Short Story Fridays: The Gate p.7-Dreams and Portents

Tweet of the Day: Brevity

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Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5- Part 6a – Part 6b -Part 8 – Part 9 – Part 10 – Part 11 -Part 12a -Part 12b -Aftermath

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Look at watch, 1:15 a.m., is going to a long shift.

Rodriguez comes over, “Hey have you been working the Gardner case?”

“No, that’s O’Malley.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sure, look at this mess. I got to wrap up that stabbing on level 27 and somebody floated my name for the new anti-gang taskforce, like I have time to deal with that shit.”

“Okay, when does your shift end?”

“Right on the 6, as always.”

“Okay, a bunch of us are going to grab breakfast, maybe you should join us. We are planning Jacques bachelor party.”

“Just tell me how much and I’ll tell you if I can spare it.”

“C’mon man, it ain’t like that. I know a couple of entertainers from my time in vice.”

“Rodriguez the pimp?”

Rodriguez snorts, “Don’t be an ass. Won’t kill you to share with your fellow officers.”

“Sure, whatever.”

Interview with witnesses, talk with the A.D.A., O’Malley calls, “Malone, I need help with something on Level 101, Block C.”

Look at watch again, 2:47. Two creaky elevators, a bunch of stairs, half way through my shift. “Sure, be right there.”

A Rent-A-Box, corner of coffin and closet. A mess, body face down in a pool of his own blood. Stabbed, shot? Poor bastard.

O’Malley said something “…this one is special.“

What so special about a dead guy, that looks like Rodriguez?

Muzzle flash.

Nothing hurts like a gunshot.

Nothing….

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