud that he stayed where the dirt was, did his best to keep his little piece of the streets clean and clear. He had gone through more partners in his thirty years on the beat than anyone, some were even now his bosses, but he didn’t care. All that mattered to Frank was keeping that thin blue line of law and order.

“Old Frank,” the rest of the boys called him, at least that was what they called him to his face. He knew that most referred to him as “Methuselah,” and not only because he looked his age, but also because no one on the force seemed to know just how old he really was. At some point in his career, records had been lost and now the top brass was basically just going on his good word. But then he did have the highest arrest count on the force, more collars than just about any section combined. His beat was known as the safest in town, seeing lower numbers in recorded crime than anywhere else in River City each and every year that Frank worked it. It was something he could be proud of, something he could pass down to his kids, if he had bothered having any.

Frank’s life was the beat, and that was what his wives never understood, what most of his partners never understood, what most of the force didn’t understand. It was about taking a stand, drawing a line and saying to those with bad intentions that you do not cross this line, for I am on the other side, and I will punish you.

He looked over to the driver’s seat, where the fresh-faced Jimmy drove with one hand, the other nursing a coffee cup like it was made of gold rather than styrofoam filled with the cheap brew they pass off as java at the Seven Eleven. That kid doesn’t get it yet, but he will. Jimmy was fresh meat. He had only been out of the academy for a few weeks when they paired them up.

So far the night had been a quiet one.

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