Jim Talbert Whistling in Chicago

Chapter 2 “Mr. Wallace’s Demise” The officer escorts me over to a squad car and asks me to please stay there. He walks to a plain clothes officer, a detective, I assume, and points in my direction. They both look in my direction and nod. The detective walks over to me and leans against the car next to me. I was horrified, frightened, and shocked at everything and everybody in front of me, all at the same time. My palms started to sweat, I started to get light headed, I even felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight in the air. I always felt these emotions in battle, even though I would never admit it. As he lights a cigarette and offers me the cup of coffee in his hand, he asks, “So, you knew him? You told the other officer he was your boss?” I do not reply. I hear him but I’m still not mentally here at the moment. The detective takes a puff from his cigarette and moves in front of me. He moves his face in front of mine to block my view, in the same way the other officer did, and says, “Oh, I’m sorry; I’m detective Kasey, Chicago P.D. You do know him?” I slowly answer, “Yes…. Mr. Wallace. What happened?” The detective takes a long puff from his cigarette, disregarding my question as though he never heard it. He takes a sip from the cup of coffee he offered me earlier. “Listen, do you know why anyone would want to hurt Mr. Wallace? You know, did he have any enemies in the community?” He asks as he leans back against the car I look at him as though it is the dumbest question I have heard in a very long time. His eyes seem as cold as any I had ever seen, and his attitude about the whole matter is just as uncaring. He takes a sip of coffee and quickly follows it by another puff from his cancer stick. He tries to blow the smoke away from my face but it floats back into it anyway. He looks at me, seemingly waiting, like I can give him the name of the killer.