My Kind of Town
>> Queen's Medical Center Weapon of choice
HPD Detective Sherlock Gomes did not like guns. He hated going to the range, went only because he had to keep himself qualified to stay on the force.
He normally carried his pistol, unloaded, in the trunk of his classic Barracuda. Other detectives wore ankle holsters, but Gomes' weapon of choice was his mind. Reason and logic over guns and bullets. Of course, Gomes didn't go around talking to fellow cops about his disdain for guns. He was too smart for that.
But today Gomes was grateful for the Glock 9mm, and rethinking his position. If he'd had the gun - with the snubby 2-inch barrel - on his ankle, Gomes could have intervened before the Samoan cabbie, who'd rear-ended a teal BMW in the ER lot, jumped from his car, grabbed the female driver by the neck and tried to drag her out through the window. It wasn't until Quinn Ah Sun, the solo bike officer who was hospitalized after getting shot, charged the cabbie in a wheelchair and took out his knee that the guy quit choking the woman. Which also gave Gomes a chance to open the trunk and grab his gun.
And now he was running to where the cabbie and Ah Sun grappled on the ground, shouting "Stop! Police!" But the cabbie kept attacking, ignoring Gomes and the Glock. Which was really just for show. Hell, he hadn't even loaded it.
The heavy bandage on Ah Sun's right thigh was turning crimson, his wound apparently reopened, and Gomes could see him weakening by the moment. The cabbie was on top of Ah Sun now, ready to throw another punch.
So Gomes really had no choice. With a running start, he kicked the cabbie in the side of the head, just above the ear, knocking him unconscious. His second weapon of choice: a black, size 11D Allen Edmonds tassel loafer.
Gomes stuck the gun in his belt, quickly cuffed the cabbie.
Looking up, Gomes was not surprised to see EMS techs Vic Lipman and Yvonne Morales already bending over Ah Sun. As were two women, both local, both in their late 20s, both very attractive and both - Gomes noted - surprised to see the other's concern for Ah Sun.
>> Arizona Memorial - Theater 2
Down front, a U.S. Park Service ranger, an attractive local girl, began speaking and Commander Chuck Ryan, Navy intelligence officer, at last took his eyes off the back of Muhammed Resurreccion's head. The ranger reminded him of Fawn Nakamura and he felt a funny little ping in his gut, or somewhere inside. And he recalled working in San Diego with a Jewish guy, Sol Braff, who once said that for Hebrews of the Old Testament the seat of emotions was the intestines.
Sol added: "That'd make a helluva Valentine's card, wouldn't? Bunch of intestines instead of a heart?"
Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek.
His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin
with weekly summaries on Sunday.
He can be emailed at dchapman@midweek.com