DECISIONS

By SANDEFUR

Disclaimer: Joan of Arcadia belongs to Barbara Hall/CBS/etc;

SUMMER 1984: "Honey, remember that concert? You wore a white jacket with a fringe…"

Helen Girardi, like most of the audience, was in the aisles dancing to the music. The band on stage was singing their incredibly popular tunes to a very appreciative audience.

Will watched his wife and contemplated how happy and beautiful she was. She looked fantastic in a white silk jacket with a decorative fringe, and very tight jeans that showed off how quickly she had gotten back her figure. Their first child Kevin had been born only six months before, and this was their first night out as a couple. (Thank God his sister was willing to babysit.) Many in the crowd were singing along with the band, including Helen. Will found himself joining in. He generally preferred bands from the sixties, but he had grown fond of this Swedish group with the palindromic name.

If only they could have afforded better seats, instead of settling for the nose-bleed section, but it was all they could afford. Will had recently been promoted to the narcotics squad, but money was still tight—especially with a new baby. In a couple of years, if he maintained a good arrest record, he would be eligible for another bump in rank and pay, but that didn't help with the bills now.

Will looked down below, near the stage where the lucky people who could afford the very best were sitting. Scalpers were charging thousands for seats like that… Will froze as he spotted someone familiar in the crowd, but it was hard to be sure at this distance.

"Hey Kid, can I borrow your binoculars?" Will asked of a handsome teenage boy in a brown corduroy jacket.

Wordlessly, the teenager passed Will the binoculars. He quickly sought out and found the man he was looking for. LeRoi Jackson had premiere seats near the stage with a beautiful woman on either side of him. It would cost Will a half a year's pay to buy the tickets Jackson had paid for out of petty cash. A notorious drug dealer to area high schools, he was number one on Will's list of bad men he wanted off the streets of his district.

Unfortunately, Jackson was too smart or too lucky to get caught. Every time a warrant was served on the infamous drug dealer, he was always clean. No doubt he had paid informants in the prosecutor's office, the courts, and the cops. Will wanted him bad, but how to get the job done? Of course there was always the "anonymous tip" that so many others faked to get their arrests. Will had never resorted to it before, but to bring down LeRoi Jackson made the risk seem worthwhile…

SPRING 2003: "He was a good captain. The best thing he ever did for me was to junk me from the squad, send me to the freeze and make me start all over again."

Captain Parker stepped out of his office, made eye contact with Will and gave him a subtle nod. Will rose from his desk and followed his captain back into his office. Will knew what this was about, and the news that awaited him had kept him on pins and needles for days.

It had been a long time coming, but now Will would find out if his years of dedicated service was going to pay off. Ironically, this Captain Parker was the son of the Captain Parker who had busted him down so many years ago.

"I'll keep this short and sweet, Will. The answer was no."

Will sighed, "I won't pretend this isn't a disappointment. I really could have used the promotion, especially with all the bills after Kevin's accident. Still, I can try again in two years."

Parker hesitated, unwilling to deliver another blow. He liked Will Girardi, and respected him as a cop and as a good man. Being nine years younger than Will, and his father's son, made what he had to say seem even harsher.

"Will, they didn't just say no for now, but forever. You will never make captain on this police force."

"This is still haunting me? I thought after my last promotion…"

"Unfortunately, that's going to work against you. When you started your comeback up the chain of command, the powers that be decided you would never go higher than sergeant, as an object lesson to other young cops who might be thinking of following your mistake."

"But my record since that one time…"

"Is the reason you were singled out. With your amazing record, to still be held back after all these years, shows other cops to always toe the line. When you made lieutenant, it was after every possible favor was called in by your friends on the force. That promotion set off a civil war in the top echelons, and the only way it got through was by an agreement that lieutenant was it for you. I'm sorry Will."

There was nothing left to say. The two men solemnly shook hands, and Will went back to his desk. He sat there for several minutes, staring at his paperwork, unable to concentrate. It all seemed so unfair. He had worked so hard for so many years to redeem himself, only to find he was still a marked man. For a moment, he considered resigning, just as his friends and family had suggested years ago, but no, that was foolish. He would just have to endure seeing younger, less talented cops being promoted over him until the day he retired.

To distract himself, Will began leafing through a law-enforcement magazine. None of the articles interested him, but in the back, there were classified ads for chiefs of police. Mostly they were for small towns who were looking for an experienced big city cop. Will knew a few older cops who had, after earning their pensions, taken those jobs. Most had enjoyed the experience of being top dog for once.

But no, the pay in those towns was small, and Will needed more money, not less. Besides, Kevin needed the medical facilities of a modern city… Then Will spotted it. Arcadia Maryland, a moderate size city, was seeking a new chief of police. Excellent benefits and a pay grade that was nearly double his current salary caused Will to briefly grow excited.

Hell, what was he thinking? Those Arcadia politicans would take one look at his record with that giant black mark and laugh at his nerve. They wouldn't hire him. What kind of city would?

"You look worried."

Will looked up and was startled to see a little girl of about six standing next to his desk. She was oddly dressed, but had a happy smile and an intelligent face.

"Where did you come from?"

"Over there." She replied, vaguely pointing in the direction of the child protective services office. Mrs Gomez, the caseworker, seemed to have stepped away.

"And weren't you suppose to stay there?"

"I got bored. So why are you worried?"

"You wouldn't understand. It's a grown-up problem."

"Oh. You mean money."

Will chuckled. The little girl was smart.

"Yeah, money. I need more, and the only way I can get it is by trying for this better job."

"Why don't you?"

"They would never hire me, so why bother?"

"Want to hear a wise saying?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Will chuckled again. She was adorable, and yet, out of the mouths of babes…

"Want to watch me apply for a job?"

She nodded and watched as Will went to work. It took a surprisingly short time for him to create a basic review of his career, including that one mistake. Without hesitation, he e-mailed it to Arcadia's city hall.

Done, he looked back to the little girl, but she was gone. He would have been worried, but he saw Mrs Gomez had returned to her office. No doubt she had collected the little girl while he had been distracted. Will smiled at the thought of the girl and murmured her words…

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

The End. PLEASE REVIEW