The Tipsy Gull, page 11
part #1 of Danny Barbosa Series
Danny exhaled. “Yes, Sir. I won’t let you down.”
“Good. Chief does want you to take the rest of the day off, with pay. Let you clear your head.”
“No, we have an interview with DeVries today. I’m fine now, I just–“
Hawthorne put his hand up. “Stop, Danny. It’s not a suggestion. It’s a direct order. Go home and get some rest. Come back tomorrow.”
While he should’ve been grateful, the quick fuse in him said otherwise. Danny bit his lip to keep from retorting. When Hawthorne left, Danny slammed his fist on the desk. He gathered his stuff and barged out of the office, running into Ben at the doorway.
“You want me to reschedule DeVries’ interview?” Ben asked.
“Do what you want. I don’t care anymore.” Danny snapped and headed toward the exit.
CHAPTER 14
The digital speedometer displayed 103 mph. Danny pushed down on the accelerator, continuing northbound on Interstate 15. If only they’d interviewed Peterson, the night he was brought in. He had no idea where he was heading, but he didn’t feel like going home. Past Escondido, he was pulled over for speeding. Danny flashed his badge and received a break after the Highway Patrol officer verbally chastised him. Reluctantly, Danny turned around and headed back at a more acceptable speed. Why had he gotten mad at Ben after he had covered for Danny? He’d call him later and apologize. For now, he’d go home and get drunk.
Danny pulled into a Shell station at the Mira Mesa off ramp. On a whim, he asked the clerk if she knew of any nearby pubs. The college-aged cashier gave him directions to a neighborhood bar nearby. Having followed her directions, he found himself on a dead-end street. The bar looked like it used to be an old house with white arched windows. The only markings were a neon light depicting the name— The Tipsy Gull. The front door was made of glass and covered with a white metal grid, with a large brass handle. A small dirt lot off the side offered parking. Next to the bar was a family owned small hardware store, followed by two abandoned houses with boarded up windows. The neighborhood didn’t look appealing and he smiled. He loved dive bars.
He debated parking at the curb, despite the sign labeling it a no parking zone. With a sigh, he left his car in the dirt lot, cringing at the layer of dust covering the other vehicles. He opened the door and it creaked in protest. Standing in the foyer, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. There was an antique cigarette machine in the entry way. They’d been banned, so this must have been just for looks. On the opposite side sat an old juke box, blaring an even older Patsy Cline song. The dark interior and music gave the place a depressing atmosphere. It was perfect.
He walked toward the far end and grabbed a stool in the back, ordering a double Jack and Coke.
“Keep it open?” the bartender asked. She looked to be in her mid-twenties with long blond hair and was dressed in a pair of cut-off shorts and a pink Chargers jersey, torn at the neckline.
“Please.” He fished out his debit card and set it on the bar top.
Danny checked her out while she made his drink. She bobbed her head as she sang to the next song on the jukebox. Another customer came in and she nodded to him. “Hey Teddy, be right with you.”
When she brought him his drink, his gaze drifted to the torn neckline, then back up into her piercing blue eyes. She flashed him a beautiful smile with perfect white teeth. “I’m Jenny.”
“Danny,” he said, tilting his glass to her. “Nice to meet you.”
Two more customers entered, and she headed over, hips swaying with the music. The bar held about a dozen bar stools, of which about half were taken. Along the opposite wall were several small tables. The back wall was covered with patches from different police departments. The patrons all looked to be in their sixties or older and seemed to know each other. He was more comfortable without the extra testosterone of the newer, trendier bars. His bar fighting days were a thing of the past.
Jenny looked out of place. With her looks she could make more tips elsewhere where young guys would undoubtedly try and impress her. Regardless, it was the right place for him to lose himself. He downed his first drink, so when she came back his way, he ordered another. He’d been watching her make drinks, and she made them strong, so he didn’t need the double.
A woman who looked to be in her mid-fifties shuffled to the bar, asking for dollar bills. She meandered back and forth, feeding the juke box. “He Stopped Loving Her Today” played next, and she sang along.
Danny watched Jenny, intoxicated with her every move. The way she laughed, walked, poured drinks, and smiled. He wanted to know more about her. Unless it was his imagination, she was interested in him, too. She repeatedly looked his way and smiled. He had suspected she was bra-less, the way her breasts swung under the jersey, and that was confirmed when she bent down to wash glasses. She'd caught him peeking more than once and shook her finger at him while smiling flirtatiously.
The woman who’d been feeding the juke box sat next to him. “I’m Norma. Wanna buy me a drink?”
She stank of gin and Danny shook his head. “Friends in Low Places” started up from the jukebox, and she burped. Jenny returned from the other end of the bar to refill his drink. “Shoo, Norma. He’s not interested.”
Norma slipped off her stool and headed to the ladies’ room as Jenny put her hand on Danny’s arm. “I’m sorry, I should have asked first. Maybe you were digging her.”
Danny laughed. “No, your instincts were right on.”
She smiled. “Rough day?”
“You could say that.”
Jenny kept his glass full, and the two of them talked like they’d known each other for years. She was twenty-four and single, but enjoyed taking care of her father, who was sixty-nine. “Pops bought this bar when he retired to give him something to do. We usually take turns covering the shifts, but he’s been feeling under the weather lately, so I have to pull a double.”
Between her flirtatious and serious side, Danny felt like a school boy sporting a new crush. Tala had drifted far from his mind. He told Jenny about his job and she told him her father was a retired cop. Danny asked what his name was and where he had worked. She told him Sergeant Hughes with Oceanside PD, and he recalled a shooting that her father had been involved in when he first moved to San Diego. He mentioned that he had responded to Hughes’s 11-99 call for back up.
“How about you? Did you ever have to shoot anyone?” Jenny asked.
“Yeah, when I worked for Fresno PD, I shot a guy.” He showed her the scar from the Rottweiler who the man had ordered to attack him. “The internal affairs sergeant, who I thought was my friend, screwed me over and tried to get me fired.”
“That’s not right. I’m sorry.” Jenny took his hand in hers.
Electricity sizzled through his body. Their eyes met and he held her gaze for a moment. Intoxicated from the Jack Daniels, he leaned forward to kiss her. A glass pounding the bar startled her and she jumped back. Giggling, she excused herself and refilled the other customer’s drinks.
Danny didn’t think much about the shooting these days, it’d been a decade ago and he’d been in a coma afterwards, so his memory on what transpired was limited. The IA sergeant, Steve Tanner, had been the one who introduced him to bowling. He sighed.
Jenny returned to his end of the bar bringing him back to the present. She leaned forward. “I’m hungry. If I order a pizza, will you help me eat it?”
“That sounds good.” He glanced at his watch, 3:12. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast.
Danny was getting drunk and didn’t want Jenny to think he was a lush. The next time she offered him a drink, he asked for just a soda.
The Chicago-style pizza arrived, and he inhaled deeply. Italian spices and cheese assaulted his sense of smell. “Damn, that smells good, but where are the toppings?”
She laughed and explained that Gino’s used an extra thick crust with thick slices of mozzarella and thick-cut pepperoni. It was baked and then the crushed-tomato sauce was added. “It’s kind of built upside-down.” She cut it into manageable slices, and they ate. This time he didn’t stop her when she refilled his glass with Jack.
“You have cheese–” She pointed to his chin.
Danny wiped it with a napkin and looked at her.
“Uh-uh, you missed.” She reached over and pulled the stretched mozzarella off his face.
One of the old guys crooned, “I love you, Jenny. I will duel that man to win your heart.” His tongue heavy with alcohol. “Outside young lad, we will settle this.”
The old man’s comrades cheered him on. Danny was amused and looked at the old guy. I hope I’ll have that much spunk at his age. Then he remembered his quick temper. I hope I’ve mellowed out by his age.
“No fighting, Gus.” Jenny yelled back to him. “I still love you, he’s just a friend.”
“Lub you too,” Gus slurred, then his face smacked down on the bar top and he snored.
His friends booed him. But the boos turned to hoots and hollers when Danny bought a round for everyone.
***
Tala paced back and forth in their small living room. She checked her cell phone for the umpteenth time. It was after eight pm and Danny hadn’t called. She had talked to Ben earlier and found out Danny had left work earlier because he was depressed about Peterson’s death. Tala suspected there was more to it, but Ben didn’t offer any more details. She had thanked him and hung up.
He’s at a bar. The thought entered her mind and she knew it was right. Until recently, he’d done all his drinking at home. Was it her fault for nagging him so much lately? No, she couldn’t blame herself. This was on him. But what would happen to his job if he kept drinking? She thought about calling The Lion’s Den, the last place he had drunk at, but she didn’t want to be one of those wives always trying to track down their husband.
Tala watched TV but nothing held her attention. She glanced at her phone every five minutes. She stomped over to the front door, opened it and stared out into the night. Zoe tried to run outside, and she yelled at her to come back in. Tala slammed the door shut and Zoe scurried under the table.
She sat back down and called Zoe over. Petting her would help Tala relax. I’m glad Jessa is with Lara tonight. As the hours passed, she sunk into the sofa. Her body shook as tears fell down her cheek. God, I can’t do this anymore. Please help him. She had called him multiple times but they all went straight to his voice mail. As time passed, the image of Danny lying hurt entered her mind. Worry overtook her. Then she imagined him at a bar, laughing, drinking, and flirting. The worry turned to anger.
***
The Tipsy Gull night crowd arrived, keeping Jenny busy. Although he wasn’t able to talk to her as much now, he had managed to steal a kiss. His mind played that over and over. A little after eight, the now recognizable creak of the front door opening sounded. Danny had made a habit of looking in that direction as the new customer rounded the vestibule and came into view. It was a huge man who practically waddled as he walked. Although barely standing five-nine, he had to be close to three hundred pounds.
“Howie,” half the patrons shouted.
“Hey, everybody,” Howie called back and hefted his huge butt onto a barstool in the middle of the bar. Jenny poured him a pitcher of draft beer, then came around the bar and gave him a big hug. She looked back toward Danny and said something to him. Howie nodded and walked him over to where Danny sat.
“Danny, I’d like you to meet my best friend, Howie. This is Danny.”
The two shook hands and Howie sat in the empty bar stool next to Danny. Jenny brought his beer over.
“Jen said to sit next to you because you don’t know anybody, and she doesn’t want you to get bored and leave. Plus, she said we’re in the same line of work.” Howie laughed when Danny raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Well, I’m not a cop. Don’t think I could pass the physical.” He patted his round belly. “I’m a private investigator.”
The two spent the evening talking and Danny hit it off with him as easy as he had with Jenny. Howie mentioned his size and boyish looks helped him to blend in. Nobody suspected him of spying on them when he sat at the table next to them, pretending to read a book. It made sense to Danny and he bought his new friend the next pitcher of beer.
Howie mentioned that his thirtieth birthday was on October 8th and for Danny to come have a beer with him. Danny promised he would and the two exchanged numbers before Howie departed.
Jenny put Danny to work, having him help stock the beer and refill her ice. Later he was washing glasses for her. When he asked her if he would get paid, she put on a mischievous grin, licked her lips, and said they would work something out. Danny felt a stir in his loins, and his heart skipped a beat. He nodded dumbly, and she laughed at him.
By one in the morning, the bar had almost emptied. Ushering the last of the customers out, Jenny locked the door and set about to make her a drink. She poured a large amount of vodka and looked up, noticing he was watching. “What? My shift’s over now, can’t a girl have a drink, too?”
“Of course, you can.” Why didn’t Tala drink like this instead of nagging him about his? That one simple thought brought his wife into his mind for the first time in a while. He glanced at his watch, 1:33. Aww Shit, Tala’s gonna kill me.
Jenny walked over and kissed him on the side of the mouth. She sighed. “I know, you have to go home to your wife now.”
“Why do you think I’m married?” he slurred.
She ticked off her fingers. “You have a tan line where your wedding ring was. You felt your pant pocket about ten times, which I assume, is to make sure the ring’s still there. And I can see it in your face.”
He hadn’t recalled checking his pockets, but now he put the ring back on. “Why’d you let me kiss you if you knew?”
“I didn’t say I was a saint.” Her hand went to his chest. Then she wrapped them around his neck. “I’m lonely, Danny. I don’t care if you’re married.”
He could feel her closeness, chest moving as she breathed. Her hot breath in his face. There was no denying how he felt. She didn’t care that he drank. She made him feel important, like his job didn’t matter. He sighed. No, this wasn’t real. Tala was. How could he cheat on her, she was what made him whole? Looking into Jenny’s blue eyes, he shook his head. “I’m sorry. I gotta go.”
Jenny held his hand and walked him to the door. “You know where to find me if you change your mind.”
Danny nodded and headed out into the cool night breeze. Swaying, he reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve his keys. A folded note came out with them. He read the message in pink writing: Thanks for making me feel like a woman tonight. XOXOXO, Jenny. Under her name were a phone number and a lipstick kiss impression. The jacket had been hanging in the back room.
“Aww Jeez.” He slipped the note in his pants pocket, climbed into his Camaro, and drove off. In his inebriated state he thought he was at Lion’s Den. As he pulled onto the next street, he didn’t recognize the neighborhood. Where the hell am I? He recalled being pulled over in Escondido, and then he’d turned around. Danny drove around aimlessly for a while until he noticed a Shell gas station sign perched atop a high pole. The entrance to the freeway had to be that direction. He found the station, then the westbound onramp to the 15. He headed home.
Twenty minutes later, he exited the freeway, making a rolling stop at the bottom of the off ramp. At the next intersection, he slammed on his brakes at the last second to avoid running a red light. He glanced in his rear-view mirror. A police cruiser pulled up behind him. Danny’s heart boomed in his chest. He pinched his lips together. When the light turned green, he accelerated slowly. The red and blue lights activated. His hands shook and the cocoons in his stomach broke open, letting the butterflies loose. Fuck! Why the hell am I driving? He cleared the intersection and pulled over. His apartment complex was at the next light. Danny rolled both windows down, turned the engine off, and put his hands on top of the steering wheel, just like he would have wanted, had he been the officer initiating the traffic stop.
Spinning red and blue lights reflected into the interior of his car. The spotlight hit the side view mirror, blinding him. He waited for what felt an eternity.
CHAPTER 15
Footsteps crunched along the loose gravel. Keys jingled. The squawking of police chatter over a handheld radio drew nearer. A deep male voice said, “10-4, I’ll be making contact with the driver.” The officer approached Danny’s Camaro from the passenger side and whiffed the air. Aww Jeez, I must smell like a brewery.
“Sir, I’m Officer Cole with California Highway Patrol. I pulled you over because you ran the stop sign coming off the Interstate, and almost missed that last light there. You’re with the PD, right? Are you armed?”
He already ran my plate. “Yeah, I’m a Homicide detective. My department issued Sig is in the glove box,” Danny slurred. He was only a couple blocks from home, so maybe he’d get a break. “Cole, I live at the next street over. I can walk from here.”
“Step out of the car, please,” Cole ordered.
Danny didn’t budge.
“Detective, I need you to step out of your vehicle, away from your firearm.”
“I live right there, I’m almost home.” Danny stumbled out of his vehicle and slammed the door shut. His anger from earlier boiled over. He stepped toward Cole. “This is bullshit!”
Officer Cole barked. “Stand down, Barbosa.”
Danny hesitated, then pointed. “Look, you can see my apartment. I’m outta here. I can walk.” He turned away and took a couple of steps, ignoring Cole’s shouts.
Brakes screeched behind him, followed by the quick whelp of a police siren. A second patrol car arrived, and another officer yelled for him to freeze. Danny recognized panic in the voice. The distinct sound of a shotgun being racked rang loud in the still night.
