Edition 2

Allen’s Re-Do
The Second Installment
By: Andrew Popp

The police found Allen Chase in the small green dumpster around seven thirty A.M. the next morning, just half an hour after they found the body. Allen had not moved a muscle since the swan was blown to pieces. When they found him Ranger was licking his face, concerned.
They decided not to question Allen at the scene; instead they took him to the station and put him in a room for questioning. Allen sat in the chair still in shock; the officers had been extremely pleasant to him offering him doughnuts, coffee, and various other luxuries. Several investigators had come in to question him, each one leaving with a disappointed expression about them. They had even sent in a city counselor to assess his level of sanity, she only told them that he was still in shock and that a familiar face would help ease him into the transition they needed for questioning.
Allen didn’t want to talk to the cops, simply because he did not trust them enough to tell them what he knew. After about three hours in the questioning room the door opened for what seemed the twentieth time and in stepped a quite familiar face, Allen could hardly believe it.
Detective Hardy was a stern faced man, but it was hard to tell that disposition from his kind blue eyes. Allen changed his expression for the first time since the gunshot resounded through the alley way, he must have been hallucinating.
Detective Hardy and Allen Chase had met before, roughly eight years before, yet despite such a long time officer Hardy’s eyes lent Allen an expression of sudden realization. He sat directly across from Allen, crossed his arms and said nothing, staring down Allen’s eyes and reaching deep into Allen’s mind.
Allen spoke first, “why am I here?”
“You were found at a very serious crime scene, Allen.”
Allen remembers their first encounter eight years before, Hardy was the first officer on the scene of the accident; he had saved Allen’s life, pulling him from the wreckage. Hardy had gone back to the car for his daughters and wife, but an explosion knocked him back to the ground; that was all he could remember of the accident before he blacked out.
Allen returned Officer Hardy’s stern gaze, waiting for the man to super cede the cop in him. Officer Hardy, on the other hand, stared at Allen Chase waiting for what seemed like half an hour; only silence broke the stillness in the room.
Finally Allen said “so what are my options here?” Shifted his glance “How do I get out of this place?”
“Well Allen my intuition tells me that you know exactly what happened in that alleyway, you can put a very serious criminal away for a long time.”
“How serious?”’
“The man that was found dead recently was promoted.”
So what does that mean now, he’s dead” Allen was confused.
The door to the questioning room opened and an officer brought in two cups of coffee and set them on the table before he exited again. Allen was suddenly self conscious about his appearance, the way he was dressed always made him feel uneasy around cops; his outfit was a beacon signaling his streetlyness.
“WHERES RANGER?” asked Allen raising his voice.
“He is in my office; he’s a hungry little guy.”
Officer Hardy pursued the case at hand “The man victim was recently appointed District Attorney; we seem to be losing them at an incredible speed.”
“How unlucky for you.” said Allen sarcastically.
“Well, there is a case building in the D.A.’s office against the O’Brien’s.”
Allen didn’t need him to continue to see where this was going. The O’Brien’s were a crime family; they were the offspring of Irish immigrants. Three years ago the three brothers Marv, Ryan, and James had been at the top of their game. It was around this time that two of the brothers, Marv and Ryan, were found dead at Marv’s house, apparently in a shootout.
“Of course there is a case building against them there always is.” retorted Allen.
“I assume that you can see the severity of this case then?” Hardy was not asking, he knew Allen wasn’t to be under-estimated by his shabby appearance. Allen nodded.
“Allen, would you mind looking at a line-up?” Hardy’s eyes pleaded.
Allen in no way wanted to be connected with this case; he knew that James O’Brien was not someone to cross. However, he felt that cooperation would be an easy way to get out of that damned pig fest.
“I want to leave, I’ll look at a line up, but I don’t want anything else to do with this thing”
Hardy stared at Allen chase until he was certain that Allen would not move on his decision. It was the least that Allen could do, but Hardy appreciated it all too much.
“That’s the one, number four, that’s the man in the middle.” Allen stood behind the mirrored glass feeling unprotected. Allen had broken down what had happened in the alley, very briefly, for Detective Hardy. He told him there were four men involved, and one was dead now. He made such a vague statement in questioning that he told them next to nothing new that forensics could not have discovered.
Out back of the police station Detective hardy gave Allen a business card that included his home address and number “Call me if you need anything, Allen.”
Allen didn’t take charity anymore, he had when he was drinking, but not anymore; Allen had too much pride for charity. Although Allen knew that Hardy didn’t give him his card because he wanted to give Allen charity, but it still felt that way.
Allen walked to a sanctuary for men of the street, it wasn’t much just an over pass with a few trashcan fires.
Allen saw a familiar face and walked over to them “Hey Murph.”
“Allen I’m not sure you should be here, there were some strange men in suits asking around for you we told him that you usually hang out on South Street cause we didn’t know who they were. Are you in trouble?”
South Street was about thirty minutes from here so that gave Allen some time to think. They had already learned so much about him to be able to come around here asking about him Who were these guys? He thought to himself. “I might be. Look I gotta go sorry I can’t stay and thanks for letting me know.”
“No prob” said Murph grinning a smile with several teeth missing.
What was he going to do? Where could he go? He and Ranger needed someone to talk to, someone who knew what measures needed to be taken to ensure their safety.
“RANGER!” He yelled angrily as Ranger got too close to the street again.
Allen chase pulled Hardy’s card from his pocket, he hated charity, but he cherished his and Rangers life more.
The phone rang three times before a groan of “Hello?” came over the receiver.
“Detective Hardy? It’s Allen Chase, I think I’m in trouble, can Ranger and I meet you somewhere?”
Detective Hardy’s voice had no sleep in it anymore he sounded as he had been up for hours now “Where are you, I’ll come get you.”
As he hung up the phone Allen Chase realized that just down the alley way about three blocks away was the little green dumpster that had caused him so much trouble.
Make sure to check back in the next edition of The Knight Times to find out what happens to Allen!