“Yeah by the way Gladys extends her greets.”
They spent a while catching up on the three months since they had last seen each other; willingly so on Gloria’s part. She had known this man all her life and she knew she was on the right track with him when he started small talk. She drummed her hands eagerly on the laps as he finally woke up to round his desk.
He pulled two green, elaborately decorated tickets from his drawer and handed them over. She was wondering about the gesture, as well as the expensive scent that lingered with them when he returned.
“I’ll ask around for cases I can hand over to you girls and still sleep at night; mean time you gotta do this right. This is a business, and the customers have to know where the goods are. I’m too old for this shintzy stuff; not the same since Lucy passed away-your pa too. “
Gloria suddenly felt guilty. Neither she, nor Gladys had had much time for Uncle Bill that year, and with the passing of his wife two years previously,, followed by his best friend of forty years, their dad, she could only imagine how lonely life out of the office could have become for him.
It must have shown on her face because he waved her sentiments aside, “Oh don’t worry about me; retirement is due by year’s end, and it’s only set to get worse; might as well get used to it. You on the other hand can acquaint yourself with the type of people with enough secrets on the line to need services like yours. Who knows you might even meet someone interesting enough to actually keep you interested long enough to earn your number.”
Gloria shook her head at the Tommy Lee Jones sitting before her again, “Or you could find a rich old lady who has the hots for tough guys with a lot of stories about life on the beat.” She said teasingly, “You know I’m not lucky at relationships.
“I know you never really tried! What happened to the last one?”
“Well among other things, he could not shake off the notion that Nicaragua was a cigarette. Plus he kept making passes at Gladys while pretending he couldn’t tell the difference! Like c’mon, really?!”
“Could’ve fooled me; you two are twins after all.”
“Nuh-uh, call me a hopeless romantic, but if I end up with a guy, then he has to view me as one in a million-not one of two.”
They both laughed at this as he saw her off at the door. She had not gotten exactly what she had set out for, but it was good seeing Uncle Bill again, plus she knew he was right about the advice he had given. He usually was.
“Hey my wrinkles don’t allow me to show it but I am proud that you girls are doing your own thing; God knows your dad and I wanted to start but we were too scared to take that plunge; life without a steady pay check can be hard to envisage when you got a family to support, but you girls are young and chasing the dream.”
“Yeah we keep thinking Jim Rockford and Remington Steele.” Gloria joked, standing at the door.
“Yeah,” Lieutenant Bill Eko sighed, “And maybe he would still be here if we had tried.”
Gloria caught a glimpse of the two framed pictures that hung on the wall behind the desk; one of a petite woman who had been Mrs. Rose Eko, and her father, in full uniform, his hair still black from his younger days. The same caramel colored eyes stared down at the two of them at the door.
“He always said he would take that picture to his grave-we had just made detective. The wives were so proud.” They both sighed but they had both come to terms with the hurt of that night when he had been gunned down in cold blood following a tip-off to some suspects by fellow officers. His two girls had never been able to look at the police force the same again, even though the culprits now lay behind bars. His friend Lieutenant Eko, with whom he had been working the case, had still been on leave mourning his just departed wife.
“Your old man’s ability to see the bright side of everything kept me sane all these years; need him now more than ever!” He said matter-of-factly, “I couldn’t let the picture go.”
Chapter 2
Gloria and Gladys, the Patton twins, giggled as they elicited appreciative glances from people scattered about the red carpet that led up to the mansion I which the soiree was taking place. The slow, confident poise with which they carried themselves was a brain child of Gladys, and belied the nervous tug in Gloria’s belly- she was a fish out of water.