“I’m going to kill you!” The female robber/driver screamed at Nick. “Bank on it! You’re dead!”
“Sergeant Boniface,” Nick addressed the smiling police sergeant. “Isn’t it a felony offense for a criminal to threaten the life of a federal agent?”
“It is indeed Marshal. Shall I add that to the charges?”
“Wait… wait a minute. I was threatened, manhandled, and held in fear for my life by this guy for doing nothing but parking on the street!”
Boniface laughed. “You do realize you’ve already admitted to knowing the three jewelry store thieves by name in front of two police officers and a federal agent whom you threatened to kill. Three people died in the commission of an armed robbery, so you will be charged with their deaths, the attempted armed robbery, and threatening the life of a federal agent. Read anonymous her rights, Cal. I’ll go in the shop with Marshal McCarty.”
Nick led the way inside Saul’s jewelry store where Gus, John, and Rachel were trying to calm a very upset Saul who was sweating profusely. John held a glass of ice water he had procured from the back to Saul’s lips. Nick waved at his companions and let Sergeant Boniface do an initial examination of the three dead robbers. After a few moments of cursory inspection including Nick pointing to the ceiling where the lead robber fired his Uzi, Boniface shrugged.
“I see no discrepancies with your version and my initial crime scene inspection. We’ll be having detectives on scene shortly, but I will get the initial interviews done with your wife, friends, and the proprietor. That was some damn fine shooting, Nick. My guess is you gave them one to grow on.”
Nick smiled. “They had Uzis, Sergeant.”
“Indeed they did. You saved the taxpayers some money here. The driver will be booked as caught red handed, and I’m certain she will have numerous provable connections to the robbers. Introduce me to your friends and wife. I’ll get started.”
*
An hour later, the detectives arrived on scene. They did a cursory look at an already marked and photographed crime scene. The tall thin one Nick noticed left his sunglasses on. They talked over the details with Sergeant Boniface, glanced Nick’s way and left, leaving Nick with the distinct feeling they would be having a lot more to say to him in an interrogation room. The Sergeant joined the shooter, proprietor, and three witnesses with a smile. He noted instead of being terrified wrecks, they were in the middle of a purchase with the proprietor trying to shove a ring set at John as a gift. He watched Nick put an arm around the old man, wink at Boniface, and explain he would be paying the very fair price for the ring set – no freebies accepted due to his US Marshal’s position. He waved over Boniface.
“I’m explaining to Saul that our positions as law officers makes it impossible for us to accept any form of gratuity. Is that not true, Sergeant?”
“Marshal McCarty is correct, Mr. Rothman. We can’t accept gratuities,” Boniface went along with the true explanation of policy. “He could get into a lot of trouble if he did.”
Saul hugged Nick. “Thank you for my life and shop!”
“Don’t give it a thought, Saul. My friend loves the ring set. Wrap the set, and let me pay the invoice. I believe the Sergeant is about to ask me downtown for a visit.”
“I’m afraid so. Whenever you’re ready, Nick. Your friends can go home. We’ll contact them if there are any further questions. The detectives need you to do another repeat of the details for them officially.”
“Let me take care of Saul. I’ll be right with you.”
“Of course.”
Nick joined Gus, John, and Rachel. “I have to go downtown after I settle with Saul.”
“We’ll see you at home,” Rachel kissed her husband with passion for a long minute. “Am I getting as bad as you in that I could give a shit less whether you just wasted three banditos?”
“Thousands of hours practicing should at times pay off,” Nick replied. “As to your descent into darkness, I think we met half way and now we’re the Ozzie and Harriet of death.”
“Who?” Rachel smiled at Nick’s look of annoyance. “I don’t keep track of every old movie you’ve ever seen.”
“It was an old TV show where… ah never mind. Gus… you’ve heard of ‘Ozzie and Harriet’, right?”
“Who?” Gus enjoyed the opening given him immensely as he watched Nick’s realization he was being punked by his best friend.
“I know of ‘Ozzie and Harriet’, Muerto,” John said proudly. “We had very little as children other than old American movies and TV along with sermons condemning everything those shows espoused. I liked Ozzie very much.”
“Suck-up,” Gus said.
“Thank you, John. At least someone in this crew has some culture. Are you going to propose before we leave for Pacific Grove?”