I Always Wanted to Be a Cop

Part Two took a little while longer to finish than I anticipated. I have enjoyed reading your comments and, as always, this story does have a happy ending.

Chapter Five

Three Years Later

I was working the 3 to 11 shift and as I got ready for work Darlene came into the bedroom as I was dressing in my uniform. I asked her why she was home from work and she told me she had some errands to run and took the day off.

"Rick," she continued, "I'm leaving to pick Suzy up from school and then I think we'll going shopping at Sawgrass Mills Outlet Mall. Do you need anything from the Mall?"

"What I need you can't get at the mall," I said pulling her against me. "I love you sweetheart."

"I know," she replied, kissing me. "I love you too, but you'll just have to wait until you get home tonight. And I have a big surprise for you."

"What is it?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now. You'll just have to wait," she replied kissing me once more.

Later That Evening

So far it had been a quiet day. Only a signal 2 (drunk pedestrian) which I had another unit transport to jail to sober up and a signal 51 (trespassing). I issued a trespass warning to him. If he returned he would be arrested.

Around 1900 hours (7 pm) I decided to have something to eat.

"Dispatch, Bravo 6, 10-7 (out of service) at Larry's Diner. 1900 hours." I radioed.

"10-4, Bravo 6." Dispatch replied.

As I sat eating my supper I heard over my radio about an armed robbery and shooting with multiple victims. The address was for someplace in the three hundred block of West Sunrise Boulevard. I was too far away to be called for a back-up role so I finished eating.

"Dispatch, Bravo 6, 10-8 (back in service) at 1930 hours." I radioed as I returned to my squad car.

"10-4" Dispatch acknowledged.

For the next hour or so I cruised behind some of the stores in several of the strip centers in my zone looking for anything suspicious.

"Bravo 6, 10-19, (return to station) 10-46 (urgent)." Dispatch radioed me.

"10-4, 10-51 (enroute)." I acknowledged.

As I walked into the station 20 minutes later I was instructed by the desk sergeant to report to Captain Wilson's office.

"What's this all about?" I asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders and told me he didn't know. All he knew was he had been instructed to tell me to go there as soon as I arrived.

Taking the stairs, two at a time, I went to the captain's office on the second floor. I found two other men with him in his office. One was Stan McCormick, my long time friend. After Stan had been shot a few years ago he had been placed on limited, light duty with the detective bureau. He liked it so much he transferred to the bureau after being released from restricted duty.

The other man I recognized as Father Patrick Riley, a priest at Saint Anthony's 
Catholic Church, where Darlene and her parents have attended for many years. He married us over three years ago. I knew him well even though I'm not a Catholic.

Before any of them could speak I knew something was terribly wrong. Stan came up to me and said, "Darlene and Suzy were shot earlier this evening. They walked into a store during an armed robbery. Rick, they didn't survive. I'm so very sorry."

It felt as if something just sucked all the air from my lungs. I fell into a chair not quite comprehending the enormity of it all. My wife and my daughter gone in a senseless act of violence.

After several minutes of complete silence I whispered, "I have to call mom and dad."

Taking out my cell phone I made the call. Mom answered on the second ring.

"Mom, it's me. Darlene and Suzy . . . ." I couldn't finish and handed the phone to Stan.

"Mrs. Geiger this is Stan, Stan McCormick. I have horrible news. Darlene and Suzy were killed earlier this evening."

There was a pause while Stan listened to something mom said.

Then he continued. "Hello Mr. Geiger. I'm so very sorry to have to break such bad news to you. Rick is too choked up to talk just now. (long pause) Yes sir, I'll tell him."

Handing the phone back to me he said, "Rick, your dad wants to talk to you. Just listen. He understands how you feel right now."

I listened to my dad tell me he would contact my sister and he and mom would leave immediately. All I could do was whisper to him, "thanks, pop."

We sat in the office for quite some times as Captain Wilson, Father Riley and Stan tried to comfort me. Finally, I asked if Darlene's parents had been notified.

"Not yet, Rick." Stan replied.

"I need to do it. Father Riley will you come with me?" I asked.

You're not in any condition to drive Rick. I'll drive you and the Father there Stan told me. We went out to the parking lot and before getting into Stan's car I gave him my gun belt and radio to lock in the trunk.

Ten minutes later we pulled up in front of John and Mary Sullivan's home. As late as it was the lights were still on in the house. Knocking on the front door I was met by John Sullivan.

The next two hours were the most emotionally charged moments of my life. John and Mary clutched each other as I held them both in my arms with all three of us crying with grief. Father Riley managed to calm us down and begin the long process of healing.

Sometime later I asked Stan to take me home. I needed to look after Suzy's dog, Hans. Don't worry it's not necessary as he explained that his wife, Cathy, had picked Hans up earlier and the dog was now with her.

"Thanks, buddy," I told him. "Why don't you go home. I'll be all right."

"No, Rick. I'm staying right here with all of you," was his reply.

With that he went into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. The rest of the night was spent trying to come to some understanding of the tragedy.

At half past six the next morning my cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I answered it. It was dad. My sister Beth's husband, Pete, had rented a plane and flew the family from Pensacola to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. They were on the way to my house.

I woke Stan, who had fallen asleep in one of the living room chairs, and asked him to drive me home. I explained to John and Mary that my parents had arrived and were now on their way to my place. I would see them later. Father Riley said he would stay with them.

We arrived at my place a few minutes before mom, dad and the family arrived and the same emotional scene as the night before was repeated. After everything had settled down we moved mom and dad's suitcases into the guest bedroom. Pete, Beth and their two girls would occupy the other two bedrooms.

Later that afternoon dad and John Sullivan went with me to the funeral home to make arrangements for Darlene and Suzy. The Funeral Director told me they would transport the remains to the funeral home as soon as the Medical Examiner (ME) released the bodies. I selected two caskets for them. I was able to purchase two burial plots in the Historic Evergreen Cemetery located close to the Rio Vista neighborhood where John and Mary Sullivan lived.

When we arrived back at the house Stan and Cathy were there. They brought Hans with them and he was busy getting to know my two nieces. Every so often he went into Suzy's room, sniffed and looked around before returning to his two new friends.

Chapter Six

The following morning the phone rang and mom answered it and then told me the Funeral Director would be stopping by for some last minute instructions. Twenty minutes he arrived and we all sat down in the living room.

"Mr. Geiger," he began. "The arrangements for your wife and daughter are complete. However, I would like to know your decision about your unborn child."

"Unborn child?" I stammered, stunned with this news. "What unborn child?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't aware you didn't know your wife was pregnant. The Medical Examiner discovered a male fetus, approximately three month old during the autopsy. What are your wishes concerning him?"

"That was the surprise she was going to tell me about the other night. Oh, my God . . ." I cried to mom and dad.

Several moments later, after regaining my composure, I said. "I think the child should remain with his mother. Is that a problem?"

"No sir, it is not," he stated emphatically. "We will do anything you wish. I'm so sorry to have had to bring you this news."

The next few days remain a blur in my memory. The Funeral Mass at Saint Anthony's was so well attended there wasn't an empty seat in the church. People were standing in the back as well as outside.

Father Riley conducted the service at the church as well as at graveside. So many of our friends and co-workers came by afterwards to express their sympathy that I lost track of all of them.

A few days later mom, Mary Sullivan, Beth and Stan's wife Cathy helped me in removing Darlene and Suzy's things from the house. All of Darlene's clothes were donated to various women's groups. Suzy clothes went to children relief organizations. Darlene's jewelry I gave to the women and my nieces. The only things I kept were all the photo albums and Darlene's engagement and wedding rings which I placed in my safe deposit box.

Before Pete, Beth and the girls left for home I spoke with both of them. I wanted to be sure they were okay with what I had in mind. Hans needed children in his life and I wanted him to be in safe and loving home.

"Girls," I asked my nieces, "would you like to take Hans home with you? You have to promise me you will love him and take good care of him."

They both rushed over to me, hugged me and promised they would love him forever. Even Hans barked his approval. The five of them left later that day to fly back home. Mom and dad had decided to stay with me for a few more days and then would fly back home commercial.

Chapter Seven

Four Days After the Funeral

I called Stan this morning and asked him for an update on the investigation into my wife and daughter's murder. He asked me to come down to the station after 10 am. Stan had been tapped to lead a team tasked with investigating the murder and robbery. I wanted dad to come with me.

When we arrived Stan led us into his little office. "I have some good news and some bad news," he said. "First the good news."

He went on to explain that the convenience store had recently install a state of the art surveillance system. Five digital cameras recorded everything to a computer hard drive. Microphones also sent sound to the hard drive. The computer automatically burned a DVD every two hours. No more fuzzy or grainy video tapes.

Using facial recognition software, along with finger prints, our techs were able to identify the killer. His name was Leroy Washington and he had an extensive record, including a seven year stretch in state prison for robbery.

"I would like to see the video," I asked Stan.

"Rick, I watched the video. It's brutal. Just watching it made me sick to my stomach and everyone of my men had the same reaction after viewing it. Your emotions are still pretty raw so don't watch it right now. I'll tell you what's on it," he replied.

He continued. "Washington entered the store with a gun. He demanded that the clerk open the register and after she complied he shot her twice and grabbed the money. Darlene and Suzy entered just as he killed the clerk. He shot both of them. Before he left he stood over them and fired twice more into the back of their heads."

"Now the bad news. We haven't been able to find him. We've questioned every one of our C.I.s (confidential informants) with no luck. A BOLO (Be On The Lookout for) has been sent out across the entire southeastern U.S. A ten thousand dollar reward for information leading to his arrest has garnered hundreds of leads every day. It's taking a lot of time and man power following up on each one of them. I wish I could say that we are close to an arrest, but I can't."

I witnessed the distress on Stan's face as he told me all this . . . he was near to tears with frustration.

"I understand." I told him as we were leaving. "I know you are doing everything you can. Just keep me in the loop if anything breaks."

Five days later I went back to work after dropping mom and dad off at Fort Lauderdale International Airport for their flight back to Pensacola. I was still on the 3 to 11 shift but would rotate to midnights in a week. It was hard coming home to an empty house each night and I was having difficulty falling asleep. All I could think of was how short a time Darlene and I had together.

After a couple of sleepless nights I began staying at the station and helping the night shift detectives sort through the hundreds of leads that came in each day. I only managed to get a few hours sleep when I got back home in the early morning hours. When I went on midnights I would stay until early afternoon helping out before going home.

Chapter Eight

Ten Weeks Later

Weeks went by without any success. It was if the earth had opened up and swallowed this guy. Finally, I was becoming worn out working what amounted to two consecutive shifts every day. Stan had been after me to slow down but I kept putting him off. Then one afternoon Captain Wilson cornered me.

"Rick, you look like death warmed over. When was the last time you got a full night's sleep? Your uniform is hanging off you. Just how much weight have you lost?" The captain asked me.

"When you get overworked and tired you make mistakes and if you make a mistake in our business it could get you killed. So, I have contacted Personnel and arranged for you to take a week's leave. There will be no argument. As of today you're on vacation. You are not to set one foot in the station. Do I make myself clear? I called your dad. He is expecting you to visit."

I knew he was right and had my best interest at heart. Captain Wilson was like a second father to me. He and my dad went back a long ways. Dad had actually broke him in when he was a rookie just out of the academy twenty-five years ago. I knew what he said was true so I all I could say was, "Yes Sir."

I stayed with mom and dad. They had a two bedroom condo on Pensacola Beach. Pete, Beth's husband, managed to take a few days off and took us fishing on his boat out in the Gulf. I actually caught a few grouper which we grilled at his house for dinner that evening. Mom, Beth and my two nieces fussed over me. Watching the girls play with Hans reminded me of how Suzy used to play with him. Surprisingly, I could look back to those memories without becoming too depressed.

When I left them, to make the ten hour drive back home, I was in much better shape, physically and emotionally. Returning to work I went by Captain Wilson's office and thanked him for everything he did for me. I still stuck my head into the detective bureau every so often and helped sort through the leads. Those that had a chance of panning out I sent along to the team.

Other leads hit the round file. Some of them were off the wall. One guy said he saw Washington get into a flying saucer and blast off for another planet. Another said he witnessed Washington transform into a three headed monster and walk out into the Everglades.

Then the leads began to slow from a hundred a day to only three or four. So I increased the reward from ten thousand dollars to fifty thousand dollars. I could afford it. Darlene had been the expert in financial planning at her dad's firm. She used her talents to insure our future.

She had taken out a five hundred thousand dollar double indemnity term life policy for each of us. Suzy had a two hundred thousand dollar whole life policy. That coupled with other investments left me with a little over one and a half million dollars when everything was settled. Truth be told I would have exchanged every last dime of it to have my wife and daughter back.

The additional reward money resulted in a few hundred more tips as to the location of Leroy Washington. Unfortunately, these were dead ends as well.

One evening I was invited over to John and Mary's home for dinner. Afterwards, while Mary was busy in the kitchen, I asked John for some advice on what to do with the money I now had. He recommended that I pay off the home mortgage and any other outstanding loans. The remainder should be invested.

When I told him that I knew just the firm with which to do that he just smiled.

Mary returned to the dinning room table with coffee and dessert and said to me. "Rick, John and I want to talk to you."

"It has been almost a year now since Darlene and Suzy died. It's time for you to move on. You are still a young man. You need to make a new life for yourself."

Eight Months Later

I just had gotten home from working a 3 to 11 shift. After grabbing something to drink from the fridge I sat down and watched ESPN for an hour before heading to bed. The ringing of the phone on my night table woke me from a deep sleep. Looking at the clock, as I picked up the phone, I wondered who in the hell was calling me at 3:30 in the morning.

"Rick, it's Stan. We found him. We're going to make an arrest in about an hour. Do you want to be in on it?"

"Are you kidding. Do I want to be in on it? I'll meet you at the station in twenty minutes." I replied.

Twenty-five minutes later Stan, ten other guys and me were headed out. On the way over Stan gave me a quick run down on what happened.

"A little after two this morning a guy came into the station and asked the desk sergeant if we were still looking for Leroy Washington. He took the guy upstairs to the bureau office and they immediately called me at home. When I got there Charlie Taggert had him repeat what he had already told him." Stan explained.

He continued telling me that the guy had been out in a bar and saw Washington drinking by himself. He knew him from playing hoops at the park with him a couple of years ago. He went over, said hello, and they talked until the place closed at two. Washington asked for a ride home so this fellow gave him one.

"That's how we know where he is staying," Stan said as we pulled to a stop just down the street from a duplex north of Sixth Street on 31st Avenue.

At 4:40 am we kicked in the front door and, turning on the lights in the bedroom, found Washington still in bed. An empty whiskey bottle was laying on the floor next to him. He had probably had passed out and never heard us enter.

Handing me a pair of handcuffs Stan said. "You cuff him."

"With pleasure," I replied through gritted teeth. What I really wanted to do is take my 9mm and put a couple of rounds into his sorry ass but I realized that would make me as bad as him. It would be best for the legal system to run its course.

"Leroy Washington, you are under arrest for armed robbery and murder."

I then read him his Miranda Rights.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind , do you wish to speak to us?"

He mumbled, "no." Stan and I removed him from the house and took him back to the station. Five other detectives remained and searched the duplex apartment. They found a gun, a couple boxes of ammunition and a hundred dollars in small bills.

Stan and I were both there when he was arraigned at nine that morning.

Standing with his court appointed attorney Washington was formally charged with three counts of capital murder, armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. No bail and he was remanded to the county jail until trial. He left the courtroom the same way he entered escorted by two very large sheriff's deputies handcuffed and in shackles.

There was some degree of satisfaction in seeing this unfold. I went by John Sullivan's office and was able to give him some good news. We had Darlene and Suzy's killer locked up. He was relived to hear this and immediately called Mary and told her. Now all we could do was wait for his trial.