Chapter 4 (part 2)

Mason tried his best to focus only on work that day. He did everything expected of him, stopped cars, answered calls, did reports. No matter how much he tried to occupy his mind with the tasks at hand, he kept drifting back to the way her hair shined in the light, or how she had dimples that showed up when she was laughing. It was when he resized he was doing an aria check in the same neighborhood for the 4th time in an hour that he decided enough was enough. He needed a change of scenery for a while. By this time it was around 4:30pm. The activity at the station was beginning to wind down as the office staff were bringing their day to an end. Mason avoided the front and just headed straight back to the armory.  This was his sanctuary, even though it was little more than a closest.  Be that as it may, Mason considered it his closet. On one wall was nothing but rifles and shotguns, all hanging in a padlocked bracket. The back wall was floor to ceiling cabinets with a counter in the middle. The draws were filled with ammunition and spare parts. This was were all the spare weapons and all the tasiers stayed when they were not being used. Mason had been the departments armorer for the past 2 years. If his collection at home was any indication, you might could say he was a little obsessive with buying, trading, owning and collection fire arms. Everyone has to have a hobby, Mason's was just a little more intimidating than most. 

He spent the next hour cleaning and inspecting the firearms that had been left there for his attention. There wasn't much radio traffic during that time so he was never disturbed. Now this was what he needed. Something to take his mind of her rosy lips and sparkling eyes and..…..

"DANG IT" Mason growled out loud

"Now don't take it out on the gun sonny boy, whatever it did I'm sure it didn't mean it" 

Mason's head snapped up to see the chief investigator Tom More standing in the door way, laughing at him. Mason shook his head and laughed "Guess I'm just a little on edge today" 

Tom and Mason's father had been friends all while Mason was growing up. People had always thought they were brothers when they were on the job here at the department together. The resemblance had been somewhat remarkable. 

"Whatever it is, it's got you sure nuff occupied"

Mason sighed, and began to put the gun back into it's case. It was obvious that he wasn't making any head way with it in his present state of mind. "Yeah I guess your right. I need to put a few more miles on my car before 7 anyways."

"Well before you head out, Chief want's to see you in his office" Tom kinda grinned sideways with a "better you than me" look on his face.

"Why is the chief still here?" Mason felt his shoulders sag a little. Normally he had no problem with the Chief. But on days like today, he found it wiser to just stay out of his way. He had done so well! And now, here right before the end of the shift, he was being called into the office. He wasn't afraid of anything, but he didn't much like not knowing what he was walking into.

"He's got neighborhood watch tonight, so he's waiting on his chicken to heat in the oven so he won't show up empty handed"

Mason nodded his head. No use putting it off. The locked the armory door behind him and edged his way between Tom and the edge of the hall way. "I'll see ya later Tom"

To get to Chief's office from the armory you had to go through the common aria, or squad room that also served as dining room, kitchen and anything else that they needed it to be at that point in time. Chief's door was standing open so Mason tapped lightly on the door frame to announce his presence, and then walked on in. 

'You wanted to see me?"

The chief was sitting at his desk, glasses sitting perched toward the end of his nose, looking over what Mason   recognized to be the new rifle policy he had submitted last week. Great, he thought to himself, He would choose today to read it.

"This morning I looked down at my desk and saw this stack of papers with my name on it. My first thought was, why wasn't i notified that it had been completed? But then I decided that was splitting hairs and instead of fussin' about it, I decided that maybe I oughta read it."

Mason stood there waiting on the punch line. After 15 seconds of silence he decided that maybe it wasn't coming, and took a hint. " Well sir? Your thoughts?" 

"Mason, how long have you been at this department?" 

Masons new that the chief knew very well how long he had been there, but he played along knowing there was some reason for this foreplay.

"Three years sir"

"In 3 years time, how many times have you found yourself needing a patrol rifle in the car with you?"

"Not often sir"

"So why then, if in 3 years you have found the need for a weapon larger than what has been provided for you, less times than you can count on one hand, why then Mason should I approve to spend the money, that could be used else where, to arm my officers with a seeming useless weapon. Besides your need for a new toy to play with?"

So this was how he was going to play it? Battle of the wits eh? Luckily for Mason, knowing the Chief, he was prepared for just such an argument. 

"Well sir, it is true that the need so strong hasn't yet presented itself. My key word in that sentence being "yet". Look at it this way, would you rather us wait until one of us has been shot to allow us to carry our duty pistols? Or wait until one of us gets run over before allowing us to wear traffic vest? I don't know about you, but I'd rather one up the necessity than apologize to someone's mamma at the end of the day. I know it may seem like a frivolous waist of money sir, but I guarantee we'd rather justify our spending the money on these "toys" to city council now, than to have to explain why we were ill equipped to handle the situate, if and when it does arise."

The Chief's expression never changed. The only movement had been to take his glasses off and lay them on the pile of paper work.  When Mason finished, he push back from his desk. "Damn you Mason, you sound like a damn policy hand book. Get out of here and do some "po-lecing" 

Mason grinned as he left the office. He knew the chief had read his every argument in the paper work he had submitted. That little song and dance had been all about finding out if Mason really believed all he had wrote or was just good at putting pretty words on paper.

"Oh Chief" Mason called back over his shoulder as he headed to the common aria. "I think your chicken's burning".

 "God Dang Son B….." 

Mason laugh out loud as he walked out the front door, knowing just how that sentence ends.