Chapter 19 - Page 282 - Louisiana Law

   The humming sound geared up again, then ceased. Now there were officers walking around the room, performing various tasks. Everything moved normally, and the room was bright and noisy again. The light blue glow around Jim, Rhasha, and Shanha was gone.

   The officer at the desk where Jim, Rhasha, and Shanha stood was talking on the telephone. "Yes dear," he was saying, "I'll remember. Don't worry. I'll see you tonight. I love you, too. Bye."

Jim looked around the room. No one was paying any attention to them. The officer at the desk hung up the phone and addressed Jim. "Sir, I'm sorry about the interruption. My wife wants me to stop and get some bread on my way home tonight." He smiled as if to say "you know how it is."

   Jim stared at the officer, trying to adjust to his changed attitude. "It's not a problem," he managed.

   The officer opened some folders on his desk. "Anyway," he said, "we do look for missing persons, but not for friends you haven't seen in five days."

   Jim and Rhasha tried not to laugh.

   "My advice," the officer continued, "is to start your search in Dallas. You said Dallas was the last place you saw Jackie Short."

   Jim and Rhasha couldn't hold it any longer. They burst out laughing. The officer laughed as well, though he didn't understand why.

   Jim glanced up and saw four men being led out of the police station, all handcuffed and wearing prison coveralls. They were crying. One man kept repeating, "I don't know what happened. We're police officers. Don't any of you remember us?"

   When the men saw Jim, Rhasha, and Shanha, their eyes widened in recognition, and they hung their heads and never said another word. They knew they were getting a just punishment.

   "What did those guys do?" Jim asked the officer at the desk as the four were escorted out the door and shoved into a waiting patrol car.