Buckle up…

Jay watched Sam get up quickly and head for the sink. He took three paper towels from the roll attached to the wall over the sink. Sam folded them up into a six inch square and ran cold water over them. He then ran to his wife who had just tried to kill him. He knelt down and pressed the towels lovingly to her face. She had a small speck of blood on her upper lip. He held her head up from the floor with the other hand.

Jay then noticed three men standing down on the stairs leading to the basement. One of them spoke. “Are you all right Sam, we heard a shot. The man held a .38 pistol in his hand. The two other men coward behind him. “I’m fine, Loretta just tried to shoot me. She’s been under a lot of pressure in the last few days. She’s confused and angry at me.” “What for?” “It doesn’t mater, but we need to get her out of here before the police arrive. Someone surely has called them by now.”

At that moment, David appeared in the doorway. Sam looked up at him and moved his lips, mouthing the words, “Go back to Susan’s place.” David understood and left instantly by the back door to his left. He saw the guard lying on the ground as he turned left and ran for his car.

Susan was heading home at that very moment from Sam Cornel’s house, her job completed without incident. She arrived home a few moments before David.

Sam looked down at the man standing on the stairs. “Help me put Loretta into this chair for a moment Jason.” “Right boss.” He rushed up to the side of Sam. Cheeto arrived but he wasn’t moving very fast. He limped as he walked across the room. Sam pulled his wife’s dress down over her legs as the men came to her side.

Loretta soon started to come around as Sam wiped her face with the cold wet paper towels. Her eyes slowly opened. The two men lifted Loretta up and placed Loretta in the chair. Jay sat in his chair and watched the scene in front of him and wondered what might happen next. Sam held his wife’s hand tenderly.

“Oh my love, are you alright?” “Yes you son of a bitch. I can’t believe I missed you. Who is this bastard who hit me with the chair?” “He is a business associate of mine from up north. You haven’t met him before.” “Gus, this is my beautiful wife Loretta.” “Loretta, this is Gus.” “Hello Loretta, I’m sorry about the chair.” “Me too, you might have saved my husband from his death at my hands, however.” “Well, I was just in the right place at the wrong time I guess. Clearly you are woking on some issues at the moment.”

Sam looked at his wife as the two other men held her up on her chair at the table. She was still a little unsettled and of balance, like a boxer after he has been knocked out. Loretta looked at Sam with disgust and quit speaking.

“Jason, you must take my wife out to her car and make sure she gets home safely. The police will be here soon. We don’t want her mixed up in this.” “Sure Mr. Cornel, I will see to it right now.” Jason, a huge man, softly but firmly grasped Loretta’s arm and walked her to the door. “This isn’t over Sam,” Loretta said as she looked back at him as she was being led away to the exit door and the alley.

“Well, this has been an interesting evening Mr. Cornel, to say the least.” “Yes it has been. I would prefer that we keep these events as a special secret between the two of us.” “I understand Mr. Cornel.” “Since we will be doing business together Gus, you may call me Sam.” “Great Sam, nice to meet you.” Jay looked at Sam with a sense of a new calm after the events that had just unfolded. “I will leave you my information and phone number so you might contact me later.” “Yes Gus, let’s get together in a few days when things calm down so we might formulate a plan of action that will help the both of us. These are trying times,I’m sure.” “Yes. I think that’s a good idea Sam. I will wait for tour call in a day or so.”

Jay excused himself and walked to his car. Oscar’s was nearly empty. Only two undercover cops remained inside. Jay knew both of them. “Didn’t expect all that action , did you Jay?” “What are you talking about, I know nothing.” “Nothing worse than a scorned woman. Sam Cornel seems to have his hands full.”

Jay walked outside and down the street to his car. He sat down inside and called David and Susan. “Everything is fine at Oscar’s. I met the boss and it went better than we expected. “What was the shot all about,” David asked. “Oh, Loretta just tried to kill Sam. Good work by the way Susan.” “Thanks, there’s more where that came from.” “I’m not surprised Susan, I’m not surprised. This went much better than I had expected. Sam has already decided to help me with my problem of a drug source. I’m heading back to your place now. See you in ten minutes or so.”

As Jay drove away from Oscar’s, several police cars arrived with sirens blaring. Four officer yelled for everyone in the bar to come out. The two plain cloths detectives walked out slowly with their hands raised high above their heads. The four officers went in cautiously and soon cleared the bar. When they came out of the office they had Sam, Cheeto and the two other men with them and sat them at four separate tables in the bar. “You are officially detained,” one of the officers said loudly. In a few moments two detectives arrived. They were the same detectives that had been on the scene at Jay’s sister”s house the night before when the drug robbery had occurred and his nephew had been beat. They recognized the two men seated near Sam and Cheeto, instantly. “This is going to be interesting one detective said to the other.”

One of the detectives walked over to the two men and spoke to them. “Are you still going to tell me that you don’t know Sam Cornel?” “Tomas spoke for both men. “We are innocent victims. We were just here having a few drinks and shooting some pool.” The detective looked over at one of the uniformed officers and spoke, Roger, take these two out and put them in separate cars. I want them back in jail as soon as possible. The other detective was asking Sam Cornel questions while Cheeto sat at a nearby table. He was leaning to one side as he sat there. It looked odd.

There will be more today. Don’t you have anything better to do?

“Sunrise, Sunset” my book of short stories, is still on audible for you listening pleasure.