Epilogue

 

 

 

 

One more time, we visit the City. Strangly, it appears in a different light... as if morning might eventually be dawning after what seemed like eternal night, at least to some

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Observed up closer, it is not a morning but a rather foggy afternoon. Hm. Where might we be today? This neighbourhood is clearly not as rundown as the the district where Al used to have his dwelling

 

 

A paper boy, at this time of the day? Ah, this shop nearby must be be selling not only books, but also newspapers. The kid has probably been picking up his load for tomorrow... seems like some customer will get a slightly stained issue

 

 

So, this building is our destination today. Let´s have a look. Not too bad at all, we have seen worse

 On closer inspection, there is movement behind those windows up on the second floor. Someone has apparently been renovating

 

 

"Last box?" 

"Last box."

 

 

 Both men carefully lower the cardboard box onto the ground and step a little further into the room

 

"Now look at that. Nice, huh?"

"Yeah. One hell of a difference"

 

 

"Hey, coffee anyone?  - Oh Jeeze! The last one already? That was fast"

 

 

"Would love to, but we must be on our way. In fact, we just admired the wonders you guys worked on the place! Looks real good!"

"Agreed. I felt a little bad when I first saw the state the place was in. After all, the hint came from my brother in law"

 

 

 The room is definitely still very bare, but... nice? Clean, freshly painted...

 

"Yeah, Al is kind of a pro when it´s about renovation stuff. He made me sand the floors twice...  and he was right, so worth it"

 

 

 

"But I´d never gotten here if it wasn´t for you guys. Honest to God. Thank you so much for you help"

 

 

Browne very obviously has his difficulties accepting the profound gratitude that is washing over him

 

"Uh, right, welcome"

 

 

Frantically he turns to his partner

 

"S´ getting late Tom. Gotta be going"

 

 

 

"No problem, be on your way. I´ll be with you in a minute"

 

And in the blink of an eye, Harry has rushed out of the small appartment. They listen to his fading footsteps on the stairs

 

"So... about Al... you said, he moved into your old place, like, ten minutes walk from here? Is he doing okay? He would really like to know, too, but you know how it is. He´d rather bite off his tongue than ever ask"

 

 

 

Now look at that. So that is what his smile looks like

 

"Oh yeah, he did. It was to small to keep the chess table there... eh... which is why we had to carry the wretched thing up here, sorry again about that... but all in all, big enough for one guy who likes to mind his own business"

 

 

 

"He´s been painting the walls and scrubbing everything for days, even after Betty and I did, and tell ya, no comparision to what it was before... when I lived there... you know what I mean..."

 

 

"He is fighting an uphill battle against the cockroaches, but methinks he is making ground in that department, too. And as he said himself, still a hundred times better than that ol´ factory"

 

 

"He keeps buying books, reads a lot. Says he never got around to do that during those last years and has some to catch up on"

 

 

 "Hard to tell with old stoneface him, but yeah, guess he is good now"

 

 

 

Tomasz appears relieved upon hearing this bit of information. He would most likely not want to admit how much the two cops have worried about Al

 

"Good to hear that... hm it´s  really getting late, I better be going now"

"Sure. You already spent so much time on us. Want to say bye to Betty? She´s in her room, unpacking"

 

 

 And there she is, our girl. Glued to the heavy chess table the grown ups have been dragging up the stairs, swearing sinfully, no doubt about it. She is probably already planning ahead for the next time she and Al will be playing

"Tom wants to say bye, he needs to leave now"

 

 

Now look at her hair. This did not grow in a week. I wonder how much time has passed since she first met the cop who has become a friend of the family... well, if we define family as her, Dan and Al, at least

 

"Already? Okay... thanks for helping with the boxes, some of them were really just to heavy for me and Dan alone. But say, can Gosia maybe come over after school tomorrow? Now that I have Al´s chess table we could play together, we talked about it and she said she would want to learn how to do it"

 

 

"Of course. Anytime" 

 

 

 

Upon hurrying down the stairs, he almost bumps into his partner who is nervously smoking a cigarette right in front of the building´s entrance

 

"Hey there. I asked about Al, he is good. Moved into Dan´s old place, just as we assumed"

 

 

Harry lets out a sigh of relief with the next puff of smoke

 

"Thank goodness. I still feel like crap that I ever doubted his.. motives... oh boy..."

 

His voice trails of, and they both remain silent for a while

 

"Don´t. Who could have imagined what kind of a heartless prick that lover of Betty´s braindead mother was?  Surely her two braincells must have collided coincidentally that day when she signed those papers, so that Dan could get full custody"

 

Harry just nods

 

 

He drops his cigarette on the ground and stomps heavily on it

 

"Blessing they have both been convicted down south. Blessing nobody dug up anything about Dan´s little problem. Blessing he´s still holding up..."

"Plain to see, eh? He´s looking so much better now, and it´s only been a few months. Even put on some weight, I´d say"

Looking at each other for a moment, the men quietly agree to maintain contact with the girl and her legal guardian, both very aware who might need more support of the two

"Let´s call it a day man. One on the way? Eddy´s?

"Sure thing. Now that Xander convinced the old man to sell that stupid piano and bought that sick sound system..."

And off they go

The End.