It's near lunch time for most of the workers, but being I'm a Prefect I can call lunchtime whenever I want for me. I decided 11:15 was the perfect lunchtime for me, so I head down to a little Italian place called "Rizzo's", It's a little hole in the wall place that if you blink as you walk by you'll miss it run by a family named the Marcotti's. They're good people and I tend to think I'm closer to them than my own family in a lot of ways. It's in an area that just borders the outside of one of the "nicer" parts of town called "The Wasteland." I've been coming here for years and the family has always been good to me. I've known them since my rookie days when my dad brought me here to celebrate my first day on the job. The difference between me and other cops was I always paid for my meals. The others saw it as their "right" to eat for free here, but as everyone left I always dropped something on the table.
Angela Marcotti, the owner's daughter, is working today and she says, "Hey there Officer...I mean Prefect Wallace."
I smile and say,
"Angela it's just me here, and what have I always said to you."Angela smiles and says, "Hi Marty."
I reply,
"Hey there beautiful have a seat for a moment." Angela is seven months along and the poor 5 foot girl who usually weighs 90 pounds soaking wet looks like she's gonna pop open. She looks around nervously and I say,
"Angela this one is on me if your pops says anything." Angela sheepishly looks around and then finally sits down.
She asks, "So what's it like being one of the big shots downtown now?"
I shrug my shoulders and say,
"Not much difference except now I'm behind a desk. At least that's what I can tell for now it's only been two days."Just then I hear the open and then close just as quickly. I turn around and say,
"Must be the wind. Anyway I'm okay with it but the paperwork seems like it'll drive me to drink."I hear Anglea's father Marco yell at her, "Angela! Why you sitting down? You should be working! We got customers coming in soon!"
I yell back,
"Lighten up Marco! It's just me and there's no one else here right now!"Mario sticks his head out the door and smiles as he sees me. He says, "Hey yo Marty! How're you? My friend Marty!" He comes over and I stand up we embrace and he kisses me on the cheek twice. I say,
"Doing all-right."Mario says, "Your usual right. Steak sub, fries, and a soda to go."
I nod and say,
"You know me so well my friend."Mario gestures with an open hand and says, "I love this guy. You treat us as good as you can. I love you Marty."
I reply,
"I love you too Mario. How's Alexis?"Mario shakes his head slowly and says, "I hope for a miracle Marty, but her heart only has so many beats in it. I hope and pray that she lasts long enough to see the birth of her grandchild...." Mario chokes up a bit and says, "She wants to be a grandparent so bad. I hope she gets that chance."
Without even thinking I embrace Mario and say,
"She's got my prayers, as does your family."Mario pulls back and says, "Your family? After all you've done for us you are family to us Marty" He points at me and says, "You are family too! Got it?"
I reply with great respect,
"Yes papa."This makes Mario smile and say, "That's better. I'll get your food ready."
As he leaves I sit back down with Angela and she says, "You're like a son to him Marty. He loves you as much as any of us, and considering our position in the order of things that means so much to us. Thank you for all you've done for us."
I nod and say,
"I do what I can Angela, Just sorry I couldn't save Eddie from the beat down he got from the established ones. If I'd only been five minutes faster I could've saved him. The tragedy for me is that your child will never know it's father, and I'm to blame for that."Angela replies, "Okay you get there in time, and then what? You would've been caught for aiding a subversive. What Eddie did he did to save the future for our child and hundreds of others. One day the scales will balance, and you will be remembered for your kindness Marty." She reaches out and squeezes my hand and says, "No one in our family will ever blame you for what happened. We know if you had been there you would've done what you could to save him, and for that we are grateful."
Mario yells from the kitchen, "It's up Marty!"
I stand up and drop a 20 on the table and say,
"Wow it fell out again." I smile and another 20 "falls out." Angela stands up and I kiss her gently on the cheek. I say,
"Take care dear one. I love you."Angela replies, "I love you too Marty."
I grab my to go order and say to Mario,
"Much love to you papa."He smiles back at me and says, "Ciao Marty. You take care we love you."
I grab my food, put on my coat, and leave. It's people like Mario and his family that remind me that no matter how bad things get God is still alive and there is still good in this world, because God is the only who could've brought angels like Mario and his family into my life.
As I make my way back to the station I feel something in my pocket. I pull out a note that says, "Alley: Pearl & Phillips 7:30 bring the file."
It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to know that the opening and closing of that door was someone making a drop. I tear the note in the middle one half I drop in the sewer the other in a trash can 3 blocks away from Rizzo's.
Okay tonight things could get interesting. Again I hope I know what I'm doing.