HARRY'S SITUATION
by Rosebud
Harry was sipping on his coffee at the breakfast table. "Frannie, I got a feeling, and it's not a good feeling." "Harry, what's making you feel so bad this morning? Maybe you shouldn't have gotten up so early."
"It's Chris and Rita. I got this feeling." "Feeling, what kind of feeling? You need some bran flakes, Harry?" "No, Frannie, not that kind of feeling. It's just something I've been noticing. You should have seen them yesterday at a diner near the station. They were so caught up in one another that they didn't notice I walked by. Those two have crossed the line, I just know it. Chris was all over Rita. I don't know if I can stand this. The best two homicide detectives I ever had," he moaned.
"Harry, aren't you getting a little carried away here? Couldn't you be just mistaking their friendship for something else?" Harry shook his head vehemently and said loudly, "Putting your hands where I saw Chris' hands is not a part of being just friends. And Rita wasn't objecting. In fact, she looked like she was enjoying it."
"Well, would it be so terrible if they fell in love? After all, they're such good friends. And if it makes them happy. Besides, I think you're imagining things?" "You know what, Frannie, you're a hopeless romantic." "Of course I am, that's why I married you. Now, how about those bran flakes?" she asked patting his shoulder. "Sure, why not?" he answered.
Frannie looked at the clock. It was 5:45 a.m. "Harry, I've got to go. The charity breakfast starts in half an hour. I'll take this lasagna by Chris' since it's on my way. That poor boy never has any food in his place. You finish your breakfast, and I'll be back before you leave for the office. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. Harry sighed thinking about the SITUATION as he had begun to think of it. He finished breakfast and went into the living room picking up the newspaper as he went.
Sitting on the couch reading, he was lost in concentration when he heard the sound of a key in the door. It was Frannie. She was standing there with the lasagna pan in her hand. "What are you doing back here so soon?" he asked. "You were right, Harry." "What! I'm right? About what?" he asked loudly.
"I didn't stop with the lasagna. I thought I better come straight home and tell you. Rita's car was parked at Chris' apartment." Harry's face turned red. "I knew it, I just knew it. Why couldn't I have been wrong, just once?" "Harry, calm down. It's not so bad."
"Yes, it is," he exclaimed, "This really makes me angry. I asked Chris weeks ago if there was something going on between him and Rita. He gave me some cockamamie answer about the two of them going at it hot and heavy. Who knew he was telling me the truth! At the time, I thought he was just joking. Just wait until I get them in my office. I'll bet that's what they came in to talk to me about yesterday morning. They sit down, and before they can say a word, Rita suddenly goes tearing out of the office with Chris behind her. She was as green as grass. Oh, oh!"
"What, what Harry?" asked Frannie. He looked at her, "You don't want to know what just passed through my mind. I'm erasing that thought even as I think it. This pain in my gut is killing me," he added, rubbing his stomach.
"You want an antacid, Harry?" "Yeah, maybe that will help. I can't believe it. After all we've been through, and they do this. They know the rules about partners having a relationship." Fran looked at him, "Oh, Harry! Love doesn't know about those rules."
Harry got up and stomped angrily out of the house. A half hour later at his desk, Harry had managed to calm himself down. He looked up at the clock. Chris and Rita would be walking in right about now. How long had they been walking in at the same time every morning? For about a month - give or take a day or two. It didn't take a cop long to figure out how long this had been going on - starting at the time of the explosion. He remembered the hug Chris gave Rita that night. It had given him an uneasy feeling then, and now he knew his instincts were correct.
Just then the two of them walked in. Smiles on both of their faces until they looked at his face and knew something was up. Harry stood up, "Lance and Lorenzo, in here now!"
A half hour later the conversation was over. Rita and Chris had escaped outside the building. Harry sat at his desk with his head in his hands gnawing on an antacid and moaning over and over, "The best two homicide detectives I ever had."
George Donovan walked in. "Harry, you look terrible. What's the problem?" Harry looked up, "Shut the door, George. We have a SITUATION." "Gee, Harry, I don't like the way you said situation. It must be bad." "What would you say if I told you Chris and Rita are in love and living together?" "Well, I wouldn't be surprised."
"You wouldn't be surprised!" Harry shouted. "No," George replied, shaking his head. "Why may I ask wouldn't you be surprised?" Harry asked, a dumbfounded look on his face.
"Chris never could hide his emotions well, and when he looks at Rita, his feelings are written all over his face. Rita hides it better, but not by much. What are you going to do about it now that you know?" "Do about it, George? What do you think? I've got to go to the Board and pull some strings, trade in every favor and suck up to that bunch because I don't want to lose Chris and Rita. Don't go broadcasting this about, okay, George?"
"Sure, but I don't think it's going to come as a big surprise to anyone. Like I said, they've been pretty transparent even though I think they've been trying to hide it." "Am I the last person to know these things around here?" "No, I don't think the bodies in the morgue have figured it out yet," laughed George as he got up to leave.
"You've got a mean streak in you, Donovan!" shouted Harry as George left his office. "Ooh," Harry moaned as he grabbed another antacid and popped it in his mouth. He picked up the phone and then put it down, staring at it. He didn't know what to say to the Board, but he remembered what Frannie had said to him that morning, "That love didn't know about the rules."
He sighed heavily and decided to do everything he could to help them. Because from what he could see from looking at Rita, they were going to be giving him more news pretty soon. And that silly grin on Chris' face wasn't there just from being lovesick. Oh, yeah, Chris is proud as a peacock about something, and he could just guess what it was. Now, if they could just keep this quiet until he got everything worked out with the Board.
He groaned to himself as he said again, "The best two homicide detectives I ever had!? He took a deep breath, bracing himself for the upcoming confrontation. Then he picked up the phone and dialed, "Hello, this is Harry Lipschitz. May I speak with the Commissioner? END
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