Farlo’s driving the black and white, Joey is in the passenger seat, Tina is sitting on Joey’s lap with her head hanging out the window. Her tongue flying in the wind, her ears flapping. Farlo ignores stop signs, red lights, orange turning red lights, photo enforced red light intersections and signs prohibiting left turns, right turns, U turns, and one-way streets. Joey’s eye lids appear to be super glued together.
“Let me know when we get to the crack house,” he murmured.
“I’m worried about you, Chico. You’ll get the sniff of crack and fall off the wagon,” said Farlo clipping an SUV stopping a red light.
“What’s eating you, Chico?” said Farlo.
“What’s with the Chico bit? My name’s Joey, not Chico. You clipped the SUV, are you going to stop and exchange papers?”
“Why, Chico?”
“Stop calling me Chico and get this thing off my lap,” Joey Demanded.
Farlo did a quarter turn of his head toward Joey, “Joey doesn’t work unless it’s matched with a last name. What’s your last name? I don’t remember you telling me.”
“I thought you knew everything about me. You’re not so smart. You act like a rabid dog. You don’t think things through. That’s why we’re in deep trouble. I do not want to be in the same cell as you when we go to prison. BTW, it’s Ginarco.”
“I like it. From now on, you’re Joey G. That’s a name with an attitude. Now act like it,” growled Farlo and he turned the black and white into a Starbucks lot. He parked the car, reached over to the glove compartment, fished around, smiled at what his hand touched and pulled out Martinez’s police department credit card.
“Let’s go in and order. We need our energy if we’re going hit a crack house. I’m going to get a half dozen of somethings with meat, eggs and cheese for Tina.”
“What if they ask for ID?”
“Where’s your attitude Joey G? Use it,” snarled Farlo.
Tina heard the words meat, eggs, and cheese and jumped off Joey G’s lap and headed to the back seat where she sat on her haunches eagerly expecting a lavish meal.
Farlo opened the door, got out, stretched his arms over his head, wiggled his back, heard it click in place and turned toward the car. He glared at Joey G sitting in the passenger seat, still buckled. “What do you think you’re doing Joey G? Get your butt out here or you don’t eat or drink.”
“I don’t want to compound the ten felonies we’ve committed.”
“I’m signing your name to the voucher. Your butt is cooked and I’m going to char it,” snapped Farlo.
Joey G unbuckled, got out of the B & W and slammed the door. “That’s it. Give me the card,” he demanded. His fists were clenched.
“You’re going have to take it from me. Let’s see how tough you are, Joey G.”
Joey G came rushing at Farlo, his eyes closed, his arms flailing, throwing punches from every angle. Farlo sat down on a chair at an outside table and watched Joey G flail off the sidewalk and fall onto the drive through roadway.
“Why didn’t you tell me I was going to crash?” Joey G said siting on his butt looking at the tear in his sweatpants, and dabbing at his bruised knee with part of the sweatpants fabric.
“You know who wore those pants before you? You might be dabbing an infectious disease into your system. You don’t think of possibilities, Joey G.”
“I do to.”
“Do not. I’m hungry. Let’s get some coffee, food and talk about what we’re going to do when we hit the crack house.”
Farlo and Joey G stepped into Starbucks. We’re here to get our coffee, grub, and rescue Harry J in the next forty-five minutes if I’m going to make it back in time to meet Martinez at O’Rourke’s. It’s doable if you don’t screw things up again.”
“How did I screw things up?”
“Do I have to remind you of your stupid karate move?”
“I was channeling Bruce Lee.”
“It looked like you were channeling Big Bird.”
“That was before I was known as Joey G.”
The beautiful dance major female barista looked at Farlo, then Joey G. He said, “Officer, this homeless bum with you?”
“No. He followed me in looking for a handout. His shopping cart is parked in a handicap zone.”
The barista, looked at Joey G, “Don’t give me any trouble.”
Farlo winked at the barista, and said, “If he does, I’ll use him for field goal practice. You give him a coffee and an egg sandwich on me.”
“Besides being the most handsome cop I’ve ever seen, you’re a humanitarian. I get off at ten, want to meet at O’Rourke’s?
Farlo gave the barista a smile that would melt an iceberg.”
“Everything’s on the house, what’s your name? Mine is Kelly. Here’s my cell number,” said Kelly scribbling her cell phone number on the back of the receipt.
“Farlo.”
“Not the Farlo. For real?”
“For real.”
“OMG,” Kelly clutched her heart with her two hands.
Joey G gasped, stifled an acid reflux, and headed for the restroom.
Five minutes later they were in the B & W and headed to Alameda and the crack house.
Will they rescue Harry J? Is it too late for Harry J? Did Joey G find his groove? Who’s Filo