DEAR JOE

By BJ Bourg

"Joe, get in my office now!"

Joe Leonard dropped his briefcase to the floor and ducked behind the wall of his cubicle. He leaned close to his partner and whispered, "What's he so mad about?"

Detective Dan Pritchard shrugged his shoulders. "He walked in pissed."

Joe sauntered into Eddie Walton's office. Eddie sat behind a rusted desk. Newspaper clippings and police certificates peppered the smoke-stained walls behind him. Joe tried to sound cheerful. "You called me, Chief?"

Chief Walton glared through bushy eyebrows. "Close the door."

Joe did as ordered.

When Chief Walton spoke again, his voice was icy. "I passed by your desk today. There's evidence scattered everywhere."

"I'll get to it, Chief. I've been real busy lately, and then I worked that Rover fellow's suicide last week--"

"That evidence better not be from the Rover suicide!"

"Absolutely not."

"Well, get it picked up. You know our policy--evidence gets logged in on the same day it's collected." Chief Walton's eyes narrowed. "If it happens again, you're suspended."

Joe nodded and hurried out the office. Dan looked up from his report. "What did he want with you?"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything."

Joe glanced over the cubicle wall. Chief Walton had the phone pressed to his ear and his eyes glued to the computer screen. "I need you to stuff some of this evidence in your locker for me."

Dan scratched his head. "Why don't you just enter the stuff into evidence? It'll only take an hour, or so."

"I don't have an hour." Joe sank into his chair. "I've been planning tonight for three weeks."

"What's so special about tonight? Cheri's birthday, or something?"

"Or something."

Dan leaned forward. "What is it?"

Joe turned away. "It's nothing."

"Come on, we're partners. Is it your wedding anniversary? Come on...you can tell me anything."

Joe sighed. "Today is the anniversary of our first kiss."

"What?" Dan threw his head back and laughed. "Are you kidding?"

Joe's eyes narrowed. "I thought you said we were partners. Partners don't make fun of each other."

Dan raised his hands in surrender. "You're right, I apologize."

"No need for all of that. Just watch the laughter."

"I don't see how you can remember the date of your first kiss, especially after ten years of marriage."

"I couldn't. I was cleaning out the attic last month and found it in one of Cheri's old diaries. I wrote it in my calendar book." Joe pounded his chest. "She's gonna be so impressed with me."

"You're gonna let her believe you remembered that day? That's just wrong."

Joe glared at Dan. "Keep your mouth shut about this. It doesn't matter how or when I remembered. The important thing is that I'm honoring the day."

"I guess you're right. Well, since we're buddies, I'll hide your evidence in my locker. I'll even help you log it in tomorrow."

Joe thanked Dan and slipped out the office. He called Cheri when he got in his unmarked cruiser. "Be ready in fifteen minutes. I'm coming to sweep you off your feet."

"But--"

"Just be ready." Joe flipped his phone shut and smiled. Those were the exact words he'd used eleven years earlier while driving to pick her up for their fourth date. That night had concluded with a kiss that had ended his single way of thinking. From that moment on, he had been convinced that Cheri was the woman with whom he would spend the rest of his life.

Joe parked in their driveway and punched on the horn. His wife finally walked out into the warm breeze. Her long, blonde hair stroked her tanned face with each gust of wind that blew through the shaded carport. "Why all the noise?" she asked, as she approached the car.

"Get in. We're going to Chili's for supper."

Cheri's eyes narrowed. "What have you done wrong?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Every time you do something wrong you try to make up for it by taking me out."

Joe frowned. How could his wife not realize he was recreating the night of their first kiss? "I just wanted to do something to rekindle our first love."

"I didn't know it needed rekindling."

"Baby, I'm just trying to be nice."

Cheri sighed. "I'm sorry. Let me grab my purse." When Cheri slipped into the passenger's front seat, Joe casually pressed the play button on the CD player and Lady in Red streamed from the speakers. Cheri smiled. "Our song!"

Joe nodded and they both sang along as he drove down the highway. Ten miles down the road, Joe turned into the local Winn Dixie parking lot.

"What are you doing?" Cheri asked, seemingly oblivious to what was taking place.

"Wait here. I need some gum." Joe exited the unmarked and sulked toward the store. Is she messing with me, or does she not realize what I'm doing? He shook his head. She would realize soon enough. He made his selection, paid the cashier, and returned to the unmarked. He slid back into the car and held out the dozen roses for Cheri to see. She was slumped forward in her seat and didn't look up until he closed the door. Tears streamed down her red face.

"What's wrong?" Joe asked.

"You know what's wrong!" Cheri threw a piece of paper in Joe's lap. "Your girlfriend breaks up with you, so you want to rekindle our first love?"

Joe glanced down and immediately knew what the note read:

Dear Joe,

  I'm writing to let you know that it's over between us. I really loved the times we spent together, but I've met someone else. I'm sorry for telling you like this, but I knew you would be mad and I was scared.

  Debbie

Joe laughed. He looked up and found himself staring into the ominous muzzle of a .357 revolver…the same revolver that he'd recovered from the Rover suicide scene…the same revolver that he had stuffed into his glove compartment with the other evidence from that investigation…the same revolver that should have been unloaded and secured in the evidence locker a week prior. "Whoa, Cheri, put that thing--"

Cheri squeezed the trigger on the gun. The explosion was deafening inside the car. Fire spat from the muzzle. Once, twice, three times. Joe jerked with every shot. His ears rang…eyes burned. He sank against the driver's door. He opened his mouth to speak, but blood oozed out and choked him.

With a weak hand, Joe lifted the note and turned it so Cheri could see the back of Debbie Rover's "Dear John" letter. There was an evidence sticker at the top, right corner. Beneath that was the suicide note Joe Rover had scribbled before shooting himself in the temple.

"But…why is this in your car? It said Joe…I thought…oh, my God!"

As Joe Leonard's eyes slid shut and his heart slowed to a stop, he heard his wife scream. Her screams were silenced by a muffled gunshot.