I turned onto my street to drive by and make sure everything was okay at home. I did it a couple of times a night when I worked overnight shifts. My neighbors appreciated it and were always doing little things for me in exchange. What good is being a cop if you can't make your neighbors feel safe?
I saw an older Toyota parked a few doors down from my house. I didn't recognize it, so I slowed down to check it out.
I saw the interior lights on and the driver lit a cigar. I thought it was odd, he seemed to be casing one of the houses. I pulled up behind him and walked up to his window.
Before I could knock on the window, it rolled down and the driver spoke. "Hey, Jimmy," Bob Sanford said to me.
Bob was a private investigator and we'd crossed paths several times over the years.
"Hi, Bob. You're not on the job are you?" I asked, fearing that one of my neighbors was having an affair. I'd kinda suspected my wife's friend Carrie of having an affair but I never cared enough to look into it. Her husband Jack was an ass and I couldn't stand him anyway.
"Yeah, A jilted wife is looking for evidence on her cheating bastard of a husband. He picked up tonight's conquest at The Back Stop Bar and brought her over here. I assume it's her house. I haven't run the address yet, I was about to peek in some windows when you pulled up."
I looked up the street for another strange car but didn't see one.
Bob continued, "He followed the lady right into her garage."
"I live in the red brick house over there, maybe I can help you identify her and save you some trouble."
Bob looked at me and looked sick. I don't think it was from his cheap cigar.
"You said red brick? Number ten?" He asked.
"Yeah, number ten."
"Shit, Jimmy. That's where they went."
My head snapped over to my house. The living room light was on but no bedroom lights. I was hoping against hope that my wife of five years, Rena, wasn't fucking him. Yeah, denial is more than a river in Egypt.
"Come on, Bob. Do you want to get some pictures that will be legal in court?"
He nodded his head and set the cigar in the ashtray.
We walked the three houses down to my house and I saw my bedroom light go on just as we approached. I was already pissed off, but that made me see red.
I couldn't believe she was cheating on me and in my house. I guess she thought she was safe since I had another four hours on shift and he parked in the garage.
After opening the front door, I led him upstairs where we heard sounds of moaning and talking. I checked to make sure he was ready to get pictures and pushed open the door.
My wife and her lover looked up at the barrel of my gun pointed at them and all hell broke loose. The shithead still had his pants on and my wife's slutty skirt was on the floor. She was in bed wearing only her bra and panties.
He jumped off of the bed and tried to hide behind a chest of drawers. My wife was screaming at me to put the gun down.
"Jimmy, please don't shoot us," she cried.
The shithead hadn't said a word. He was too busy cowering in a corner.
"Pack a bag and leave," I said. "As for you, shit head, get out now before I put one in your eye."
He grabbed his shirt and ran downstairs almost knocking Bob over.
"Jimmy please, we hadn't done anything yet. I was stupid. I got too drunk and he broke through my defenses."
"Shut up and pack," I shouted. "If you're here when I get back, I'm not sure I'll be able to control my anger."
She cried and begged but I didn't listen. I walked out the door and didn't see her again until we went to our final court appearance that ended our marriage.
She tried to call me, email me, and get others to talk to me on her behalf but I wouldn't listen. I read the nonsense she sent me about it being the only time, they weren't past kissing and his fondling her breasts, she fucked up but still loved me: Blah, blah, blah. The intent was there.
***
Two years later, I was on-duty walking out of a coffee shop when I heard what I thought was a gunshot next door at a bank. I called it in and ran over to check it out.
Through the window, I saw a guy with a handgun pointed at a teller, screaming orders, and a man on the ground in a pool of blood. There were four other people against a wall with their hands up. Then I realized the teller was my ex-wife.
"Fuck!" I thought as I made a snap decision and opened the glass door with my gun drawn.
I slowly walked into the bank and before I could say anything Rena's eyes saw me and went wide in shock or maybe it was fear.
The gunman spun and pointed his weapon at me. I reacted quickly and pulled my trigger hitting him twice in the chest. Then, as if it were in slow motion I saw him fall and his gun fired at me.
With no time to react, I felt a blinding sharp pain in my leg and fell backward before everything went black.
***
I woke up to the sound of that stupid chicken sandwich commercial. If I'd have had my gun I'd have shot the TV when the man, for the seemingly millionth time, told his sandwich it was 'lookin' all special'.
My head was pounding with the worst headache I'd ever had and I felt someone holding my hand. The room was dark except for the light in the hall and the TV, and my vision was blurry. I couldn't make out who was in the room with me.
I tried to turn my head, but a voice I recognized sobbed, "Don't try to move too much." I fell back asleep after that.
When I woke again, the room was lighter because of some sunlight creeping in, but I still had blurry vision. I realized I didn't have my contacts in.
My throat was dry and sore when I swallowed. I felt around for the call button but before I knew it the voice grabbed my hand and said, "Lay still, Jimmy."
I heard her start crying and I said, "Water," but it sounded rough and scratchy.
She let go of my hand and I assume hit the call button. She set the control on my bed.
Before I could ask what she was doing there, the nurse came in with the water.
"Welcome to the land of the living, Officer Conti. You can have some water but please drink slowly."
I did and it still hurt my throat.
"You've been asleep for more than a day after the surgery on your leg. You're a very lucky man to survive your ordeal with only a broken leg."
"Aspirin?" I asked wanting to get rid of the headache.
"I'll get you something for the headache. On top of a bullet breaking your femur, you got a pretty nasty blow to the head from something."
"The table where the deposit slips are filled out has a marble base," Rena said. "He hit it when he fell."
Rena! What the hell was she doing there?
The nurse made some notes and left me and my ex-wife alone. The first time I'd been alone with her since that night I caught her cheating.
"Why are you here?" I asked without making eye contact. She still held my hand but I wasn't holding hers back.
"You saved my life, Jimmy. I was sure he was going to kill me because I couldn't open the drawer. I was panicking so badly, I froze. He shot my boss who did nothing but ask him to calm down and not hurt anyone. He shot him in cold blood. I know he would've killed me too."
She started sobbing and dropped her face to my chest. I let go of her hand and pushed her up as much as I could. I was shocked by my lack of strength.
The nurse came in and handed me a cup of pills. "These will help with your headache."
"Thanks," I whispered.
"News of your awakening has spread, I'm afraid. Your buddies in blue have kept the press outside the hospital, but some of them have come up to see you. They are waiting outside and are very anxious to see you."
I looked around the room for the first time and saw flowers as balloons all over the room. I saw a stack of cards on the stand next to the bed.
"Your wife has been the only one we allowed in while you were out."
Rena looked down, embarrassed.
"If you're up to it, I'll send them in."
I nodded and she left.
"Wife?"
"I'm sorry, Jimmy. I lied so they would let me stay with you."
That's when I noticed she was wearing her wedding and engagement rings.
She saw me look and said, "I've never taken them off..."
She was cut off by my Chief and Captain walking in.
"Jimmy! Thank God you're awake. They were worried about that bump on the noggin and you sleeping for over a day."
"I feel okay, Chief. My head is pounding and my throat hurts, but I seem okay."
They ignored Rena, who slunk back into a corner. None of my coworkers were happy about what she did to me causing our break-up. That was evident by the rash of speeding, illegal lane usage, and parking tickets she received after I kicked her out. I had to ask them to leave her alone because my lawyer was getting complaints from hers.
"We won't stay long, Jimmy," said my Captain. "We just wanted to make sure you didn't need anything." He looked over at Rena with a snarl and growled, "Do you need us to do anything, Jimmy?"
"No, Cap. Just let everyone know I appreciate the flowers and stuff."
"Sure, Jimmy." He patted my good leg and looked at Rena again. "If you need anything at all, you let us know."
"It's okay. She's behaving."
"Fine then. We'll let everyone know you're okay and not to come by until tomorrow. I'm sure you could use another day of peace before the whole force descends on you."
"Thanks."
"By the way, don't worry about the shoot. The bank's cameras caught everything and once you give a statement you'll be cleared. It was a good shoot. You saved lives in there."
I nodded and was glad. I hadn't thought about that stuff yet. I was sure I'd get some grief for going in without backup later.
