Zane left the station at five. He greeted Brian and the rest of the officers and headed home. He stopped first at the supermarket to buy groceries. He had invited Amanda over for dinner and he needed to stock up to cook a decent dinner for them.
He made his way home and parked in the garage as usual. He entered the house and stopped in his tracks.
Hope was waiting for him. She sat in the living room where she had sat before. She had a gun trained on him.
“Come on in Chief,” Hope said calmly. “Don’t try to run.”
Zane closed the door and walked into his house.
“What the fuck do you want? After everything, do you even think you’re welcome at my house?”
Hope arched her eyebrows. “Hence the reason I am holding a gun and am not afraid to use it. I came to chat one last time Zane.”
She motioned for him to come into the living room and kneel on the floor.
“Take off your
Zane lay on the bunk in his cell. He had slept little the night before. Terry brought him breakfast and he picked at it without much of an appetite. He hadn’t demanded his one call yet. He didn’t know who to call.There was no point in calling Sanchez. He hadn’t been in touch since Zane had spoken to him. He sure as heck wasn’t going to call Amanda. After the pain, he had seen in her eyes the night before he doubted she wanted anything to do with him. Brian had not done the necessary arrest paperwork the night before since it was so late. He was released from his cell to sit in an interrogation room so Brian could complete the paperwork.He passed the forms to Zane. “Why don’t you complete them and save us a lot of time.”“Sure, let me go to the toilet and I’ll wipe my ass with these forms. You’re the one who’s getting paid now do your fucking job.”Brian smiled and took the forms bac
The next morning Terry greeted Zane.“Good morning Chief. Oh wait, ex-chief,” he joked as he opened Zane’s cell. “Got a visitor for you.”Zane ignored the comment. It was amazing how people showed their true colors when they thought they held all the power. He walked to the interrogation room and sat down wondering who the visitor could be.When the door was opened to grant the visitor entry, Zane stood immediately. It was Commissioner Loman.“Commissioner,” Zane greeted him.“Good morning Zane,” the Commissioner greeted him. He approached and shook Zane’s cuffed hands. Then he turned and waited until Terry left them alone and closed the door.“Please be seated Zane,” Commissioner Loman said.Zane sat down. He had known Commissioner Loman for a long time. He was a big man. Six foot two. Everyone Zane had spoken with always spoke highly of the Commissioner and Zane
Zane looked Amanda in her eyes the question on his lips. He wanted to ask it, no. He had to ask it, but he didn’t want to hear the answer.No. He wanted to hear the answer too. He just didn’t want to hear what he believed it would be. But he needed to know for sure one way or the other.“And?” his voice was almost a whisper.Her eyes continued to search his. What she was looking for, he had no idea. He wished he knew. He wished his eyes could show her that. What she was searching for. He wished they could show her how much he loved her, how much he cared for her. That he wanted her to be safe and that even though he would leave here with a criminal record, they could still be together. Finally, she stopped searching his gaze and stilled her eyes meeting his gaze head-on.“Sorry, Zane. I’m running.”She gave him another quick kiss. The last kiss. The kiss he would remember for the rest of his life.
Outside the court, Zane hailed a cab and instructed the driver to take him to his house. On the way, he changed his mind and instructed the driver to take him to Amanda’s place.When Zane arrived he paid the driver and stepped up to the house. He knocked on the door and waited.Amanda opened the door and looked surprised.“What are you doing here?”“Can I come in?” Zane asked.“Sorry, sure come in,” Amanda said and stepped back to let Zane enter. She closed the door behind him and showed him to the living room. Amanda offered him a seat but he was too tightly wound to sit down. Zane crossed to the sliding doors that led out to the back yard.“Can I get you something to drink?”“Whisky would be great,” Zane said turning to face Amanda.She crossed to a cabinet against the wall and removed a glass and a bottle of Jack Daniels. She placed it on the coffee table.
By the time that Zane arrived at his home, he decided he needed to make himself scarce. He needed to leave town. He had no idea where he was going but he would think of something.Zane, opened the door to his home half expecting to have someone pointing a gun at him again. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized his house was empty.Zane bathed and changed into casual clothes then started packing a bag with basics so he could leave. As he packed his phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number but decided to answer it.“Hello?”Chief Zane?”Zane wasn’t sure he recognized the voice. He didn’t admit that it was him. “Who is this?” he asked.“Chief? It’s Johnson.”“I’m not Chief anymore, Johnson,” Zane replied. “How’s your mother?”“She’s fine Chief ... er ... Zane. She’ll be okay. What’s happened there
Want to meet? No doubt you’re aware I’m no longer a threat to you. Zane sent the message to Hope.Why? As I recall you didn’t like me very much when we last met.I’m sorry Hope. I’ve given everything some thought and I realize that you had no choice but to do what you did. If you were in my shoes, you would have had the same reaction.Come around to my place. Let’s have dinner.I’ll think about it. You don’t seem to be too pissed at the fact that your career’s over.I can sit here and cry about it or accept that life goes on. I have opportunities to explore and some cash in the bank, Zane replied. It’ll probably mean leaving Hurstville but then you go where your job takes you.Okay. I’ll think about it, Hope replied.Zane left the messages at that. There was no more he could do. He contacted the fun
Zane tried one last time with Hope and sent her a message informing her that it was his last night in Hurstville. He could only hope that she would take the bait and visit him.She did. But before she arrived Zane had another surprise visitor.He had just pulled onto the road when someone on a motorbike roared up behind him and flashed their light at him.Zane pulled over to the shoulder of the road. The motorcyclist pulled up beside him as he stopped. Zane was surprised when he saw who it was.“What are you doing back here?”“I decided to come back. I think you need some help.”“There’s a roadhouse about ten minutes out of town that way,” Zane signaled ahead of them. “I’ll meet you there. Don’t follow me okay?”“Got it,” Johnson revved his motorcycle and pulled off quickly disappearing into the distance ahead of Zane. Zane took his time enjoying the scenery
Zane entered his house and found Sanchez sitting on his sofa.“Hey,” Sanchez said as Zane entered. “What’s with the phone?”“I think the battery’s flat,” Zane replied. “Damn thing’s always acting up.” He pulled out his phone, turned it off, and dismantled it.“You think it’s bugged?” Sanchez said.Zane nodded. “Come with me,” he said. They left Zane’s home and drove up the road to the cabin that Amanda was allowing him to use.They entered and settled at the dining table. Zane explained everything to Sanchez about Johnson returning and that he had sent him to get new phones and that he was using Johnson’s phone till he got back. He sent Johnson a message with directions to get to the cabin when Johnson sent him a message telling him he was on the way back.“Can you trust him?” Sanchez asked.“I believe so. I th