Free Anything For Love by Ashley Corke Page B

a black and white tie and black pants, he looked
good. Better than the day before. I smiled to myself as I watched him climb the
steps. Oliver looked back, scanning the mass of people and cars, as if hoping
to see me. He saw me and nodded, like I was just another person. I nodded back,
not smiling because I knew he'd recognize me if I did. I stood up and walked
away after he walked into the building. I told him he wouldn't know me if he
saw me.
    I walked down to a coffee shop and purchased
four coffees. Walking back to the precinct, I knew that this was probably the
stupidest, most irresponsible thing I'd ever done. I walked right in the front
door and came to the front desk. The gentleman looked up at me and studied me
for a moment.
    “Can I help you?” he finally asked.
    “These are for Detectives Royce, Bensley,
Bronson and Harris. Could I have a piece of paper and a pen? I'd like to write
them a note,” I replied. He handed me what I asked for. I wrote:
    To Detective Royce:
    I told you that you wouldn't recognize me. We
made eye contact not moments ago. I wish I could have delivered these
personally, but I'm in a hurry, so I hope you can forgive me. Enjoy the coffee.
Give Detective Bensley, Detective Bronson and Detective Harris my best wishes.
    Take care, Detective.
    Karma
    “Thanks so much, Mister,” I said, leaving the
coffees, note and pen right on the desk. He nodded and I walked out before
turning around to watch him take the coffees back to Royce. I smiled. I turned
back around to head down the steps and I passed right by Detective Harris. It
pained me to not speak to him, but it was good that he didn't recognize me,
either.
    I hailed a cab and as the driver took off, I
was looking out the back window. I saw Detective Royce and Detective Harris
come running down the front steps, looking around frantically. I noticed that
it had started to rain, as if the heavens were reflecting my own feelings.
    Smiling sadly, I turned back around. Either
the coffee was that good or the fact that it was I that delivered it had them
riled up. I couldn't help but laugh when I realized that the cab driver was
listening to Total Eclipse of the Heart.
    Yea. Maybe that's what this was.
     

Chapter
Twenty-Seven
     
     
    A few days later, Tylon and I headed to
Boston. While Tylon was getting gas at one gas station, I headed over to the
pay phone. I figured I should call Detective Royce to see what he had to say.
    “Royce,” he answered right away. It seemed
like he answered his phone faster and faster each time I called.
    “Hello, Oliver,” I said smiling. “Did you
enjoy the coffee?
    “Karma! How? What?” I couldn’t help but laugh
at him.
    “You looked right at me the other day. You
even nodded at me. Then I went and bought you some coffee. I walked right into
the precinct, wrote the note and then left, passing by Detective Harris,” I
explained.
    “Karma, please. Come back. We can talk. Just
talk,” he tried getting me to go back.
    “I'm sorry, Detective. I've already left. I'll
be back though,” I told him.
    “Karma, please.”
    “I'm sorry, Oliver.” I hung up then and walked
back to the car. Tylon got in right after me.
    “Who did you call?” he asked me.
    “An old friend,” I said, hoping he wouldn't
push the situation.
    “So, why Boston, babe?” Tylon asked. I
shrugged.
    “I've just always wanted to go there. I think
it'll be nice. We could find a nice Irish neighborhood and not have to worry
about anything,” I answered him. “We Irish stick together.” I smiled and Tylon
laughed.
    “Sounds good to me,” he said. For about ten
minutes, the car was silent, before Tylon spoke again. “You going to ruin this
one for us, too?” I looked at him, confused. “I know you've been calling
Detective Royce.”
    “I'm not going to ruin anything. I haven't
ruined anything yet, have I?”
    “We have to keep running because you keep
talking to him. He's tracking us, you know,” he responded.
    “I know.