The Interstellar Police Force, Book One: The Historic Mission by Raymond Klein (ebook reader 7 inch txt) 📕

at their usual table, eating egg, bacon, and sausage bagels. Monica came over several times to chat and refill their coffee. The three of them were exhausted by the time they got back to their apartment, and all slept until about two that afternoon.

Chapter Forty-Two

It had been three weeks since they had sent Colus Valda to cryogenics and there had been no sign of Bollar anywhere. Genghis was in the living room on the computer, tapping into the local police department’s computer systems. The coffee was brewing while he printed out and read memos on the search for the Old Town Arsonist and the ongoing investigation of the Old Town robberies.

Genghis had gotten up at six that morning, trying very hard not to wake Jennifer. She decided one night a few weeks earlier that she felt bad that the Doberman was sleeping in the living room alone and insisted that he start sleeping in her room. Genghis started out on the floor at the foot of her bed, but eventually wound up in the bed with her on top of the covers. Jennifer would dote on him by covering him with a blanket on cold nights, and Genghis was beginning to like the attention.

Trent came out of his room at six ten, fully dressed in one of his dark linen suits with a red-and-white striped thin tie. They both talked in a whisper, not wanting to wake Jennifer and not wanting her to hear a strange voice in the living room.

“Well, no sign of Bollar,” Genghis said, while handing Trent the copies of the different police reports. “News and print media have nothing either. And the local PD still are staking out the Compton Square district of Old Town for the arsonist.” The coffee maker made a beeping sound, and Trent walked into the kitchen reading the memos while grabbing their three mugs from the cupboard. Genghis followed. “I don’t think they really need to worry about any more fires.” Jeff agreed, while removing a box of frozen waffles out of the freezer. He took out several waffles and started inserting them into the two slice toaster.

Jeff and Genghis drank their coffee and ate waffles while watching The Three Stooges. They both heard Jennifer get up and enter the living room. “Morning, Twinkie!” Jeff .

“Morning guys,” she said, walking into the kitchen and grabbing her red Buccaneers mug. “Your normal morning routine of coffee and The Three Stooges, I see.”

“Yes, it’s a great way to start one’s morning,” Jeff replied. “Coffee’s made and there are waffles warming in the oven for you.”

“Yeaa, waffles!” she said and opened the oven door.

The three of them sat eating waffles and watching TV. Jennifer brought the coffee carafe in with her and refilled their mugs. Nothing really surprised her anymore about her two new friends. Jeff laughed hysterically at the antics of Moe, Larry, and Curly and loved to watch The Cartoon Network. But when it came to his work, he was a very serious and professional police officer. And the big Doberman sitting next to her, she thought to herself, was just a cool dog, from the way he always seemed to respond to everything that was said to him, to the way he seemingly watched television, to the way he was trained to use the bathroom when he had to go. And of course, the way he lapped up his coffee from his “Death Before Disco” mug, and the incredible fact that he even drank coffee. Genghis always made sure never to hold the mug in his paws when she was looking. He loathed lapping at his coffee.

“Oh, Twinkie,” Trent said, with a mouth full of waffles. “Genghis and I were in the kitchen early and we realized that we’re out of a few things.”

“We did! Did we?” she replied with a grin.

“Yes, so if you would like to come with us to the Food and More we would appreciate it. You're better at picking things out to eat than I am.”

“Sounds like a plan, Stan.” she said, without taking her eyes off the television.

Jeff and Genghis shared a glance with each other, then both looked at Jennifer as they both thought, “Who?”

Jennifer was looking at the back of a box of Hamburger Helper while walking down the aisle. “Three easy steps! That’s a winner,” she said, throwing the box into the cart that Jeff was pushing behind her, adding it to the pile of groceries they’d already collected. “Now let’s hit the meat section and get some hamburgers and hot dogs.” She turned and looked at Trent, “Oh! And some pork chops, I make a mean pork chop.”

“Sounds great, Twinkie.” Jeff admired the way she went through each aisle with military precision, looking at prices and labels, grabbing sale items, and preparing meals in her head. They had arrived at the Food and More twenty minutes earlier. Genghis stayed in the Thunderbird since he wasn’t a service dog, but secretly was fine with it. It gave him the opportunity to keep an eye out for Bollar.

“Okay,” Jennifer said, reviewing the grocery list in her hand. “Yeah, the meat department, then produce and we’re done.” They were walking down the main aisle to the meat department when Jennifer looked down the frozen foods aisle and saw Pimples.

“Hey, there’s Pimples,” she said, as she turned down the aisle with Jeff following.

Pimples was standing in front of an open freezer door. He had a pack of Klondike Bars pressed to his nose and was inhaling the frozen treats deeply. “Hey, Pimples!” Jennifer said, making him jump.

Pimples threw the pack back into the freezer slamming the door shut and turned with eyes wide. “Oh, hey, Twinkie. You scared me. I thought you were the store manager again.” He looked past Jennifer at Trent with blank eyes, then back to Jennifer. “How’s it hanging, Twink?”

“It’s hanging,” she replied, as she looked around. “Where’s Trisha?”

Pimples looked around the aisle as if he just