The Third Ten

by Jacqueline Druga

“Seems to be the thing today with everyone. I’ll pop on in there. Thanks.”

  A latte.

  Joe was happy.

  He had his coffee but the latte was going to be perfect. Plus, if Gemma was early she was making something good.

  He left the clinic and headed toward the bakery.

  “Joe, wait up,” Henry called out.

  A little surprised at the upbeat sound of Henry’s tone, Joe stopped and turned around. “Henry. At least I know you didn’t get up early.”

  “Nah, I haven’t been to bed.”

  “You haven’t slept.”

  “No. I just wanted to apologize.”

  “Really. What for?”

  “For causing a scene and getting upset about the future LEP. I wasn’t thinking, I jumped the gun, you were right. I’m sorry for second guessing you.”

  Joe tugged on his own ear. “Are you okay?”

  “Couldn’t be better. Again, I’m sorry.”

  “No… no problem.”

  “Have a good day, Joe!” Henry said brightly as he walked away.

  Joe scratched his head. “Have a good day. What the hell?” He shook his head and went to the bakery, He could smell the fresh coffee and rolls the second he walked in.

  “I saw you coming,” Gemma said. “Have your latte all ready.”

  “Thanks, Gemma.” Joe reached for the cup.

  “Are you going through the Joe Park?”

  Joe fluttered his lips. “I uh, can. It’s only twelve feet wide. What’s up?”

  “Could you hang this on the Joe Board?” She handed him a flyer. “I made too many Crumpets yesterday so its buy one get one apple crumpet day. And here’s a crumpet for you.”

  “Thank you. Gemma, I’ll enjoy this in my office. And I hang this.” Joe took the flyer. “Thank you for the latte.” He took a sip, exhaled in pleasure of the bold taste and walked out of the bakery. He started to feel good about the day, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Good latte, a free crumpet. It was still dark out but the solo light in Joe Park was enough light for Joe to see the flyer. He looked down at it as he approached the board, chuckling at the hand drawn crumpet.

  Then suddenly, all positive thoughts about the day went out the window when he raised his hand to the Joe Board and saw it.

  A new flyer, a poster.

  “Jesus Christ,” Joe nearly dropped his coffee when he looked at it.

  “Wanted. Reward. Have you seen this man?”

  Joe took it down, replaced it with Gemma’s and grumbled out an irritated, “Frank.” As he headed to his office.

  <><><><>

  Dean did a double take when Ellen walked into the lab. From his work to Ellen, then his work to his watch, back to Ellen.

  “I did not expect you in here this early,” Dean said. “Seeing how you just got home four hours ago.”

  “I’m fine. I’m excited. I have to tell you something, you’re gonna love it.” She set down a cup. “First, latte, a triple.”

  “Wow, thanks.”

  “Gemma had buy one get one Crumpets, and I got you one with egg.” She slid the wrapped sandwich to him.

  “Crumpet?” Dean opened the sandwich. “It looks like an English Muffin.”

  “It actually is, I didn’t have the heart to tell her it wasn’t a crumpet.” Ellen shrugged. “Close enough. They’re awesome and cheap.” She placed his Danny Dollar card on the counter. “Thanks.”

  “And here I thought you were being generous,” Dean said.

  “You’ll be glad you bought me breakfast after I tell you.”

  “About the big night last night?” Dean asked.

  “Yep.”

  “It was a long night.”

  “But so worth it. Wait until you hear.”

  “It must be good because you failed to ask about your boy, Elliott.”

  Ellen cringed. “Oh my God, that’s horrible of me. How is he?”

  Dean lifted his hands and looked baffled. “Great. I mean ... Like … he’s breathing on his own and …” He lowered his voice. “We don’t need to keep him in a coma.”

  “So why are we?” Ellen’s voice matched the low volume.

  “People can’t know how much healing agent he got.”

  Ellen looked around. “Why are we whispering?”

  “You never know who’s lurking.”

  “Dean, please, no one is lurking. Everyone is working.”

  Knock. Knock.

  Ellen locked eyes with Dean and smiled.

  “See?” Dean said.

  Hector stepped into the lab. “Hey, I’m not interrupting, am I?”

  Ellen turned around. “No, not at all come on in.”

  “Thanks,” Hector said. “I just ... I just wanted to thank you for last night.”

  “Oh, sure not a problem.”

  “No, I’m serious Ellen, it meant a lot.”

  “It meant a lot to me too.”

  “I didn’t expect that.”

  Ellen exhaled. “Well, neither did I. I’m glad it happened. I felt like the old me. It was fun. Sneaking about, giggling. It was long overdue and needed.”

  “And what a difference it made. I feel like a new man. Like everything flipped a page. I don’t know how long it will last, maybe for good, maybe not. I saw a huge change this morning. A weight was lifted.”

  “I’m happy.”

  “Me, too.” Hector leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll let you get back to work. I’ll talk to you later. Thanks again.”

  Ellen lifted her hand in a wave, and unknown to her, Dean had crept up to listen in curiosity to the conversation. When she turned back around, Dean was right there and she screamed.

  “What ….” Dean pointed. “Was that all about.”

  “Oh, last night.”

  “I got that.”

  “I was with Henry and we were working on something and he decided because things weren’t all that good with Hector that we should ….” Ellen stopped when she saw Dean holding up his hand. “What?” she asked.

  “You were with Henry.”

  “Yes, we were working on ….”

  “Ellen!”

  “What the fuck, Dean, why are you yelling at me?

  “We … don’t talk to Henry,” he said.

  “You … don’t talk to him.”

  “Neither do you, we decided. We hate him.”

  “You hate him.”

  Dean growled. “He did so much shit.”

  “I know and I forgave him. It was time. It really was. It was affecting him and Hector. And …”

  “Who cares?”

  Ellen threw out her hand. “Stop it. I made the decision to forgive and try to be his friend again. If you don’t want to, fine, respect my decision.”

  “And you were with them, not Jenny all night.”

  “Yeah, Jenny teaches school. She can’t stay up late. Plus this is all that I wanted to tell you. We were at the cryo …”

  Dean shrieked.

  “What!”

  “You had them in the cryo. That’s my lab.”

  “My lab, too.”

  “Chaka is there.”

  “And you think Henry didn’t know? Plus, if it’s a secret, newsflash, Henry knows, Hector knows.”

  “Why did you have them down there?” Dean asked.

  “That’s what I am excited to tell you.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “You say that now,” Ellen walked across the lab to grab her coffee. “But when you hear, you are gonna be happy, one, a mystery is solved and two …” She tapped her hand on the counter. “Okay, who in the community gives you a hard time and you always want to see them one upped.”

  “Um … Frank.”

  “Try again.”

  “Hal, I sometimes hate …”

  Ellen shook her head. “Someone else.”

  “Ben from Fabrics.”

  “Nope.”

  “Lars.”

  “Not from here.”

  “Robbie.”

/>   “Dean,” Ellen scolded.

  “Jessie, Richie, Mark, Patrick….” Dean snapped his finger. “Danny Hoi.”

  “That’s the one.”

  “Oh my God, yeah,” Dean said. “He gives me a hard time and screws up my Danny Dollar card all the time. How did you one up him.”

  “Because he wasn’t first. I like Danny Hoi, but I can’t wait to see his face when he wasn’t the one to figure something out. You know those ear bud things of Chaka?” Ellen asked, then smiled. “Henry figured them out. We know what they are.”

  Dean smiled.

  <><><><>

  “Fuck.”

  It was a good day. It started out that way. Frank got his rounds down early, all his checks in place and even had a couple crumpet sandwiches. Of course, Gemma wasn’t too happy with him when he asked, “What the fuck is a crumpet. Maybe if you made things people knew what they were you wouldn’t have a ton left over.”

  She scowled at him but gave him the crumpet sandwiches.

  “English Muffin,” Frank told her.

  “They are not an English muffin. These are made with milk.”

  “Still an English Muffin.”

  She argued only a brief time with him, then gave up. Frank took his sandwiches and headed to see Danny Hoi.

  That also was a positive to his day.

  Danny authorized fifty Danny Dollar bonus to the person who led to the identification of the serial sexter.

  Frank thought for sure that incentive would pull the person out, so he made an addendum note and headed to Joe Park.

  He was going to place that note on top of his Wanted Poster.

  But when he arrived.

  “Fuck.”

  Frank looked at the board. “Fuck.”

  He lifted the notes, it wasn’t there. Someone took his wanted poster. Who would do that? It was part of the investigation.

  Before he took a chance on losing another poster, he sent a text to Danny asking him if there was a way to put surveillance cameras in the Joe Park. Obviously, the sexter didn’t want to be caught.

  That was the only explanation Frank could think of as to why his poster was gone.

  Danny worked hard on it too.

  It would bother Frank all day, not only was the serial sexter sending obscene pictures, he was taking Beginnings government property. Frank had to clear his mind or at least stop thinking about it, he had a meeting. Since he was already late, he figured he’d stop by the bakery, get another one of those English Muffin sandwiches then head to his father’s office.

  NINE

  Frank being late for the meeting didn’t bother Joe anywhere near as much as the antsiness of the three individuals in his office. Hal tapped his foot, Robbie kept playing with the skin on his fake arm and Danny Hoi shuffled back and forth in his chair while looking at his phone.

  “Father,’ Hal said. “If we may ….”

  “No, we may not.”

  “I just want to get lockdown lifted.”

  “And it will. Frank will be here soon. Trust me I want him here, too. He’s never late so something must be up. Robert quit pulling at that skin.”

  “It’s weird today. Almost dead. Danny, you think you and Dean can check this today.”

  Danny looked up from his phone and almost as if he weren’t thinking, blurted out, “Fuck Dean.”

  Joe immediately looked up,

  Hal reacted with a ‘What?”

  Robbie laughed. “Oh my god.”

  “I’m sorry. Sorry,” Danny said. “That’s not me. But Dean is really pushing my buttons.”

  “Is that who you are texting?” Joe asked.

  “Yeah and he won’t stop, Joe. He keeps sending messages with just ‘hahaha’, and saying, here, let me read this one.” Danny pulled up the message and read. “Pretty soon you will find out you’re not Mr. Everything. I can’t wait to see the look on your face.”

  “What the hell?” Joe said.

  “Exactly. I mean, not that I’d be mad, because well, I do figure everything out, but why is he doing this.”

  “Must be big,” Robbie said. “Something maybe you didn’t figure out.”

  “Doubtful,” Danny said. “I just wish he’d stop.”

  Joe lifted his hands. “You brought back text, deal with it or shut off your phone.”

  “I can’t shut it off, Joe.”

  “Here.” Joe held out his hand. “Give it to me.”

  Danny did.

  Joe dropped it in the trash can next to his desk.

  “Uh! Joe!” Danny squealed. “In the old world, it was a fifteen hundred dollar phone.”

  “It’s not broke.” The metal can rattled when the phone buzzed. “See.”

  Danny quickly got up, walked over to the garbage can and grabbed the phone. “I’ll shut it off.”

  There was a knock on the door, then Frank walked in. “Sorry, I’m late.”

  Hal looked over his shoulder at Frank who took a seat. “That’s it? Usually, you make a much bigger entrance.”

  “Yeah, it’s been one of those fucking days. Started good, but I just keep hitting a wall.”

  “Someone didn’t try to kill you again, did they?” Hal asked.

  Frank paused, looked up, thought about it, then shook his head. “No.”

  “Frank,” Joe said. “I have called you three times about something.”

  “I was busy.”

  “I also sent a text.”

  “I didn’t reply. I’m sorry. You sounded irritated and I didn’t want to hear you bitch,” Frank replied.

  “Do you know why I was calling to bitch?” Joe asked.

  “Because I haven’t found the sexter.”

  “No.”

  “Oh, then I should have called you back. I thought it was about the sexter. I’m feeling defeated. But I’ll find him … or her.”

  “I’m sure you will. However, I have a complaint.”

  “Okay.”

  Joe reached in his desk drawer, pulled out Frank’s wanted poster, and laid it on his desk. “What is this?”

  Frank looked at the poster, then to his father, then back to the poster. “Uh, Dad, if you don’t know what that is, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Frank, I …”

  “I mean you had like four kids,” Frank said.

  “Frank, I don’t ….”

  “Fine. Fine.” Frank lowered his voice. “It’s a penis.”

  “I know it’s a penis!” Joe yelled.

  “If you knew it was a penis why did you ask?”

  “Because I …”

  “Was it a trick question?” Frank asked.

  “No! I wanted to know what this was.”

  “It’s a penis!”

  “I know it’s a penis!”

  “Don’t ask whose penis that is, I am working on it.”

  “Father …” Hal interrupted. “How important is this?”

  “Hal, shut up.”

  “Yeah, Hal,” Frank repeated. “Shut up.”

  “Joe,” Danny lifted his hand. “That’s a poster I made for Frank. One of many. He asked.”

  Joe nodded. “Frank, why did you ask for posters of a penis to be made?”

  “It’s a wanted poster,” Frank answered. “And it’s a suspect. Just like any other suspect, I hung his picture.”

  “Why?” Joe asked.

  “Maybe someone knew whose it was. But …” Frank said. “The fucking perpetrator is crafty. He took down my posters. Fuckin one step ahead of me.”

  “You think he took down the posters because he was afraid someone would recognize him?” Joe asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Frank, you asshole,” Joe barked. ‘You hung this on the community board for the community to see.”

  “Yeah. But it wasn’t up for long, the perpetrator took it down.”

  “No, it was me.” Joe said.

  Silence.

  Frank was about as dramatic as he could be. His hand slapped over his own mouth and his fingers trailed pu
lling his bottom lip. “Oh my God. Dad.”

  “What?”

  “Why … why would you?”

  “Because it was obscene and children could see it,” Joe said.

  “Oh my God, Dad, that’s worse than I imagined.”

  “Of course it is. If you think about it, anyone would have done it.”

  “Not everyone.”

  “True. So you’re okay with this. You understand.”

  “No. No.” Frank stood up. “I’m sorry, I know you’re my father, but fuck, you have a problem. Andrea, okay, that’s your wife, but children.”

  “Frank, what the hell are you talking about?” Joe asked.

  “Allow me to translate,” Hal said. “I believe Frank is referring to you being the serial sexter.”

  “Me? Me?” Joe’s voice upped. “What in the world would make you think it was me?”

  “You said.”

  “I did not.”

  “Dad?” Robbie spoke up. “In Frank’s defense you did.”

  “You did,” Frank said.

  “I concur,” said Hal. “At least it sounded that way. When Frank suggested the perpetrator took it down, you said…”

  Joe groaned. “It was me.”

  Frank snapped his finger. “I should arrest you.”

  “No!” Joe blasted. “You asshole, I was the one who took it down.”

  “Then you’re the sexter,” Frank stated.

  “How do you figure?”

  “Because only the sexter would take it down.’

  “How about this, Frank? How about only a moron would post a picture of a penis on a community board.”

  “It’s a wanted poster.”

  “With a penis on it.”

  “It’s the only picture we have of him.”

  “Frank, I am not the sexter. I took the poster down because I didn’t want the children to see it.”

  “How the hell are we supposed to find him then?” Frank asked.

  “I don’t know, you’re super sleuth. Figure it out.” Joe said then took a calming breath. “Okay, back to the meeting.”

  “Can I have my poster back?” Frank asked.

  “No.”

  “Please.”

  “No!” Joe yelled. “You’ll hang it up again.”

  “No, I’m gonna give it to Jenny. If anyone knows the penises in town she does.”

  “No, now sit.”

  “Why do you want it?” Frank asked.

  “Frank ….”

  “Seems to me it’s kind of weird that you l…”