Grover still rankled at his demotion. Ridiculous. Even if his equally corrupt duty officer had also lost out on his share of what the mob would have paid them if that witness had met with a “most unfortunate accident.” He, Grover, demoted to watching minor perps in a hospital so bad they’d be lucky to survive anyway? Wasn’t his fault if that asshole in witness protection hadn’t accepted his bribe to tell what happened to that bitch the mob wanted offed.
His new partner returned to their hospital corridor with the donuts and coffee, but it wasn’t the jelly donut he had requested. Also ridiculous, but Grover thanked him profusely anyway, knowing all too well how important it was for a “bad cop”…such as his illustrious self…to stay on everyone’s good side.
His new partner went back to the only thing he was any good at: ogling pretty nurses. “Look at the dreamy eyes on that one! Why I remember her from yesterday.”
Grover choked back a bite of something that wasn’t even close to being a jelly donut. Whole grain, or some such shit. But he managed a conspiratorial leer. “You’re right, there, buddy. I remember her from yesterday too.” Why it mattered whether or not the bitch had been there yesterday was beyond him. But he blinked at his new partner with what he hoped looked like admiration. “I’m not good at facial recognition like you are.” Then he looked at the only part of that nurse he cared about anyway and wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest when he added, “But I never…ever…forget a figure.”
Voices. Behind them. Even too far away to make out the words it was easy enough to pick up that self-important but lazily delayed cadence of two people flirting. When they got close enough, their none-too-subtle references to what they’d just done to each other in a utility closet confirmed it.
After a particularly lewd giggle, the woman changed the subject. “So, that crazy blonde in that storage space building didn’t really hurt you all that badly with that lil’ ole scalpel anyway? I mean, a big strong emergency worker like you?”
That voice! Grover froze. He didn’t even listen to whatever the guy said back.
“Fabuloso!” said the woman, just as they walked around Grover’s back and came into view. Whatever the emergency worker had said had apparently made her very happy…and very friendly. The guy took advantage of her mood by running his hand down the back of her tight sweater to pinch her butt.
Grover checked out the only part of any woman he cared about, then leapt to his feet with a huge smile.
“What is it, Grover?” asked his new partner. “She’s not all that pretty.”
Grover was laughing. “Looks like you’ll need to find yourself a new partner, buddy!”
“But you just…”
“I’ll be going back to my old job.”
“How do you know?”
“Trust me.”
Just then Ms. Fabuloso turned toward the emergency worker, and Grover saw her face for the first time. Wrong face! His heart sank for a moment. But then he remembered: witness protection. He went back to checking out her body and even his idiot partner joined in when Grover laughed again, long and low. No, that was her all right. The hell with the face. He, Grover, never forgot a figure.
