It was a rainy night out in bleak streets out of town. It was the seventies and crime was at a new high. The president had just declared war on substance abuse thinking it would curb the issue. At the time I didn't see it, none of us did but it just made things worse. Criminals and cops were now at war and the murder rate soared to new heights. Cops aren't soldiers you can't fight a war on home soil it just doesn't work, as there are no front lines, "the enemy" is all around you. They're your neighbors, your hairdresser, your banker even your friends. None of us were safe and I learned that better than anyone that night. As I drove down the bad streets of broken homes and lost souls to a dusty motel were my partner would be.

A couple of hours later the others arrived red and blue lights lit up the block as an ambulance came to take him away. I was sitting on a bench right outside the door trying to get the image out of my head. The blood was horrendous and the site made me sick but that wasn't the worst of it the worst was yet to come. The chief came out on to the porch and leaned on the railing opposite me. He was in a beige trench coat as the other officers worked inside he had come out nervously, taking his hat off and scratching his balding head. This was nothing out of the ordinary a dead cop was a dead cop, we find the guy who did it and give the family peace of mind but this was different this was complicated. The chief looked me dead in the eyes like my job was on the line and asked "did you know" he said with a stern tone. I shrugged it off "know what chief" I replied looking over his shoulder, it was a touchy subject for me but I knew the chief wouldn't let it go. The chief started to pace back and forth like he weighing up his options until he said "Tommy I don't care if you knew I just wanna know, we always knew he was a loner but Jesus" I stopped him before he could continue spilling his bull. "Why does it matter I don't see how this changes anything, a man died in there chief" the chief turned round to stop my remarks pointing his fat finger at me "yes a man did die in there, A married man, so you tell me who’s got to go tell her, that her husband was a fucking fag…" I got up from the bench walked past him and looked down at the other cops down below. Luckily only a few had seen and all them had been told this was a delicate matter to be kept out of the hands of reporters. None of them were as shocked as me to see my partner in bed with another man. It shouldn't have mattered but it did and now his killer would probably get away with it none of them would have cared. The chief began to spit out more rubbish "come on Tommy think of what the media is going to run with this they'll drag his name through the dirt, I mean I wouldn't matter if he was just cheating, heck It wouldn't even have mattered that much if he was gay, but both? We got no hope here and think of the wife how embarrassing for her" my hands started to clench the railing and confronted him in frustration. "Embarrassing for her, we don't know what was going on in there marriage chief and frankly, its none of our business just that he's dead" I started to break down it was all too much I sat back on the bench with my face in my palms trying to wipe the site of him away laying there in that bed. The chief put his hand on my shoulder and said comfortingly "I know I'm sorry either way we lost a good man today, I think we all feel betrayed, how about you go home morn your friend I'll deal with it" I got up and began to walk back to my car before I got off the patio the chief called me ones more "hey Tommy how did you find him" he asked probably just to make sure I wasn't in bed with him as well. I shrugged my shoulder "his wife called asking if I could tell him to come home but he wasn't working so I did a little search and found his car here" the chief nodded probably in relief. He scratched "what's the wife's name" I shrugged "donna, why'd you ask" I inquired as we traded info. He raised an eyebrow "she a killer" I shook my head donna wouldn't have cared there relationship was anything but rock solid but she never would have killed him. Heck he never minded when she cheated on him it was strange but they both knew how to keep up appearances. Made me sick. I waved off the chief and hoped in my car as I drove off I began to relive what is saw. My partner was always special to me. It wasn't uncommon Donna would ring me but most of the time it was because he was with me. As I started my engine I remembered parking at the motel opening the door. He was shocked to see me, the other man just sat there in shock as he tried to reason with me. Saying he was sorry that he was going to tell me, that he didn't mean to betray my trust But if I couldn't have him no one could. The holes in their heads would never repair the ones in my heart. But I knew the chief wouldn't care, we were at war and all is fair in love and war.

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