Friends Like You...

"Something funny about all this, Dwight?" she asked.

"Oh no...sorry Sher. I understand what you're goin through. I only wish I could've stopped Bobby from steppin out a bounds like that."

"Thanks Dwight, I'm going to rest for awhile. I'll see you in the morning."

"Morning? Sher, I thought I would take you out to dinner or something...you know, try and make you feel a little better?"

"No, I just want to get some rest after everything today. Thanks anyway. I'll see you later." With that, Sherry turned and walked into the guest room closing the door. She looked at the door and thought, Dwight...you scumbag, you did set this up didn't you? And, don't call me Sher!

Standing outside of her door, Dwight was thinking of how he was going to enjoy having Sherry the next few days. "Oh yeah!" he said and walked off thinking of the next step toward her seduction. He had managed to break them up, even convinced her to stay with him despite Bobby and now looked forward to wining and dining to her anger and revenge.

Take that Mr. Sergeant Robert L. McNamara. You got the girl, the trophies, the recognition, the awards and the medals while I was always hiding in your shadow. Now I've got the only thing important in your life, your sexy fuckin wife! And, fuckin she will be, Bobby...oh yeah, she will be fuckin.

Dwight chuckled as he left the apartment. Some things had to be taken care of before tomorrow. As he left the lobby, he high-fived the doorman, Clyde, a tall black man and one of Dwight's steady customers. Clyde was into H. Dwight promised Clyde several fixes as long as he kept an eye on Sherry. He was careful not to tell Clyde what she did for a living, she would've scared the piss out of him and Dwight would've lost one of his best customers.

Dwight waited for his maserati failing to notice the gray Buick parked down the street. The driver, a bearded white guy in his forties with a pony tail falling below his shoulder blades, stared at the maserati. Lifting his shades, he spied the valet bring up the yellow sports car to his mark. Keying the packset he held below the dash, the driver said, "Bobby, he's leaving. You want me to follow?"

"Yeah Dutch. Tag him for a few until Tank catches up to you."

"Gotcha...isn't this your buddy, Dwight?"

"Not anymore..."

"Gotcha, here we go. Get back to you."

"Okay, Later."

Dutch followed the mark south along the interstate for about five miles before his packset squelched.

"Hey, Dutch...you there?"

Keying the button, Dutch said, "Yeah, I'm here...where ya been Tank? " "Hey, I'm here ain't I?"

"Okay...okay, the canary yellow maserati about five car lengths up, see it?"

"Yep, can't miss that one."

"No shit."

"Hey, you two...get down to business," commanded Bobby, and watch the language. You guys may have your own channel but the big guys still monitor it."

"Sorry about that boss, will do," said Tank.

"No problem," answered Dutch.

Tank took over the surveillance, following the maserati south until relieved by Bobby. After seventy-five miles, Dwight pulled off onto Indian Truck Road, Dutch not far behind.

"Hey, Sarge."

"Yeah Dutch?"

"He's pulling up to a small roadside motel. There's a rundown gas station next to it. I'm gonna pull in and fill up."

"Good...Tank?"

"Yeah boss?"

"Be ready to take the eye ball. Once Dutch fills up, I want you to find a spot to hunker down. That beat up van of yours will blend right in."

"Gotcha," said Tank.

Bobby asked the two narc investigators if they would help him on a sudden personal surveillance. Both of them, owing Bobby their lives, would do anything for him but when they asked why knowing the target was his closest friend, Bobby would only say, "It's personal." They also heard that Sherry had walked out on him. News travels fast in the station, particularly when two of the departments finest split the sheets.

"Bobby."

"Yeah, Dutch..."

"Okay, your friend went into the far room on the very end of the building. When he approached, the door opened but I couldn't see the occupant."

"Fine...Tank?"

"I'm on it. Got a spot picked out. Just give me a call when you want to call this thing."

"Won't be long. Dutch. When he leaves, you and Tank follow him. My guess is he'll be heading back to the city. Guys...Sherry's in on the surveillance. Take it for what it's worth."

"Man, glad to hear that Boss," piped Tank. "So, those rumors are bogus?"

"Yeah, but he's not."

Both Dutch and Tank understood Bobby's last statement. This guy Dwight was in deep shit." Kenny was sitting on the edge of the disheveled filthy bed staring at Dwight standing by the door. Dwight looked disgusted at the room and was careful not to touch anything.

"Kenny, it's all comin together. I got Sherry stayin with me and Bobby's out. Did you know that little red-haired cunt is a lawyer? Fact is, she's the daughter of Big Jim O'Connor the top dog in trial lawyers. Thank god she doesn't know about us. Bobby said she only knows she woke up with him next to her."

"Shit, Dwight...what the fuck you doing? You know Bobby's gonna find out and when he does we're dead!" Kenny was pacing the small room, his hands clasped together. His eyes were wide and darting around like a feral rat searching for a meal. "Relax Kenny. You just gotta stay here a while longer. I can't have Bobby finding you and discovering the truth. As far as he knows, he had a drunken tryst with a good-lookin redhead. So cool it. Got enough stuff to keep ya?"

Kenny fervently nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, got my little bag of party favors to hold me over. But, if I gotta stay here much longer, I'm gonna need another stash."

What a loser, Dwight thought. Maybe I should just take care of this...permanently. "Fine, just let me know. Remember, stay low. Got it?"

"Shit Dwight, I got it...I got it, okay?"

"Fine, I'm outa here then. If anyone suspicious comes around, call me." Dwight looked around and left. Time to check on my clientele, he thought. A minute later, his maserati was kicking up gravel as he headed back toward the interstate. He didn't bother to notice the beat up panel truck following him.

********************

Kenny was still pacing back and forth when he heard the subdued knock. What the fuck, he thought, what did Dwight forget now. When he unlocked the door, it exploded inward slamming him against the wall. He lay stunned for several seconds before opening his eyes and looked into murderous visage of what was once a good friend, Bobby Mac.

"Helloooo....Kenny. How's it hanging?" I know my tone sounded like death. I knelt down in front of Kenny.

"Uh...hey, Bobby. Whatcha doin here?"

"I think you're smart enough to figure that one out, Kenny. I think it would be best if you start talking."

"I don't know wha..."

"Smack!" Kenny's head smacked against the wall after I slapped him hard across the cheek.

"I said, start talking or we're gonna be here a long, long time Kenny."

"Okay...okay," he gasped rubbing his reddening cheek. "This was all Dwight's doing. He set you up with that little number from the club."

"Why her?"

"She was there. She came in with two other girls but they latched on to a couple of guys and left her alone. Dwight put on the ole charm and got her drunk and then drugged her. Kenny laughed. Ya know somethin, he wishes he had chosen another mark. Turns out the little cunt is Big Jim O'Connor's daughter. Man, if the old man ever found out what Dwight did, he would be nothin more that shark bait."

"Get to it Kenny, why did Dwight want to set me up?"

"Shit Bobby, for Sherry! Fuck, you know she's all he ever talked about. Well, at least to me. He's had a hard on for her since you two met that first night at the bar fight. Fact is, he was gonna go after her before you joined the force. She kept turning him down. Not because of you, she never knew you two even knew each other until you guys started goin out."

I scowled at Kenny shivering against the wall. I knew Dwight always found her attractive but I didn't know how far that attraction went.

"Hell, Bobby...you know he finally got to date her once, don't you?"

This was a surprise to me. Sherry never mentioned they ever dated. "No...I didn't know!"

"Oh. Well, nothing came of it. From what Bobby said, she was a dyke until you proved that wrong. She wouldn't put out or anything, pissed Dwight off to no end. Anyway, he couldn't stop thinkin bout her. After the two of you started goin out, he got weird. You kinda shut us aside once you started the academy and then workin the streets. But, when he found out you and Sherry was a thing...well, he kind lost it."

"Come on Kenny...get to it!"

He flinched thinking I was going to slap him again. "All right, give me a minute to clear my thoughts, shit!"

After a moment, he looked up and said, "Like I said, Dwight got really weird. Sayin stuff like he wasn't gonna be in your shadow no more. Then, just lately he started spewin about how he was gonna get even, he was gonna take your girl away from ya."

"Just how the hell was he going to do that?" I growled.

"He said he had a plan that would break you two up. Once she split from you, Dwight was gonna act like the loving friend and help her out. If she took his offer to stay with him a couple a nights, well...you ain't gonna like this Bobby."

"Tell me you miserable fuck!" I snarled.

"He was...he was gonna drug her and take her that way. First, he was gonna try and get her drunk and then use those drugs he has to get a woman really hot for it."

"That miserable slimy piece of garbage. Doesn't he understand Sherry would kill him afterwards?"

"Uh...I don't think he thought that far. Bobby, he was gonna film her taking it. At first, I was supposed to do the video taping. He even offered me a chance at her if I helped. After we dumped you and that little number in the motel room, I got scared. I told Dwight I was out of it, I wasn't gonna do any more. Fuck man, not only was I messin with a good friends but also two cops. That was some heavy shit. Dwight had me hole up here until he finished what he set out to do. Hey, from what I understand, he's got Sherry in his pad right now!"

Staring at Kenny, I couldn't believe I had been friends with those two pieces of garbage. I hustled Kenny into my car and radioed for a local squad car that transported my ex-buddy to the station and book him for accessory to two counts of kidnapping. Before he left, Kenny wanted to tell something else.

"Bobby, listen man. When I said Dwight's gone weird I wasn't kiddin. He's gone off the deep end. Bobby, you guys may have been close way back when, but...now...he hates your ass. Be careful, man. He's one dangerously sick fuck."

"Yeah Kenny." I looked at the deputy and said, "Get him out of here."

Returning to the city, I called Sherry's cell but there was no answer. It was near ten at night and I knew she was at his place. Now I thought my idea wasn't such a good one after all and hurried back to the city. On the way, I got hold of Tank and Dutch to check on their tail.

"Dutch, how's it going?" I asked.

"Hey Bobby. I was trying to get hold of you. Me and Tank lost him."

"How the fuck can you lose a canary yellow maserati?"

"Dunno. One moment, we tailing him and the next he just vanished. Man, he was flying back to the city. We were able to stick with him until we made the city limits. Then, he took the first off ramp and that's when he played the disappearing act."

Tank's voice came over the packset. "Sorry Boss, but either this guy made us or he went underground somewhere around 5th and Waterfront. Right now, I'm sitting down from the Towers in case he returns to his pad."

Shit, shit, shit, I thought. Dwight's turned into a fucking looney-toon and we fucking lost him. God damn it!

"Okay, stay where you are Tank. Dutch hang back a couple of blocks. We may end up taking him down tonight."

"K boss!" answered Tank.

"Will do, Bobby. Keep you posted."

"Thanks guys, see you when I get back to the city."

****************

Dwight did go underground, literally. He never caught on to the surveillance; he was meeting with his own dealers in a hidden warehouse near the pier. Shit, he thought, this is fucked. One day, I'm gonna be on top, not drowning in middle management. He divided the merchandise among his mules and sent them off. Moments later, he was back on the road toward the Towers, Sherry on his brain. Sherry, you are gonna be my little bitch tonight. He place his hand over his pocket and felt the bindle within. Yeah, my little bitch...I get you tonight. Dwight smiled at thoughts of what he was gonna do to her. "Mmmmm....mmmm," he moaned. Patting the bindle one more time, he sang "Prepare the treat, sweeter the meat."

Twenty minutes later, Dwight drove up to the glass doors of the Towers. Clyde was still there. After the valet left with the maserati, Dwight walked up to Clyde who opened the doors.

"Well?"

"Never left. She should be still up there. Need any help, bossman?"

"Nah, this one I can handle."

Clyde smiled and tipped his hat. "That case, I'm outa here. Later bossman."

Dwight reached out and shook the big man's hand, passing a bindle into Clyde's palm. Clyde turned, stuffing his hand into the pocket of his jacket quickly leaving for his fix.

As the desk clerk activated the elevator, Dwight gave a slight wave and said, "See ya in the morning Clyde."

Dwight entered the elevator and leaned against the far wall as the doors closed. The desk clerk knew which floor to send him. He pulled out the plastic bag and removed two pills from their contents. The doors opened to his foyer and he stepped into his apartment. Save for a small light, the front room was dark. He pushed a button next to the entrance and his main room slowly glowed to life. He strolled to the other side of the room and slid back a sliding glass door to the patio. Moving to the railing, he looked over the balcony marveling at the sparkling city lights. What a fuckin life I have he mused.

"Hi Dwight. You just get back?"

He turned as stared at the vision before him. Sherry was decked out in a gray pair of sweat pants but above that, she had on a cut-up sleeveless white t-shirt that revealed quite a bit of cleavage and midriff. She had on long white leg-warmers that stopped just beneath her knees, covering her ankles and calf, her feet buried in plush red socks. Her hair pulled back into a pony-tail, gave her the appearance of a sexy college student. He licked his lips staring at her. God, she was gorgeous. That outfit did nothing to hide that mouth-watering body. Man, was he gonna enjoy this night.

"Uh...yeah. Business ran a little long tonight. Thought you'd be sleeping."

"I was but woke up couple of hours ago. Dwight, I got to say, this is a fantastic layout. I don't want to even think how much it must be costing you."

He smiled and waved his hand. "I can well afford it. Would you like a drink?"

She nodded and said, "Sure, what you got?"

"Name your poison; I'm sure I have it."

"With what I've just gone through, I could use a stiff one," she said. If she noticed his grin, she didn't say anything.

"How about a kamikaze? That should take care of you."

She moved to the balcony and said, "Mmmm, sounds good. Thanks, I'll take one."

"Comin up, he purred. Fuck, she's making this too easy, he thought. He moved behind the bar and prepared the drinks. While he mixed hers, he dropped the powder into the glass. The drink clouded but after stirring the mixture, cleared up. She was leaning against the balustrade, her elbows resting on the metal rim when he returned. He could easily make out the delicious contours of her tight ass and long slender legs.

"Here you go, one special Kamikaze for one special lady."

"Sherry took the drink and said, "Thank you kind sir."

He was standing to the right just behind her as he watched her raise the glass to her lips. He smiled as she sipped the concoction.

"Hungry?" he asked.

"Ahhh..., what've you got?"

"Shrimp cocktail?"

She turned lowering the glass from her mouth. "Oh, that sounds divine!"

"Shrimp cocktail coming right up milady.

Dwight left her on the balcony as he proceeded to the kitchen. While he was gone, she poured half the contents of her drink over the balcony. She had faked the sip. She figured Dwight might try to drug her and wasn't taking any chances. While he was gone, she had searched his apartment but didn't find anything illegal or incriminating. She also hid her handgun. She thought Dwight might try and find it.

Dwight returned with the shrimp cocktail placing on the small glass table between a pair of chase lounges. When he noticed half her drink was gone, he couldn't keep from smiling.

Sherry moved to the right lounge chair and laid back. She watched as Dwight sat in the other chair and grabbed a shrimp from the cup. After he popped it into his mouth, she reached over and took the shrimp closest to him. Placing into her mouth, she moaned, "Mmmm, this is so good. Thanks Dwight for your generosity in letting me stay here a couple of days." It wasn't long before she had consumed four of the shrimp. Sherry failed to see Dwight only eat the one.

"No problem, Sherry. Like I said, you're more than welcome to stay as long as you like. Mi casa su casa." While he made a grand gesture of his surroundings by stretching out his arms, he failed to see her dump the rest of her drink in the potted plant next to the chair. Before he turned back to her, she held the rim against her lips.

"Mmmm...that was definitely a stiff one," she giggled. I'm feeling a little loopy."

She saw his ravenous smile and shuddered. Shit, she thought, he looks like a predator ready to eat his kill.

"Another?"

Exaggerating, Sherry waved her arm across the sky and said, "Of course." Before she could even finish her sentence, he was up and running back to the bar. Sherry had to smile.

While Dwight was at the bar, she rose and walked into the apartment.

Her drink was still a little cloudy from more of the powder while he was stirring the mixture.

Dwight asked, "Where you going?"

She smiled and said, "The ladies room, okay?"

He barely said, "Course," as she strolled past the bar snatching the drink.

"Do you mind," she queried and Dwight said, "Please."

"Thank you," Sherry replied in a musical voice as she waltzed down the hallway to the bathroom. Closing the door, she looked at the drink. The liquid mix was still a little muddy from whatever Dwight slipped into it. Sherry frowned thinking how Bobby's best friend had set this whole thing up. He was trying to break them apart so he could fuck her. But, the only way she was going to do that was if she was incapable of fending him off. That meant he would try to get her drunk and drug her. She wondered what Bobby was doing right about now. She rubbed her forehead. God, she thought, maybe I'm coming down with something, I am feeling a little warm.

She drained about a third of the drink into the sink, rinsing the bowl afterward so Dwight wouldn't suspect. She wanted him to think he had a chance.

Returning to the main room, she found Dwight seated on the sofa, the low sound of soft jazz drifting throughout the apartment. He wouldn't take his eyes off of her. She knew she could take care of herself but admitted to herself this guy was beginning to creep her out. But, the music was heaven, she'd always enjoyed soft jazz.

"Why don't you take a load off those beautiful feet and sit here," he suggested.

Sherry looked around the room and almost laughed aloud when she realized the only place she could sit on was the couch. Holding her drink, she moved to the far end, as far away from Dwight as she could get. She turned away in pretense of looking around, holding the glass to her lips. She knew Dwight was watching her.