The Big Guy Chapter 9

The Big Guy
Chapter 9

Daryl and I went out to dinner Friday night and agreed to leave the following night at midnight. Driving together, we could go through the night just as we had many times in pursuit of criminals. Even if we averaged only fifty miles per hour, we should arrive at Lucy’s home in Bascomb’s Landing by 3:00 on Sunday afternoon. All of Daryl’s belongings had been packed and picked up Friday afternoon, and I rented and loaded my trailer simultaneously. The Salvation Army had come by for all of my furniture. I only wanted a new, comfortable recliner and a sixty-inch Samsung flat-screen TV. The rest of the trailer had clothes, dishes, and dry food boxes. When I had driven to the Midwest weeks ago, nothing perishable had been given to neighbors in pursuit of Michael Clifford and his accomplice.

I drove first for more than four hours before we stopped for an early breakfast and to walk Max. Then Daryl drove while I slept. We switched again around 10:30, and I went toward Memphis, stopping only for lunch at a Hardee’s just off the interstate. Refreshed by the break, I drove to Bascomb’s Landing and Lucy’s driveway. We got out to stretch our legs and then walked to the door, where I was asked why I had used the bell and not just walked in. We were told that Lucy was at her parents’ weekly party. After removing the trailer, we returned to the SUV for the short drive down the road.

We were still in uniform when I rang the bell at the Bascombs’ residence. Samuel greeted us at the door and directed us to the rear of the house, where Jonathan was the first to see us. He shook my hand and hugged me before I could introduce him to Daryl.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you, Matt. Lucille has done nothing but talk about you the entire time you’ve been gone. I hope you slept on the way because I doubt you’ll get much tonight.” He laughed, and I joined him even as I introduced Daryl. He shook Daryl’s hand, welcoming him to his home and telling him to relax and enjoy the party. Then he turned to find Lucy, calling her a few seconds later. “Lucille! Lucille!”

She turned and hesitated momentarily until she realized why her father was calling. Then she sprinted through the narrow spaces between guests until she was about three feet away before jumping into my arms for a long-awaited kiss. It was embarrassingly long and was broken only so she could breathe before kissing me again. Everyone was laughing, but I didn’t care—not even a little. I whispered, “I will never be able to tell you how much I love you.” I gave her a little peck and then lowered her to the ground. I wiped her face first, then mine, as Jonathan and the nearby guests laughed again, and then I introduced Lucy to Daryl.

“I feel that I already know you, Lucy,” he said just before Lucy hugged him.

“You’re exactly how Matt described you, Daryl. I hope you don’t mind, but I have a friend I’d like you to meet. She’s a librarian here in the city and nice.” Then, lowering her voice, she continued, “Plus, she’s hot.” Daryl looked at me in shock as I wiped my face to hide my laughter at his reaction. Lucy took both of our hands and led us through the crowd, with Max following closely behind.

Lucy stopped when she reached the bench, which we had occupied just two weeks before, as a young black woman stood to be introduced. I say black, but her skin was more the color of café-au-lait. Her hair was straight black to her shoulders, and she had the brightest brown eyes I’d ever seen. Her name was Jasmine, and she was a gorgeous woman with a tall, slender body and good-sized breasts. She told us she was from Haiti and that her mother was black, but her father had been French.

“Unfortunately, he was killed during Hurricane Ike. He was a national policeman, much like you, and he was trying to rescue a woman and her children from an old building when it collapsed from the high winds and flooding. They were all killed in that hurricane; it was the fourth storm to strike the island in 2008. I was fourteen then and could return to the United States with my mother and brother. I did well in school and was able to attend the University of Tennessee, thanks to Lucille’s parents. They sponsor several scholarships every year. But, enough about me; tell me about you, Daryl. I’m sure your job is fascinating.” She took his arm and led him away to the bar.

Lucy took me by the hand and sat me down on the bench. “I can’t begin to tell you, Matt, how much I missed you.” Then she giggled and whispered, “You’ll find out once this stupid party ends. I put Daryl in one of the bedrooms in the other wing so we won’t be heard. I’m looking forward to our shower, too. Oh, Matt!”

“So, tell me what you’ve done about the wedding.”

“I picked out a dress, and we have the church for eleven weeks from yesterday. We’re having the reception at Desmond’s, where we went. Remember? It’s the best catering hall in the county. I know it’s fast, but not fast enough to suit me.”

I pulled her close and peered into her ice-blue eyes. “Not soon enough for me, either. Where will my family stay?”

“Mother and Daddy have said they can stay here with them. Daryl will move into the city house tomorrow, so he’s all set. There are three other bedrooms and a sleep sofa in the family room so some of your marshal friends can stay there, too. Anyone else, we’ll find places with our friends, or they can stay in one of the motels now that the bridge is open again. They’re less than half an hour away.

“I enjoyed talking with your cousin and aunt…your uncle, too. They seem to be excellent people.”

“They are; they’re great. They never once made me feel unwelcome after they took me in. Aunt Nell might as well have been my birth mother. That’s exactly what she is. I have no memories of my birth mother—only a few photos. Uncle Chuck is an extremely successful attorney, but he always found the time to attend my football games and track meets. As we got older, I often wondered if Constance would get jealous, but she’s more a sister than a cousin. In some respects, you could say that I was unlucky when I lost my parents, but in others, I was fortunate. I’ve always tried to make them proud of me.”

“I’m sure you succeeded. I’m proud of you, too.” Then she leaned forward to kiss me, and, for the first time today, she bent down to hug and pet Max. “I didn’t forget you, Max. It’s just that I’m so happy to see Matt. What happened with Max when you resigned?” I explained about Bob and his comments about Max, especially when I was ready to leave.

“So, Max just laid there on the floor? He refused to follow your commander’s instructions?”

“Yeah, that’s it. He would obey you on most things but not attack commands. I do know that he would protect you.”

“He already did that at the diner. I must tell you that Daddy tried to transfer Craig, but he disappeared, and nobody has seen him in the past week. I know that Daddy asked the police to keep an eye out for him, but no luck so far.” I had a severe look on my face then. I had hoped Craig would come to his senses and leave while he could. Having him around could be a problem. I hoped not. I had run out of polite responses for him and his obsession with Lucy.

Daryl seemed to enjoy Jasmine’s company throughout the entire party. We sat together for a dinner that met my expectations and my bragging. Tonight, we had beef brisket and ribs, and both were delicious. I knew that Daryl was an ear of corn man, but he surprised me by adding two helpings of barbequed beans. I had the corn but passed on the beans, although I did have many grilled onions. The four of us left at eight with sincerest thanks to our hosts. Daryl rode with Jasmine and Lucy with me back to her house. Max spent the entire ride nuzzling Lucy’s neck while we laughed like crazy about the ferocious police dog.

Lucy and Jasmine helped to carry in our clothes while Max played at nipping Lucy’s toes. Of course, he wasn’t biting her. This was his idea of a game I’d seen him play with Constance and her girls often. Constance usually just laughed, but her daughters shrieked at the top of their lungs, and the louder they were, the more Max loved it.

Lucy and I carried my clothes to our bedroom while Jasmine showed Daryl where he would sleep. After unpacking half of my clothes, we went to the family room, where we joined Daryl and Jasmine. She only stayed briefly before telling us she had to get up early for work. I was sitting in a large recliner with Lucy in my lap, hugging and kissing her while my hand ran through her silken hair and up and down her cheek. I marveled at the softness of her skin and the allure of her lips. Best of all, this marvelous creature was all mine.

Daryl returned a few minutes later to tell us he was turning in. That sounded like a good idea to me, so I put Max out and waited with Lucy for his return. Then we walked arm in arm up to shower and bed, but I doubted we’d get much sleep—not for a while, anyway.

Lucy locked the bedroom door while Max made himself comfortable at the foot of the bed. She was in my arms, her body molded into mine just seconds later. Our lips met, and our tongues dueled back and forth as our passion for each other soared to its zenith in mere seconds. Lucy’s hands were on my head, and mine wrapped around her body, holding us as close as possible. Had we been able to violate the laws of physics, our two bodies would have eagerly merged into one.

Rabidly, we pulled the clothes from our bodies as I shuffled us into the bathroom. Suddenly, Lucy began to giggle. “I can hardly believe that you’re here with me. I feel like pinching myself to make sure it’s true.”

“I won’t pinch you, but will another kiss do?”

“It will until the water gets hot. Then, I’m going to want a whole lot more.” I pulled her up for another sweet, wet kiss, then lifted her bodily as the water cascaded over our bodies. Her legs went immediately up to my shoulders as her cunt opened itself to my assault. Lucy gripped me tightly as she led me to her inner sanctum—to our mutual nirvana.

Joining with Lucy was even better than I had remembered—even better than I could ever imagine. It was our heaven on earth as I drove into her forcefully. She was shaking wildly as her first orgasm hit only seconds after I had penetrated her, and her scream was enough to wake the dead, but it was hardly the end of our love-making. All told, I pounded her sweet pussy for almost twenty minutes-- getting her off four times before I drowned her in my crème. How could I sustain such an effort? Easy—I had jerked my cock several times every day, dreaming about Lucy, and I was tired from our long drive. By the time she had reached her fourth orgasm, her scream was reduced to a squeal. I carried her inert body out of the shower, dried her, and placed her in the bed, pulling her onto my body once I had joined her. She molded her flesh to mine as we found sleep immediately.

I spent most of the following morning unloading my trailer and putting everything away. Lucy showed Daryl around the city and pointed out the library and a storage facility that her parents owned. He rented an area large enough to hold his belongings at less than fifty percent of the going rate. He and Lucy finished well before 11:00, and Lucy rushed upstairs to help me with my clothes. She looked at some of my wrinkled shirts and slacks and shook her head. “This will never do, Matt,” she said as she scooped the clothes off the hangers. “I’ll pass these to Ingrid. You won’t recognize them when she’s washed and ironed them.” Then she kissed me again, and I hoped she’d repeat that every day of our lives.

We met Daryl in the dining room for lunch, and Lucy asked what he wanted to eat. “What do you have,” he asked.

Lucy and I laughed. “Just tell me what you’d like.”

“Um…how about grilled ham and cheese, maybe with some chips?”

“What would you like, Matt?”

“That will work for me, too. Two sandwiches for me, please.” Lucy just shook her head and gave me an expression that said, “DUH!” She disappeared into the kitchen for a minute and was back, sitting in my lap and hugging me. I enjoyed the softness of her cheek against mine until the cook served our first sandwiches and Cokes on ice. We talked and joked while eating, then spent the afternoon at the pool. Unfortunately, Daryl’s presence meant no sex and bathing suits the entire time. We went out to dinner at Carter’s. I wasn’t surprised when Jasmine joined us, lightly kissing Daryl’s cheek before taking her seat. Even though the restaurant was crowded, we didn’t have to wait. I guessed that was an advantage of owning the business.

We spent the following day showing Daryl the city. This was more than a sightseeing trip. As a police officer, knowledge of the city, its neighborhoods, and streets was essential, although with GPS, it wasn’t as critical as it was twenty years ago. Lucy and I had driven Daryl and Max for almost three hours when Daryl commented, “I can see why you like it here, Matt. It’s a beautiful small city, and everyone I’ve met seems friendly. Lucy, what do we do about uniforms?”

I interrupted because I’d had a few ideas that I had researched at home and with Chief Paul McCormick by phone. “Lucy, unless I’m mistaken, the police force currently buys uniforms for the men, and they are responsible for their care. Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s how it’s always been, why?”

“I did a little research at home and also with my friend Paul McCormick, the chief of police in Memphis. We could do better with a uniform rental company. Each man would get a week’s supply, and the uniforms would be washed, pressed, and repeated weekly. They would be responsible for any repairs and replacements. Paul has told me that they save more than $17,000 a year by leasing. We wouldn’t save as much, but there would be some benefit of having the police look more professional. I’d also like to make some uniform changes.

“I don’t like brown for police. It reminds people of Hitler’s stormtroopers and many black people find it offensive.”

“Is that true, Daryl?”

“It is, Lucy. Brown uniforms are usually worn by white supremacists like the Neo-Nazis.”

“I prefer blue for police with white shirts for the officers and station personnel, and I’d like to introduce tee shirts in hot weather and put away the ties.”

“Why?”

“Police should always use clip-on ties because they can be seriously injured or even killed if a perpetrator pulls on it. Want to bet that some of ours use a regular tie? I know from the arrest of the two in the diner that some of their procedures are weak. Catch this, Daryl; one of the city cops would remove my handcuffs and replace them with his.”

I could see the disbelieving expression on his face in the rearview mirror before he even spoke. “You have got to be kidding! Where the hell did he get his training?”

“You’re assuming that he even had training. Things have been so lax here and so political that I’ll bet at least half a dozen have no training because they’re connected.”

“I’d never take that bet, Matt, because I know too well that you’re right,” Lucy replied. “Haynes’ son is one example; he has a buddy in the same boat.” I could see her agitation, so I reached across the console to hold her hand.

“I think I’ll stop at George’s for a little chat. You’ll find this interesting, Daryl.” I turned the corner and found a parking spot almost immediately. George welcomed us at the door, even Max. I introduced Daryl as a new lieutenant, and George smiled. He knew the score.

“I think the police should have been integrated decades ago, and most of the community agrees.” He made one phone call, and a few minutes later, we had nine of his friends in to speak with us. I knew that Daryl would listen carefully. He’d had the same training in the Navy and Marshals Service that I’d had. I was also pleased that Lucy paid very close attention. We stayed for almost an hour before taking leave for lunch. Daryl assured George he’d be back to shop when he had time. Of course, we went to the diner. Lucy and I sat together, and Max climbed onto the other bench after Daryl was seated. That proved to be a problem because he was hit repeatedly by Max’s tail when two young friends came over to pet him. I moved him to the floor, telling him to sit.

After we had ordered, I asked Lucy, “How did Carl Haynes become chairman of the council when it appears that most of the others disagree with his views?”

“He was the only one who wanted the job. In retrospect, I should have taken it, but we’ll have another election in November. He and two others are up for reelection, and then we’ll select a chairperson in January at our organizational meeting.” Mentioning Haynes reminded me that I wanted to phone Julia Adams, the State Attorney, for an update. After lunch, we drove to the house that Daryl would be using. It was empty, so he needed his furniture, which would be delivered the following day.

The following week was routine. It was probably routine for Daryl and me, but it was a new experience for Lucy. The city’s house where Daryl was living was in sound condition but desperately needed sprucing up. So Lucy joined us for what we learned was her first visit to Home Depot for paint, brushes, and accessories. It took us six days, but we could paint the entire living and dining rooms, the kitchen, and Daryl’s bedroom. I was surprised to learn that Lucy had clothes suitable for painting—tee shirts with holes in the seams and jeans that had seen better days. Later, I realized that she had bought them from one of the maids. I laughed at her embarrassment but kissed her, and all was well between us.

Lucy turned out to be a great worker. She concentrated on the trim while Daryl and I tackled the large areas of the walls and ceilings with rollers. I also learned how cute she looked with a dab of paint on the tip of her delicate nose. As hard as we worked during the day, that was just how hard we played in the shower and after dinner in bed.

The week was broken up briefly by a phone call from Julia Adams. She asked if I wanted to be a part of the surveillance team at the drug buy between Parker’s roommate and Jeremy Haynes. It sounded like a good idea, but I turned her down almost immediately. “We had a bit of a run-in at a coffee shop a few weeks ago. I’m afraid your entire sting would be compromised if he saw me.” She agreed and told me she would keep me up to speed on the investigation.

I thought everything was going well several weeks later—roughly a week before I would take over as Chief—so I used a morning when Lucy had an appointment at the beauty salon to drive to the county seat to transfer my license and registration from North Carolina to Tennessee. I had all the identification required by the state and studied the DMV manual online, taking several practice exams.

I was in my Marshal uniform as Max, and I entered the building. An official called out from behind me that I couldn’t carry a gun into a state government building, nor could I take my dog. His arguments died in his throat when I turned around, and he had the chance to read the front of my shirt. I had worn my uniform at Jonathan Bascomb’s suggestion. “You’ll get much faster service in uniform than in regular clothes, that’s for sure.” He was right; no sooner had I approached the information desk than one of the managers asked how he could help me. Five minutes later, I had my new license plate, and five after that, I was taking the exam. All in all, driving to and back had taken much more time than the actual work in the DMV.

I was driving along Main Street in Bascomb’s Landing and looking for a parking space when I saw something that made my blood run cold. On the sidewalk about fifty feet in front of me, Donald Craig had a pistol in his right hand and Lucy’s arm in his left. He was pulling her out the salon door, and she was fighting. Suddenly, I stopped in the lane, and the man behind me sounded his horn. I always used my SUV for work, so I put the flashers on and climbed out in a rush to the tailgate. I grabbed my vest and had it velcroid onto my body in seconds. I’d practiced this probably hundreds if not thousands of times.

I yelled for everyone to get off the sidewalk as I walked quickly toward Craig. “Don’t come any closer,” he screamed. “I’ll shoot her. I swear I will and keep your damn dog back. I swear…I’ll kill both of them!”

I approached slowly with Max at the heel, knowing he’d likely attack Craig and get himself shot. I stamped my right foot as I stepped forward, then again as I stepped sideways. I gave Lucy a look that said, “DUH,” a few seconds later, she showed recognition as she stomped down hard on Craig’s foot. By then, I was in position, my pistol held up with two hands in firing position. Lucy was wearing shoes with three-inch heels. They weren’t stilettos, but they did taper to about a half-inch diameter. They would create a force of more than 300 pounds per square inch, sure to get his attention.

He screamed in pain, and his grip on Lucy relaxed enough for her to break away. Thinking quickly, she moved to her left, away from Craig and out of my line of fire. The loud report of my.44 Magnum broke the silence of the calm morning as soon as I saw Donald Craig raise his weapon and point it toward Lucy. I had aimed for his shoulder, and at this distance—less than twenty feet—I didn’t miss. The bullet tore through his muscle and bone and embedded itself into the nearby wooden light pole, precisely as I had hoped and planned. Craig’s pistol fell harmlessly to the concrete, landing just an instant before he did.

“Max, gun,” I commanded. He ran to stand over the weapon, and I knew it would still be there when I returned for it. Next, I tore the vest and my tee shirt from my body, dropping the vest but folding the shirt into a long, thin bandage. I wrapped it tightly around Craig’s shoulder and applied pressure to staunch the bleeding. Then, my attention went to Lucy. “Lucy—darling--are you okay?”

“I’m still shaking, but otherwise, I’m fine.”

“Good; go back into the salon and ask them to phone the police and tell them we need EMTs, too.” She disappeared a second later, and that was when I first noticed the City Police car parked less than seventy feet down the street. I was sure that my astonishment showed on my face. The two officers had done nothing but sit and watch in the car’s mirrors during the confrontation. Even from this distance, I could recognize one of them as Jeremy Haynes. I made a note of the car’s number for future use.



To be continued