Free Deception by Dan Lawton

been washed. Billy releases my wrist and slowly retrieves his wallet from his back pocket. He flips open the vertical leather cover and flashes a badge.
    “I’m officer William Lewis, Topeka Police Department.”
    The young officer leans in for a closer look with his gun still pointed. Satisfied with what he sees, he drops the gun to his side and lets out a sigh. Billy flips his badge closed and puts it back in his pocket.
    “Boy, am I glad to hear that,” the young officer says. “I’m officer Jimmy Jones, Jefferson PD.”
    “Jefferson? What are you doing in Topeka?”
    Jimmy is embarrassed. “Quite honestly, today is my first day, and I’m actually a little lost. I’m not from here, I moved in from Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago for the job. I thought I knew a shortcut, but I must be going the wrong direction.”
    “Where you headed?”
    “I’m trying to go back to the station. My shift is over. Today is, was my first day.”
    “Where’s your partner?”
    Jimmy shrugs. “No partner today, he’ll be back tomorrow I’m told.”
    Billy nods. “Don’t you have GPS in your car?”
    “Budget cuts.”
    “Typical.”
    There is a brief silence. Jimmy looks at me suspiciously and catches my eye. I look away.
    “Is he a cop too?”
    Billy nods, then looks at me.
    “Where are your uniforms?” Jimmy’s hand starts to tense up on the handle of his gun, and I think Billy notices too.
    “We’re undercover, staking this place out.” Billy motions to the house next to us. “But listen, we can’t really stay and fiddly-fuck around here, especially not with you in uniform. If he comes home we’re all dead.”
    This lights up Jimmy’s eyes and the tension is released from his hand.
    “You gotta go, newbie. This is our jurisdiction anyway.” Jimmy tries to put his gun in his holster, but struggles. “Take a right when you get out of here. The main drag will lead you right into Jefferson.”
    “Thanks,” Jimmy says, head down, fidgeting with the holster. Finally secured, he looks back up at us and gives us a nod. “Good day, officers.”
    Billy nods back and we stand in silence watching Jimmy scamper back to his car. Jimmy peeks in the window of the van before he gets in his car, flicks off the lights, and peels out of site.
    As Jimmy pulls away, Frank makes his way from the back of the van and into the front and honks the horn. Even from this distance, I can tell that he has a big grin on his face while he offers a childish wave. Billy waves back, more so of a confirmation that he sees him and less so that he’s willing to admit he actually did something right. We start back toward the van.
    “Are you really a cop?” I ask.
    He doesn’t look at me, but I can see him grin. “Game changer, isn’t it?”
     
     

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
BILLY
     
     
    Alicia, Frank, and I take rotating showers, throw some clothes on, and pile into the van. I agree to stop by Alicia’s apartment downtown so she can gather up some clothes and various other feminine needs. Frank and I wait in the van for nearly twenty minutes before she reemerges, wearing a fresh outfit and carrying a leather bag filled with whatever it is she thinks she needs. She hops in the passenger’s side and tosses the bag in the back, nearly hitting Frank with it. I wait for the apology for the time it takes, but it doesn’t come.
    “Are we going?” she asks.
    I start the engine without responding. I pull into the busy street from the on-street parking spot in front of the apartment complex and head east toward the public library.
    It’s midday on a Saturday afternoon and the library is relatively quiet, just as I expected it would be. I’m looking for a specific type of person for the job at hand. We need someone who is intellectual enough to keep up, but not more intelligent than I am. He needs to be easy to manipulate and control, but strong enough to handle himself. Finally and perhaps most importantly, we need someone lonely who would do just