Dragnet 1982

Dragnet 1982

We were working the Night Watch out of the Robbery Homicide Division out of Rampart Division. The Captain was Fred Miller. My Partner is Bill Gannon. My name is Friday. I carry a badge. And a grudge.

Bill Gannon walked into the division and hung his Robert Hall suit on the hook on the wall at the back of the squad. We had been partners for twenty years. We agree on most things. Except barbeque sauce. And Politics.

“Hi Joe. How was your weekend?”

“Good.”

“The wife and I went to work on the election. Duke is going to win Joe.”

“Not likely. The polls give it to Bradley.”

“I worked with Bradley when we both came on the job Joe. He is lazy. Always was. He had his path smoothed for him. Politics. He was the well-spoken Negro. Got to lay off a lot of shifts to go to law school. He was the captain’s pet.”

“I don’t want to hear you John Birch Society stuff Bill.”

“It’s not anything but the truth Joe. We have to speak the truth.”

“It’s not right Bill. Not correct. You need be political if you don’t want to get in trouble. You need to stop that. You can’t call him lazy or shiftless or anything else.”

“Not true Joe. I learned that in Korea. There were a couple of real liberal commie doctors there. Always questioning authority. Always pushing. If you give them an inch they will take a mile Joe. Soon enough we won’t be able to do our job. Criminals will have more rights than decent people. They will be rioting in the street and breaking into the Drug store and stealing all the Drugs. Do you want that to happen to Schwab’s Joe. Where would Lana Turner wear her sweater?”

“Not worried Bill. Bradley is ok. Besides he is far ahead in the polls. Every newspaper and TV station has him ahead by 10 points or more.”

“You don’t get it Joe. Nobody wants to tell the truth to some liberal reporter. They know that everyone is pushing the liberal line. They don’t want to be called racist. But they ain’t going to vote for the shine.  Watch and see. Everybody lies to the newspapers. Bradley is a loser. I don’t care what the polls say.”

“Whatever Bill. Enough. We have a triple Homicide in Watts. Let’s saddle up. And Bill?”

“Yeah Joe?”

“Don’t bring your sheet.”

(The names have been changed to protect the politicians)