From: "Edna Mae Walker" To: Subject: Unsuited Challenge Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 23:16:40 -0700 Unsuited Challenge The Unwilling Partner by Edna M. Walker Nick Knight was at his desk keying in the witness report to a possible homicide when a shadow passed across his desk and flopped into his partner's chair. Nick looked up expecting to see Schanke, but he didn't expect to see him in this get up. Schanke was dressed in blue jeans with the pants legs stuffed into a pair of red roper boots, a dingy sleeveless T-shirt, under an old beat up old leather vest. To complete the look, Schanke had a red bandana twisted rope thin, tied around his neck. "Schanke........" Nick just let the word hang there in space. "Don't ask, Nick. Another night like this and I'll turn in my badge and gun. I don't need this kind of aggravation." complained a tired Schanke. "I gotta ask, Schank or I won't be able to sleep a wink." tease Nick. "I was expecting you at the crime site. What happened?" "I was just about to take off after you, when Captain Cohen calls me into her office." explained Schanke. "Remember the Harlson drug case, Jason Lyons is working on, in vice? Well, they needed someone to help them set up a sting who was not a known face. Guess who they dragged in." said Schanke "Did you have any trouble?" asked Nick leaning on the desk, his report all but forgotten. This was too good to let go, thought Nick. Schanke put his booted feet up on his side of the desk , resting his folded hands on his stomach, as he continued. "Would have been all right if it hadn't gone down in the Raven." "Whaaat!" Nick's elbows almost lost their balance. "Yeah. But that wasn't as bad as trying to get that Nightcrawler D.J. to wear a wire and help us." added Schanke, in a matter of fact tone of voice. "Lacroix wore a wire?" asked an astonished Nick ,"He wouldn't stand for that!" "Yeah, that's what he said or something like it." Schanke put his feet on the floor and lean across his side of the desk, elbows and hands flat on the desk top. "Would you believe he told us to conduct the drug sting somewhere else? Man oh man! Like we were little kids and should take our ball and play somewhere else, can you believe that?!" Nick opened and closed his mouth not quite knowing what to say or comment. "I told him that if it was up to me, I'd like any place else but his club. Unfortunately, the perp we were trying to catch liked his club and was a fan of his." continued Schanke. "You know the club is a lot....." Schanke thought for a few seconds trying to find the words, "Ritzier when your friend Janet runs the place. When did you say she was coming back?" "Its Janette, Schank not Janet and I don't know when she's returning from her business trip. I guess it'll be soon. " corrected Nick. "Yeah, well she better hurry or this Nightcrawler will be having wet t-shirt weekends." said Schanke leaning back on his chair. "So I told him the perp wasn't going to deal with me, unless His Majesty, the Nightcrawler sat at the same table with me. I couldn't wear a wire, not dressed in this get up. I couldn't show any bulges. The table was too spindly and dinky to wire......so that left the Lacroix guy." "What did he say?" asked Nick. Schanke shook his head, "He said 'No, thank you. Now go away'." "So I said fine, we'll just get rid of your customers, bring down fifteen or twenty cops in disguise and hope it doesn't go down bad. How do you like them apples?" Nick was speechless. Obviously Schanke had survived this or he wouldn't here to tell the tale. Schanke was enjoying this very much, now. " So he says 'Fine, if you must. We'll do it your way'. I knew he didn't want to lose business. Hey Nick, does the guy wear contacts?" "Why?" asked Nick fearing the worst. "I don't know.....I could almost swear that his eyes glowed or something." Schanke shook his head, "Must have been a trick of the light, or something." "The meeting was to take place at twelve midnight. So by nine o'clock that night we're there Jason, Thomas, and me. You know Thomas, he's the electronic gee whiz wizard." said Schanke. "So we go to the back room of the club to get ready. You won't believe the trouble we had trying to get that guy's shirt off. I mean, like he's the first guy ever to take his shirt off in front of other people? Give me a break. The Nightcrawler needs a little sun, Nick; I mean, without a shirt, the guy looks white as cooked macaroni.......kinda like you, come to think of it." Nick listened, stunned....no, beyond stunned. Lacroix without a shirt, maybe, the cure against vampirism was around the corner, after all. Anything is possible. "So, Thomas tapes the wire and battery on the guy's back, to avoid any wires in the front. The microphone is hidden inside the collar, since he wears a black shirt, its perfect!" Schanke had a far away look, like he was replaying a video in front of him. "At eleven forty five, there we are. Me with the sack of cash and that Nightcrawler guy looking like he stepped on shit or something. So, I tell him 'Lighten up, all right? The guy we're waiting for will get bad vibes or something.' He looks at me and tries to be friendly......like a shark hitting on a tuna. He acts kinda creepy, you know?" said Schank "He says 'I wouldn't worry about the bad vibes Officer Schanke, there won't be any' ; great, just great. If the perp's anywhere close by that line just made me." Schanke groaned, remembering the close call. "Just then , the perp shows up and sits down across from me and the D.J. He's kinda nervous, he makes me take off the vest.....I knew he would, he's jumpier than water on hot grease. He must have talked a mile a minute and none of it about the transaction. He's carrying a paper bag but I couldn't make a move unless he goes first. I mean it was going nowhere fast. He tells the Nightcrawler guy how much he like the club and how often he calls in on the show and wants to know if someday he can get a tour of the studio in the back. On and on and on. I try to get a word in, but the guy blows me off." said Schanke exasperated. "So did you lose him or what?" asked Nick imagining Lacroix in the thick of this. "Well, then it gets strange on me."said Schanke, "The D.J. starts to talk to him softly and calmly, like the perps a close friend. He Introduces me as a friend and tells him I can be trusted. I mean the perps not going to fall for those lines....but guess what?" "The perp fell for it hook, line, and sinker?" asked Nick, knowing the answer all along. "Yeah," Schanke shook his head, perplexed," I mean, like he's calm, suddenly, he offers a deal. I tell him what I have in mind......like I'm an experience sleazy dealer, and he says 'Yeah'. Everything is on the tape! He doesn't even dither or bargain...whatever I say, that's it. He hung himself, right there on tape." "Later, when we cuff him, the perp's stunned. Get this, he claims entrapment, that he was hypnotized. Brother!" Schanke just shook his head. "So everything turned out ok. with Lacroix and the Raven." said Nick. "Yeah, but after we got the wires off Lacroix, I got a look from him that was .....creepy, dangerous." shivered Schanke, "I'm not ever going to step in that place again. If anything ever goes down, there; count me out." "Well, I'm glad everything turned out all right." congratulated Nick. "Yeah, Jason owes me Big Time for this one. I'll drop by wardrobe and leave these duds there. Guess I'll clock off now....see you tonight, Nick." said Schanke yawning. "Yeah, Schank, you need to rest. I'll see you later." smiled Nick. Suddely the desk phone rings and Nick picks it up. "Detective Nick Knight. Can I help you?" "Yes, Nicholas." Lacroix's dulcet voice resonated from the hand piece, "Could you stop by. I'd like to have a chat with you about your career." "Sure, Lacroix, I'll swing by." answered Nick. "You do that." The line clicked dead. Oh, I wouldn't miss this for anything ,thought Nick, smiling from ear to ear. End