A Miracle for Tony Clements
by
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Tony was a puzzled young man as he walked silently through the warm night air to his car. He slumped behind the wheel of his Mustang and took a deep breath. Closing his eyes he leaned back against the headrest looking for answers to some very confusing questions. "You know, kid, with a little coaching you could be a better cop that you old man," he heard someone say. He sat up and looked to his right. There, seated beside him was a man in a police uniform. A man he thought looked vaguely familiar. "Who--who’re you?" "Your partner for the next two months." "Partner? I don’t have a partner." "You do now." "Really?" Tony said. "Who assigned you as my partner?" "The Chief." "Chief Reynolds assigned you as my partner?" "No, not Chief Reynolds," the man said. "I’m speaking of the real Chief." "Yeah. Who’s that?" "God." "God! Oh, I get it. This is some sort of practical joke being played by some of the guys." "It’s no joke, son. I’m your partner. Besides, I’m a ghost." "Uh huh. A ghost." Tony shook his head. "And you expect me to believe that." "Well, you could ask those two guys walking across the lot if this is a practical joke." Tony looked over his shoulder and saw Jerry Ames and Jon Hastings walking to their cars. "Hey guys. Will you come here for a second?" he called out to them. They walked to his car and said, "What’s up?" "Who’s this guy?" he said, point to the passenger’s seat. "Who’s what guy?" "Him. The guy sitting beside me." "Tony, ole buddy, have you been spikin’ your milk with something?" Hastings said with a big grin. "You guys know I don’t drink. Come on. Who is this guy?" "Maybe you had too tough a night," Ames said. "There’s nobody in your car. You better go home and sleep it off--whatever it is." As Ames and Hastings walked away, he turned to his passenger and said, "Look, who put you up to this?" "Son, I’ve already told you. The Man himself sent me here. I’m here to make a good cop outta you and I’m going to do just that." Tony gripped the steering wheel and pressed his head against it. "God. This is just a dream. Tonight never happened. I didn’t kick a knife out of a guy’s hand. I didn’t knock him out. I didn’t shoot the highest score ever on the pistol range."
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About the Book
A Miracle for Tony Clements
As his darkest hour draws near and he’s on the verge of being fired from the job he loves, a helping hand arrives. God has ordered that Tony’s wish should be granted and sends help in the form of Bill Higgins, his father’s partner. But Bill Higgins wasn’t your ordinary policeman. He was a notorious practical joker during his lifetime and that sneaky little habit carried over to his days beyond the Pearly Gates. It was Higgins’ sense of humor that spelled his downfall in the eyes of God. Selecting St. Peter as his target for a number of practical jokes brought down the wrath of the Chief, as Higgins calls God and he’s sent back to earth to help Tony.
Tony meets, and reluctantly accepts, his new partner for what he is; a ghost with an outrageous sense of humor. Tony’s partner begins to make things happen and works hard to help the young man believe in himself. Suddenly Tony can do everything right.
He arrests burglars, bank robbers, and drug dealers. He risks his life to save a fellow officer and finds he’s really become an overnight hero. Of course, along the way young Tony falls in love and asks his partner for advice. Bill Higgins isn’t pleased to learn that his pupil is also unskilled in the ways of love. His suggestion for curing the problem brings bolts of lightning from the sky and he suggests that maybe Tony should just let nature take its course.
As the time for Bill Higgins to leave comes closer, Tony is given a look at his mother’s future. A future that will give her the happiness she’s missed for so long. The following day he’s a part of a reunion and witnesses an event that brings tears to his eyes and puts a lump in his throat. He stands proudly onstage as he’s recognized for his outstanding accomplishments. His mother and future bride openly weep as he humbly accepts the accolades. When it’s over it’s time to bid a fond farewell to Bill Higgins and receive one final tribute from a ghostly procession.
About the Author
James Lilley is a former Marine who served 25 years with the Howard County, Maryland Police Department before retiring as a Sergeant. During his tenure with the Howard County Police he served as a patrol officer, a detective working cases from burglary to rape and murder. He later worked as a patrol supervisor, communications supervisor, forensic services supervisor, and as a supervisor of the police department’s Street Drug Section. He received awards for valor and outstanding performance of duty, as well as commendations from the Governor of Maryland and the County Executive of Howard County. Mr. Lilley is one of the officers featured in the book Undercover, by Hans Halberstadt and is the author of the recently published book, A Question Of Honor. Mr. Lilley is a 7th Degree Black Belt in Shorin Ryu Karate, with over 37 years experience and a certified self-defense instructor. He has served as a physical training and self-defense instructor with the Howard County Police Department as well as a guest instructor for various police agencies around the region. His programs have been published worldwide by the International Association of Chief’s of Police, and he has provided advice to other departments from around the country regarding their training programs.