January Gets Her Gunn

Chapter 4-1

Chapter 42 Aug 1985: 1250:

It was nearly one o’clock in the afternoon. Jan had just put on her skimpiest bikini and started for the door, when the phone rang. Who could be calling? My number is unlisted and I’ve given it only to the police department and Willy Hunt. She hesitated to answer it, but after the second ring, she picked it up. “Hello.”

“It’s Willy, Jan. I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“No I was just going out to the pool, to fish.”

“To fish?” Willy’s voice echoed her surprise.

“Yeah, for eligible bachelors. I’m using my teeniest bikini for bait.”

“Oh!” There was a slight pause, then a chuckle. “You’re terrible, Miss Farrell. What I called you about is the barbeque at the Beltran’s this evening. Phil and I are going and Thad Gunn will not be there. Belen asked me to try to convince you it is not, quote, a command performance. If you refuse, she’ll accept that, but she and Gordo will be disappointed. They want to meet you.”

“I don’t feel right about it. In the first place, Gunn was the one that delivered the invitation. It was almost as if he was the High Chamberlain for the King and Queen. Why would the judge want to see me? Because I’m a dumb broad who was conned into something by Gunn? No thank you.”

“I hate to say it, but you have it all wrong. In the first place Gordo was a cop here in Riverton. I think sometimes he wishes he was still just a patrolman. He’s a great guy, really.”

“But why me and why now?”

“This is in confidence, Jan. You never heard a word about this. Promise?”

“Yeah, I promise.”

“Belen says that Paco and Gunn both spoke so highly of you it made Gordo curious. He was working when Norma Pruitt joined the force. He wonders if you’re another Norma, and he said that if you were, then Riverton PD has done something right. I have heard him say several times that Jack Bowen and Norma were the best things that ever happened to the Police Department. That they brought new view points and ethics to the department. He’s no fan of Gunn’s. In fact he gave Gunn a royal chewing out about taking you to the Roost.”

“He knew about that? Wow!”

“Yeah, wow is right. He jumped Jack about it, too. And from what Belen says, the Chief took a big chunk out of Gunn’s ass. She said Gunn left the house with his tail between his legs.”

“I don’t know about that. Gunn was pretty much up that night, when he came to work. In fact he was almost human most of the night.”

“I wouldn’t trust that sucker as far as I could throw him.”

“Ditto, Willy. I don’t trust him, not about to. I was just commenting.”

“Well he’s not even going to be at the Beltran’s tonight. Why not go? It’s completely informal and you can even wear your bikini. I’m wearing mine. Phil and I can pick you up.”

“Okay, you can quit twisting my arm now. Seriously, what should I wear?”

“Anything casual, but do bring a bathing suit. They have a great pool.”

* * * *

2 Aug 1982: 1800:

Thad took the TV dinner tray out of the oven and carried it out to the redwood picnic table on the covered patio. After he took off the insulated mitts, he stood there a minute, lost in thought. I suppose everyone is at Beltrans by now. Why should that bother me? The Judge and Belen don’t particularly like me. In fact she sounded positively relieved when I called yesterday afternoon to beg off. I still don’t know if Jan will be there or not.

He threw the mittens down on the table before sitting down to eat.

Two bottles of beer later, with about half of the dinner sitting there cold, he suddenly stood, gathered the tray and empty bottles, carried them inside, and dumped it all in the trash can. “God damn her, why can’t I think of something else besides her?” Angrily, he went back out to pick up his silverware, throwing them in the sink as he stalked past.

In the living room, Thad put a tape of bagpipe music in his stereo and turned it on. He sat down in his recliner and closed his eyes. Thirty minutes of the massed drums and pipes of the Gordon Highlanders did not erase thoughts of January Farrell bending over, her uniform trousers pulling tight across her shapely rear, or her stretching after two hours in the car and her breasts thrusting upward as her back arched. Thad had never been drawn to a woman in the same manner before. He wanted to hold her, kiss those full lips, and feel her body pressed against his.

For the first time in nearly nine years, Thad allowed himself to feel lonely. Ever since that day Gus was stabbed to death, he had not allowed himself to get close to anyone. He had hidden behind sarcasm and aloofness, living his vow never to lose another friend. You can’t lose them, if you don’t have them had been his unstated motto. It had worked. At least until January Farrell had entered his life.

“Damn her! I don’t want her to be a cop and get hurt. She’s good. Damned good, but she scares me. I don’t want her hurt. Why?” Thad stormed out of the living room and back to the kitchen, where for the next three hours he sat in the dark, drinking two six packs of beer and weeping. At eleven thirty he staggered to his bed room and fell across the bed, to sleep and dream about a little boy crouched outside a cottage window listening to his mother whimper as she died. Only, the corpse the villagers carried out looked like January Farrell.

* * * *

2 Aug 1982: 23:45:

Just short of midnight, January settled on her tiny balcony. She sat alone in the dark, smoking and sipping on a tall glass of root beer. She still wore her bikini underneath a short terry robe. Phil and Willy had dropped her off twenty minutes earlier.

I really enjoyed myself at the Beltrans. That was a surprise. The Judge, Gordo to his friends, had not been what she had expected. She’d been looking for a dignified silver-haired Spanish grandee, a sort of mature Zorro character. Instead, she’d found a natural clown, short and husky with an infectious grin and a totally irreverent sense of humor.

Listening to him, Chief Jack Bowen and Norma Pruitt talk about the good old days, no one would believe that the husky Mexican with the big smile was a superior court judge. Then he had been a sober, but kindly old cop when he talked to her privately. She couldn’t believe her ears when Gordo told her the things Gunn had said about her. It was the exact opposite of what Gunn had led her to believe.

Later, the Chief verified what the Judge had told her. It was all in black and white in the weekly appraisals Gunn had made on her performance, he said. What the hell is going on? What is this madman really up to? It was hard to despise a man who wrote glowing reports of her performance, yet the mean streak he showed continued to abrade raw wounds.

Jan had met Norma Pruitt at ALETA, but chatting with the legendary female cop of Riverton had been special. In spite of some years’ difference in their ages, Jan sensed a kindred soul in the other woman who laughed at the term legendary and played down the exploits that had given her that title and the nickname Ninja Nan. Belen Beltran had turned out to be a sweet, charming hostess, with a fine sense of humor. Jan knew now that she had a friend in the State Attorney General’s Office and another in the Senior Deputy Harquehala County Attorney. Both women urged her to stick it out. They convinced her there was a definite place for women in law enforcement and repeated that they believed in her.

The big thrill was to see Paco and his new foster parents. True to his nature, the little rascal had flirted with all the women shamelessly. January had laughed until she was weak, watching Gordo and Paco playing in the pool like two wild puppies. Still, when it was time for Paco to leave, his kiss and hug were as genuine as those from Eumelia Mendares.

“Please, January,” Eumelia had said, “Come out to the ranch next Monday and have supper with us. Paco has told us so much about you already and now I know he hasn’t stretched the truth very far.” Eumelia’s smile was twenty-four carat, a beautiful blaze of pure and unjudging love.

“Thank you, Eumelia. I’d enjoy that.”

Jan sighed, a warm sense of peace and relief stealing over her. I’m happy I chose to come to Riverton. There are a lot of good people here. Thaddeus Gunn, there’s no way in hell you’re going to run me off.

* * * *

4 Aug 1982: 0014:

It was barely past midnight when Peter Ten got a call to a drive-in, just off the freeway, on Centennial. A bunch of kids were congregated in the parking lot, blocking customer access. Peter Nine and Eleven went in as back up. So did Peter Six.

When January pulled into the drive-in, Banks, Voukovich, and Hunt were out of their cars facing roughly thirty teen-agers. As January and Gunn got out of the car, she looked at him for instructions.

“Go to the left of Hunt and flank the crowd. I’ll take the right.” Gun turned away from the car.

Now that’s a twist. Why is he sending me off where he can’t supervise me? He probably hopes I’ll screw up enough to ruin all the karma I’ve built with these guys and he can recommend that I be terminated. Well, here goes nothing. She walked up about five feet to the left of Hunt and then moved forward another five feet, turning to face the crowd.

“ALL OF YOU UNDER EIGHTEEN ARE IN VIOLATION OF CURFEW. ANY OF YOU STILL HERE IN THREE MINUTES WILL BE CITED.”

Banks didn’t need a bullhorn. His rich bass voice boomed out. At his nod, the officers all started moving slowly toward the group. Some of the kids began backing away. A few got into cars and squealed off, burning rubber.

A tall, well built young man with a smirk on his face edged towards January. A small bunch of boys and girls tagged behind, expectation written on their faces. “I’m going in there.” The boy nodded to the restaurant.

“Not if you’re under eighteen.” January kept her voice low. “Let’s see some ID.”

“I said I’m going in there.” He stepped closer.

“Show me some ID.” Jan assumed a non-aggressive stance that was in reality a defensive position.

“Go to hell, bitch.” He stepped forward as he thrust out his hand in a straight-arm shove.

January stepped backward, grasped his out-thrust wrist, and pulled. Using the boy’s momentum, she side-stepped, jerking his arm around and up behind his back. Pushing up and forward, she propelled her prisoner over against the front fender of one of the police cars. She continued the upward pressure, forcing the boy to bend over.

He tried to back away from the car’s very hot hood. “Hey, you’re hurting me.”

“I couldn’t be. I’m only a woman and you are a big, tough macho bully.” January gave the arm a nudge higher.

“Please, you’re hurting me.” He was gripping his shoulder with his free hand, breathing in pants, almost sobbing.

“How old are you?”

“S-s-seventeen.”

“Why you’re just a baby. You shouldn’t try to pretend you’re so tough. I ought to take you over to the curb, turn you over my knee, and paddle your buns.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Why not? I’ve nothing to lose. But what would your little audience think, seeing you spanked by a woman? Come on, let’s go.” January pulled him up and turned him towards the curb.

“No, please don’t do that.”

“What’s your name, kid?” Jan kept her voice low and even, exerting an air of calmness.

“Leonard.”

“Leonard what?”

“Leonard Griffin.”

“Well, Leonard Griffin, I’m going to let you go and you’re going to haul your tail outta here. The next time you see me, you’d better demonstrate some manners, or you’ll get the paddling you deserve. You got that?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“That’s better,” With a slight shove towards his friends, January released the boy. He took off, walking fast and not even looking at his followers. I guess I blew his reputation right out of the water. I hope it was the right thing. She looked around and saw the other officers writing citations for about five mouthy kids.