“Ears were burning,” Danny chuckled, “Can anyone join the party?”
“Yeah,” Steelman said, “Glad you’re here, actually. I wanted to tell you both about this.”
“Okay?”
“Between us, the Mayor has assured me the IA investigation will go our way. I don’t know how he knows that. I don’t want to know how he knows that. But, he’s told me, and this is a quote, ‘rest well.’ That said, he’s also said we’ve got some budgetary concerns in the department.
“Meaning?” Alex said.
“Meaning there’s going to be some restructuring when all of this is said and done.”
“Meaning?” Danny said, a bit impatient. “Enough with the story, Chief. Rip the Band-Aid.”
“Under the previous mayor, Homicide and Vice were separated. It was his opinion that the two would work better if they could separate their efforts. Focus on one thing at a time. It didn’t work, honestly. Homicide and Vice are almost always linked somehow. We wind up working with them more often than not. So effective April 1, we’re going to be one department. Same chief, me. But one captain. For the time being, there’ll be six Lieutenants. Alex, you and Kellan are a given. There are three Lieutenants coming over from Vice. With Escalante’s death, we have to pick a third. I’m leaving that to you and Kellan, Alex.”
“One captain?” Danny said. “So, be straight with me here, Chief. Am I going to have a job or not?”
“Danny, I have to be honest with you, I don’t know if either of us are going to have a job. The decision for Captain has yet to be made. There’s a big shakeup over there too, apparently. I don’t know the details, but it could mean you’re a lock for the job. Given what’s gone on today, it could mean they bring in an outsider. Like I said, it might end up with both of us out of a job.”
“Uh, what?” Alex asked.
The court room emptied. Everyone poured out of the courtroom.
“We’ll talk about it later,” Steelman said.
“I’m going to have to ask you both to quit saying that!” Alex said, loud enough that a few passersby cast curious glances their way. “We’re going to talk about this now and that’s all there is to it.”
“Alex, the Mayor said the job is there. He said I’m not in danger of losing my job. But I have tendered my resignation.”
“You what!?” Alex and Danny screamed in concert.
“I’ve resigned, boys. It’s time for me to move on with the next thing in my life. Before I’m too old to enjoy it.”
“Okay, so, who’s the chief going to be?”
“I don’t know, Alex. And before anyone asks, no it’s not going to be Danny.” When they both looked at him confused, Steelman continued, “Sorry, son. We both know it’s not the job you want.”
“Well, I don’t want you not to have it either!” Danny said.
“Son, I’m getting old. I’ve got a new wife that I haven’t even had time to enjoy. My life is a big strain and something has to give. Period.”
“Chief,” Danny interrupted, “I love you like a father and you know that. We all know your marriage isn’t happy.”
“No,” Steelman admitted, “it’s not. But that’s the point. I have to give it my all.”
“Did you have to give up being police chief for your first wife?” Danny asked. Steelman’s face went sullen. His eyes fell. “I’m sorry, Chief. I know you miss her. She was a great woman. But, honestly? You’re going to leave us for a marriage on the rocks as it is?”
“Danny, you’re out of line,” Steelman said, weak, lacking any real authority in his admonition.
“I know,” Danny admitted, “I’m trying to be out of line, Chief! Alex? Are you just going to stand there or are you going to say something?”
As Lisa walked up, Alex hugged her.
“I’m not sure what to say,” Alex said, “I love my job. I’m glad I’m able to help people. And put bad people away. But, Lisa is my wife. My wife comes before all of this. If she asked me to quit tomorrow, I would, if it meant my marriage.”
“No, you would not!” Lisa interjected. “Alex, I love you, but I would never do that to you. Your work is too important.”
“Exactly my point, Babe,” Alex said, hugging her close to his side. “You respect me. You wouldn’t do that to me. But, if you were to ask me to stay at home, we’d figure something out. And I’d do it. For you and the kids.”
“I still say no you wouldn’t,” Lisa disagreed.
“See, Chief?” Danny interrupted. “That’s a wife. That is support. That’s a partner right there. Where is she anyway? You’re on trial and she’s not even here today?”
“We had a fight,” he admitted. “She went to her mother’s.”
“Well, let that gal stay with Mama!” Danny said, almost celebratory. “We need our Daddy Tom!”
Hugging Danny and Alex on either side of him, Chief Steelman smiled. “Love you too, kids.”
Alex wasn’t a fan of divorce. In truth, he found himself standing there praying for a restoration of Tom Steelman’s marriage. But he also knew that God’s will needed to play out and, given the rumors of infidelity, he figured God would understand if the marriage wound up being dissolved. Whatever happened, both within the department and within the lives of those whom he loved, it was in God’s hands.
Smiling, Alex looked left, right and left again. One-by-one he considered the faces of those people standing with him today, and those who loved him but couldn’t be there in that moment.
Time would tell if Chief Steelman’s marriage would last, if he would remain as Chief of Police and if Danny would, in fact, remain as Captain of the combined Homicide and Vice department. In that moment, for a time at least, Alex let it all go. There’d be time to stress these issues later. For now, surrounded by so many of the ones he loved, Alex smiled. When he thought no one was watching, he cast his eyes upward. Gave a wink. And, somewhere inside him, felt that his small gesture had been seen and reciprocated from that place where Angels trod and where God was alive on the Throne.
Notes from the Author
A few points I wanted to clear up about this very fictional series of books. I felt the need to do this because of the fact that 1) Longview is, in fact, a real city in Texas and 2) Police work is a very real and very dangerous profession.
In short, I have taken several liberties in the creation of this series and wanted to clarify that those liberties were taken intentionally and solely for the purpose of communicating a story that would not require a thousand pages of exposition and ten thousand characters whose sole purpose would be to illustrate the vast and varied aspects of Texas Law Enforcement.
In small-town East Texas, there are many branches of law enforcement, from DPS officers and Highway Patrol to Sheriff Department, City Police Departments and the celebrated Texas Rangers. There is also the Texas Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Texas State Police and Texas Capitol Police. (Along with the Highway Patrol, the last two fall under the DPS).
Most counties that I researched had a Constable as well, though I didn’t check all of the counties in the state, so that may not be a universal thing. And this list doesn’t include police forces at airports, sea ports, public schools, colleges and universities. Needless to say there is plenty of law in the Great State of Texas. For simplicity purposes, I have focused many shared and overlapping duties inside the Longview Police Force. Too, in dealing with other agencies (such as sheriff departments), I have concentrated their involvement on one or two tasks, rather than the multitude of tasks these valuable men and women often undertake. I have done this strictly for ease of storytelling, to avoid confusion, exposition and over-explanation of things in the real world that is Texas Law Enforcement. I want it said that I love, appreciate and celebrate any and all members of law enforcement. Your job and sacrifices are not something I take lightly. I want to take this time to say thank you to each and every member of Texas Law Enforcement, no matter where you serve. I hope that everyone who reads th
is series – whether belonging to the law enforcement or not – will enjoy it for what it is, a fictional story of a fictionalized version of a very real city. Confused yet? Imagine how I feel. I live here in my mind.
Also, in regards to the city itself, as I said, Longview is a very real city. While I attended Sabine Independent Schools from Kindergarten through senior year, I spent a great majority of my youth in Longview. Whether hanging out at the Longview Mall, Taco Bell or one of several movie theaters they’ve built, renovated and closed throughout the years and years of development in the city. As the town grew, so did the man called Edward Hancock II.
That said, within the confines of the story, you may read that this or that crime occurred at the corner of X and Y street. However, if you go to the real Longview, you would find the streets mentioned running parallel or, at times, being across town from one another. Too, characters in this story may agree to meet at this certain place that is next to some other place. Such as hypothetically meeting at the Walmart next to the library or some such. A trip to the real city of Longview would reveal that this is not the actual layout of the city.
I decided to do this years ago when first conceiving of the series. In writing a scene that took place in a graveyard, I changed many details about the graveyard itself (which shared the name of an actual graveyard in Gregg County). At the time, I said (and I still assert) that I did it to protect the privacy and peace of the residents of the real graveyard, not to mention that of their survivors. Some people are, to be honest, thoughtless. To write a story taking place in the real Longview would, in my mind, give too many people some very bad ideas and, in effect, give them license to recreate the destruction or mayhem depicted in this series. To be frank, I don’t want that. So, to that end, I created a Longview that is (for the most part) a product of my imagination. I use many real landmarks and try to depict it as close to the Longview I know while still maintaining the peace and privacy of the inhabitants that reside here – the living and the dead.
Last, I wanted to clarify something. I have never been hit with a Taser blast. I researched it on Google, but couldn’t find any incident where someone tasted metal after being Tasered. That said, I have spoken to many police officers, prison guards and jailers that have been and a number of electricians that have experienced electric shock. A couple of them reported experiencing a metallic taste afterwards. We fiction writers take a lot of liberties in our stories. If this is true, great. If it is not, well, it is one of those great liberties taken by a creative imagination. While I have no desire to be on the business end of a Taser myself, I do think it’s a fairly interesting detail of this story, whether fantasy or reality.
Thank you to every single one of the readers that have shared this journey with me thus far. I look forward to continuing this journey with you for many books to come.
God bless,
Edward Hancock II
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Edward Hancock II lives and works in Gilmer, Texas, where he shares a home with his four-legged children. When not speaking or traveling, he is hard at work on his next novel. You can keep up with Edward at his personal website, www.edwardhancockii.com. You may also catch him on Facebook.
Target: Mendez: An Alex Mendez Tale Page 18
