Burying Ben Read Online Free PDF Page B

latest punch.”
    He opens t h e door to the hall. A stream of air hits my face as the door closes behind hi m . I press m y forehead against the cool m etal. Outside in the h a ll, I can he a r people laughing. Eddie can ’ t be right. He ’ s trying to inti m i date m e. I’m not a joke. People aren ’ t laughing at m e behind m y ba c k. Not yet. Not so soon.
     
    I take the elevator up to Baxter’s office. My hands are still trembling after m y confrontation with Eddie. He’s a big bully, just the kind of cop m y father would hate. Throws his weight around when he doesn’t need to, just to satisfy hi m self. My ex does the sa m e thing, only with a gloss of concern and affection for m y well being. W ell I’ve had it being nice to m en who aren’t nice to m e. My job description m andates m e to identify sources of organizational stress and bring them to the chief ’ s attention. No one else has dared to take Eddie on, certainly not his recruits. It’s risky. If I get a reputation f or being a s nitch, no o n e will talk to m e, ever a g ain.
    Baxter ’ s off i ce is a p erfectly sq u are room paneled in dark knotty pine and carpeted in brown shag. For forty years, nothing has ch a nged in this office but the chief of police. There is a worn spot on the rug in front of his desk where generations of nervous officers have been literally called on the carpet. I walk to the m i ddle of it. B a xter is leaning over his desk, studying a large m ap of the city that he keeps under the glass top, as though considering the possibility that he has gone to the wrong offi c e. The large bay window behind him is opaque with fog. There are dark circles under his eyes. He senses m y presence and picks up a t h ick sheaf of papers. ”Budgets, sa m e torture every year. Sa m e fight over who has to m ake cuts. How you doin g ? Getting alo n g okay?”
    “I need to talk to you about so m ething. I’ve been working with Ben Go m ez. As you know, he isn’t doing well. W hat you m ay not know is that the pri m ary reason he isn’t doing well is that he isn’t getting along w ith his FTO, Eddie R i m bauer. Is there any possibility he could ask f or another FTO ? ”
    “Recruits always bla m e their FTOs when they get in trouble. Eddie is tough. If he’s putting on the pressure, it’s for a good reason.”
    “How can you be sure?”
    “I spend over $100,000 dollars on recruit m ent and training for every rookie I hire. That ’ s a big invest m ent. I want them to succeed. I give them every chance I can, m ore ti m e in the progra m if they need it, re m edial training, whatever it tak e s. This is not boot ca m p. I don’t let m y FTOs deliberately harass recruits. That ’ s old school. If Eddie was harassing anyone, I would know it.”
    “Maybe yes, m aybe, no. The chief can be the last to know what goes on at the line level . ”
    Baxter ’ s eyes spark. “You’ve been here less than a m onth and you’re telling m e I don’t know how m y organization works?”
    For the seco n d ti m e this morning I’m being dis m issed becau s e I’m a no-nothing civilian. “I’m only suggesting that Eddie Rimbauer m ay not be the person you think he is.”
    “And you know this how ? ”
    “By watching hi m , talking to hi m , listening to what people say about hi m .”
    “Like wh o ?”
    “I ca n ’t say . ”
    “If you have so m e specific infor m ation about Eddie, you’d better tell m e.” He pauses for a second and waggles his head. I can hear his neck c r ack. “Do you ? ”
    I say nothing.
    “So this is your intuition telling you Eddie is the proble m ? ”
    “Yes and no.”
    “ W hich is it ? ” He leans forward in full interrogator m ode. “Look, Dot, if you have so m ething spe c i f ic to repo r t ab o ut Eddie or Ben Go m ez, I’ l l listen. B ut I’m not interested in speculation.” He cracks his neck again. I don’t know if this is a nervous tic or so m e kind of inti m idation tactic. “ W