Pastime With Books: Time Killer by Todd M. Thiede

“Hey, Max, come in here, would you?” Captain Perry calls out.

Max holds up his finger. He wraps up his call with his mom and heads to Perry’s office.

He walks into the Captain’s office to the sounds of ‘oooohs’ and ‘aaaahs’ of the other detectives. He even hears one of them say, “Nice working with ya, Max. Good luck!” He waves his hand in dismissal at the guys.

As he heads towards the back offices, he calls, “Hey, Captain. I was just planning on going to the gym for a quick workout. Can this wait for thirty minutes?” The captain denies his request.

Max is always impressed by the numerous awards and commendations on the Captain’s office wall, including a Purple Heart from Vietnam. He thinks, if I had a dollar for every time the Captain told me the story of how he got that Purple Heart, I could have retired already.

Although Max has been a detective now for six years, he still gets butterflies every time he goes into the Captain’s office. Like a kid getting called into the principal’s office. “What did I do this time, Cap?” Max says with a chuckle.

“It isn’t what you did. It is more of what I am going to do to you,” Captain Perry says with a grin. “You are getting a new partner today.”

Max drops his head and shoulders and slowly shakes his head from side to side. “You know I work better alone. Can’t you give McCarren the rookie? He needs a partner bad. If not just for the help on his cases, how about just to babysit him, you know hold his hand, give him a pacifier, that type stuff?” He winks at Perry.

The Captain assumes a serious face and leans forward, “Look Max, you haven’t had a partner for two years now. Ever since Curtis suddenly decided to move to L.A. I mean, come on. He was a detective here for over ten years and then after only six months of working with you, he feels the need to move to a warmer climate. You are getting this partner no matter what. Besides she has a lot in common with you.”

Captain Perry barely finishes his sentence before Max cuts him off. “She? Are you kidding me? I graduated top of my class at the academy. I was a patrol officer for only one year and then I became the youngest detective in town at the age of 23. I have been your best detective ever since then. For the past six years, I have solved your toughest cases and, with the exception of Curtis, I have been pretty fair with my fellow detectives.”

“Someday, Max, you are going to have to explain to me what happened with Curtis. He said it had nothing to do with you and you deny it as well, but I still think something fishy went on,” Perry says.

“Six years, Captain! Six great years and this is how you repay me?” Max’s resentment is clear in his voice.