Twenty-Six Years Ago
312 Words
Twenty-Six Years Ago
Angelo turns, ‘professional’ smile firmly in place. “What can I get you, sir?” The smile fades as he sees the cop standing there...
Again...
“You know what I'm looking for; her. Your friend, Mitch. She was supposed to be in court. She’s not turned up. You seen her?”
“Nope.” Angelo opens a jar of peanuts, fills a few dishes, then reaches for a jar of olives.
The cop doesn’t move. “How about Frank Conners?”
Scoop in hand, olive dish half-filled, Angelo pauses. “Frank? What do you want Frank for?”
“So, you know him?”
“Course I know him. What's your problem with him?”
“He's wrapped up with her. She's wrapped up in the drug trade.”
“Frank’s in real estate. It's nonsense. I told you that before.”
The cop’s tone is lazy. “That's not what the evidence is telling us. So, have you seen him?”
“No... Not since…”
Since the last time he saw Mitch…
“Since when?”
“A couple of weeks back.”
“He with her?”
“Yes.”
Pushing the cap back from his face, the cop scans the room, points. “That's her isn’t it?” He levels a finger at the corkboard over the back of the bar. “In the photo?”
Angelo’s reply is slow, reluctant. “Yes.”
The cop snaps fingers at the image. Face set, Angelo unpins it from the board, passes it across. Mitch and Frank smile out of the photo. Larry scowls.
He holds it up to the light, peering at the detail. “And who are the two men? Is one of them your friend Conners?”
“Yes, the one on right.”
“He looks friendly. Got his arm around her.”
Angelo’s silence is loud.
“I'd like to borrow this.”
“It's not mine to give.”
“I didn't say give. I said borrow. If your friend Frank is innocent, then he’s a missing person. You should be glad to let me have it.”
Angelo jerks his chin down, barely a nod.
The cop tucks the photo into a jacket pocket, touches his cap. “Always a pleasure to work with a cooperative citizen.”
*****
- Writer
