After 30 years on a large mid-western Police Department, I was the chief of the Homicide Bureau that had one of the best clear rates in the country. Thus, when the Commissioner called me in and asked me to step down, I was shocked. It seemed that the new Mayor wanted to get some "new blood" in the top offices. In other words; he wanted his boys in.
I would be moved back to uniform patrol, working under one of the Mayors other cronies. I told the Commissioner that the Mayor could take the job and shove it. I immediately put in my retirement papers.
Within two weeks, I was sitting at home, a man of leisure. I was going to the gym; keeping up with my usual workouts. However, I knew that I would have to find something to do or I would go nuts.
My wife, Theresa, was absolutely no help. About ten years ago she became involved with a Fundamentalist Christian Church and that became her life. She breathed, ate and slept that church. About four years ago she advised our two grown children and me that she was dedicating her life to god and everything else came after god. She also told me that in dedicating her life to god she would forego all sexual activity. So for the last four years...nothing.
She came home to eat and sleep. Why we didn't divorce, I have no idea. Even the kids told me I was nuts for staying with her. I guess that having loved her and having been loved by her for so many years it was difficult to break away.
I had thought about having and affair but it always seemed that they never worked out. Somebody always gets hurt. I did become very familiar with Rosy Palm and the five finger sisters.
One Friday night about a month after I retired, I was having dinner with a friend from the PD. We had been rookies together and I had been his boss in Homicide, later he headed up the Gang Task Force, he was still at it.
I said, "Phil, I have to find something to do, I'm going stir crazy."
"Look," he laughed, "I have been involved with a group that is trying to help kids between eighteen and twenty-five. They help them get their GEDs and then try to get them jobs. They are starting to really help. However they are so disorganized that I am afraid they are going to fold. We can't afford to lose them. I think that this would be right up your alley. The way you had the Bureau organized was one of the reasons that all those cases were cleared. You also have a way of looking at things that's different...you see things no one else does. I think you could have them fixed up in no time."
"Sounds interesting, helps kids...needs help with the organization...Who are they?" I asked.
Phil looked down and quickly said, "They are the St. Andrew's Outreach, its run by a Brother Ed and a Sister Deb and the..."
"GOD PEOPLE...FUCKING GOD PEOPLE, Phil you know I don't deal with God People, not after that they did to Theresa!"
"John, it's not like that. Yea, they are part of a religious order, but they don't preach or anything. They are doing a real good job and they really need help. The kind of help you could give. Look, we have been friends a long time. Christ; you're my best friend, and I wouldn't screw you over. You're in a bad way and I think that this would help you as much as it would help them."
I could see he was sincere. I calmed down and said, "Okay, Phil, I'll go and talk to them, but only because you asked."
He smiled and said, "Look, I'll pick you up on Monday morning, take you down there and introduce you. You can talk to them and make up your mind."
On Monday morning, Phil picked me up at 7:00 am. We drove to the South Side of the city. It was a tough neighborhood. The Outreach was a storefront, in a two-story building. The first floor had the reception area, classrooms and testing rooms. The second floor had the offices. Brother Ed had one office and Sister Deb had another. The other two offices were a mess, filled with boxes and junk.
I met with Brother Ed and Sister Deb. Brother Ed was a rather big man, in his seventies. About 6'3", was still rather muscular, but age and soft living had plumped him up a bit and softened him. Bro. Ed was wearing a golf shirt and a pair of khaki pants. He was a warm person and was quick to laugh.
Sister Deb was about my age, 5'6"and slender. Not a ravishing beauty but rather attractive with reddish brown hair that she kept short. She was dressed conservatively, in a modest blouse and a skirt that came just below her knees. She was not wearing a habit or a veil. She had a lovely, warm smile and blue eyes that twinkled when she laughed.
I liked them both right away.
After about a half hour, I knew that I would get along here just fine. I told them that I thought I might be able to help them.
"Well that's great, we would love to have you aboard. And, you'll see that working with "God People" isn't all that bad." Both of them laughed.
"Phil talks too much," I said.
I showed up for work the next day.
Over the next few months, I worked getting everything together. It wasn't all that bad and working with the two "God People" was great. They supported my changes and plans. With the three of us working together, the Outreach really started to make headway.
The classrooms were almost always full and we were putting kids into jobs...real jobs. Not only that, but people were starting to take notice. We were starting to get outside support, both in spirit and financially.
One day, after I was there about six months, my friend Phil stopped by. He told us that there were some gang leaders who were not very happy. They didn't want their members getting uppity, getting an education and jobs. It seems that were having an impact.
A couple of weeks later, Sr. Deb and I were getting ready to close up. Bro. Ed had left a few hours before. As was our usual practice, Sr. Deb made some tea (I was actually starting to like the stuff) and we would sit around and talk about the day and just about anything else.
This was the time of day I really enjoyed. I really looked forward to these evening talks. She was great to talk to; she would really listen. Over the months I was there, we really opened up to each other. Sometimes we would talk until after mid-night.
As we sat there talking, two men in their twenties walked into the Outreach. They were wearing their gang colors.
I got up and up and approached them. I said, "You guys know that we don't allow colors here."
"I wear my colors everywhere I go," the obvious leader said.
"Well then you will have to leave," I said pointing to the door.
The youth said, "I ain't goin nowhere. You are....you're goin straight to hell, COP." He laughed as he pulled out a handgun and pointed it at my chest.
Sr. Deb screamed. The other youth went over to her and slapped her in the face. He also pulled out a handgun and pointed at Sr. Deb. He said, "I'm really going to enjoy doing you."
The leader laughed and he looked at his partner. With his attention off of me, in desperation, I moved. I grabbed his gun hand pushed the gun to the side and with my other hand I twisted it back. I felt and heard bones in his hand break. The leader screamed and I brought my knee up into his groin. Without taking the gun out of his hand I pointed it at the other youth and pulled the trigger twice.
The other youth jerked as the bullets hit him. He fell to the ground.
Sr. Deb had hit the silent alarm. A few moments later two patrol cars arrived and the leader and his partner were arrested and taken to the hospital. Sr. Deb and I were interviewed at the Outreach and I told the detectives we would go to Headquarters in the morning to give our statements. I locked the doors as the detectives left.
It was long after midnight; Sr. Deb went up to her office to close up. I went up after her. I walked into her office and found her standing by her desk sobbing. I walked over to her and put my hand on her shoulder. She turned and pushed herself into my arms.
