“Holy shit,” said Mike, “I think I’ve found our smoking gun!”
Gene rushed over to his side and sat down next to Mike at the long table in the conference room. The table was littered with stacks of folders and reams of stray papers. Mike offered Gene the four page document and he read it twice before he understood its significance. He jumped up from his chair and let out a whoop. “We’ve got ‘em!” Gene shouted. “Good job, buddy!”
The two men had spent the last four hours, sifting through paper and pouring over documents. Both were tired, yet jubilant. They painstakingly returned the documents back into their folders and replaced them into their cardboard storage boxes. The four page document which Mike had dubbed the smoking gun, would leave the room with them.
Gene checked his watch. “The meeting starts in twenty minutes,” he said.
Mike chuckled. “I can’t believe it. That was like finding a needle in a haystack. Those guys are pretty sharp. We really lucked out with this one.”
“I think the Chief would call it good police work. Don’t sell yourself short.”
“I wasn’t going to leave this room without finding something,” said Mike, holding up the thin manila folder in his right hand. “I don’t think I could have lived with myself.”
“Me either,” replied Gene. “How many copies of that are we going to need?”
“Seven ought to do it.”
“Well, hop to it, we’re running out of time. Let’s get this show on the road.”
They arrived at the meeting with five minutes to spare. Some of the City Council members were already inside the council chambers. Mike and Gene were happy to catch the big fish, Chairman of the City Council, Joe Huffman, out in the parking lot. Still dressed in their police uniforms, they caught Huffman as he stepped out of his Ford pickup. Huffman was in his mid-sixties and had served on the City Council for nearly thirty years.
“Hello Joe,” said Gene. “We’d like to talk to you for a minute.”
Huffman eyed the two cops with suspicion. “Mike, Gene… what can I do for you? I really have to be getting inside. Our meeting is about to start.”
“This won’t take long,” said Mike. He handed Huffman a copy of the original document and watched the expression on Huffman’s face change. “So, you recognize your signature at the bottom of that document?”
Huffman nodded. “I knew this thing would come back to bite me in the ass” he hissed. “I can tell you this much, I’m not going down alone. And let me tell you something else, our hands were tied when we passed that resolution. We didn’t have any other options.”
Gene nodded, sympathetically. “Joe, we believe you. Mike and I know how the system works. But we can’t change the laws. This town hired us to enforce the laws you put on the books.”
Huffman ran his hands through his short grey hair. He then shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t say anything more on this subject. I should call my lawyer.”
Mike gave Huffman a hard look. “Slow down, Joe,” he said. “We might be able to work this thing out, just between us. How would you like that?”
“What is this, blackmail? Have you two lost your minds?”
Gene stuck his finger in the center of Huffman’s chest. “Shut your mouth and listen to me. Do you know where we were, today? Mike and I were out visiting Bessie Grundhoffer. I wonder if you even know who she is. Not that it matters. Bessie is an old gal living on her Social Security. She’s all alone in this world, except for these three little dogs.”
“Chihuahuas,” said Mike. “Cute little fellas…”
“They sure are,” agreed Gene. “Can you imagine how rotten Mike and I felt after writing her a citation for being one dog over the new limit? That was a one hundred dollar ticket, Joe. We’d like you to scrap your new dog resolution and dismiss the citation.”
Joe Huffman smiled and held up the document. “Look at me,” he said. “You’re looking at the sole dissenting vote on that piece of crap,” he pointed to the folder in Mike’s hand. “I hope you have six more copies of this that folder. Give them to me. This, my friends, will be a pleasure.”
Mike handed Joe the folder. “Thanks Joe. We didn’t want to do this, but you didn’t give us much choice in the matter. If you think you can take care of this, Gene and I would like to run out to Bessie’s place.”
Huffman nodded. “I promise the both of you that I’ll make them see the light. Once I mention the possibility of felony charges and prison terms, they’ll come around. Hell, my mom has three dogs of her own. I should be the one thanking you.”
After they both shook Huffman’s hand, Mike and Gene hopped back in their squad car and drove out to see the old woman.
And a tiny wrong in a bottomless ocean of political mistakes was righted.
The End
Thanks and I hope you have enjoyed the stories. ~ Nick
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