Hitman's Creed - 44

"Welcome home," the police chief said and held out his hand.

Joey shook it as he responded, "It's good to be home. I've missed it."

When they both were seated the chief continued, "I understand you're not planning on living at your mother's place."

"You've been talking to Uncle Harv I take it," Joey replied with a brief chuckle. "And no I'm not. I have a small apartment now, just off of Main Street within easy walking distance of here."

"Excellent. I'd offer to show you around the station house but as it hasn't changed all that much in the last twenty-some years I suspect you know it just about as well as I do."

"Probably. God knows I spent enough time here as a kid."

The two men continued to chat, the chief filling Joey in on what was going on around the town and telling him his schedule for the next few weeks. "Once you get totally acclimated you'll be on your own but for now I'm putting you with Eck Paulis. You remember him?"

"Yes. He was two years ahead of me in high school." He smiled a bit. "Luckily that's the only way I know him. He never had to arrest me."

"I suspect if he had, your mother would have made your life living hell for a while in her own way."

"Oh yeah," Joey agreed.

"I never did understand why she stayed with that bastard so long," the chief mused, "a strong woman like her. At least he hasn't shown his face around here since he escaped, not that he would."

Joey nodded. "Not if he's smart." He flashed briefly on that saga and hoped it didn't show in his face before he said, "At least Mary found us."

The story that Joey's mother had given out after Mary came into their lives followed reality up to a point. According to what she told anyone who asked, Mary had run away from her foster home just as the authorities surmised. The twist was that Mary had decided to come look for them because Joey was the only blood kin she had other than her father, who of course she wanted nothing to do with after he'd murdered her mother. When she finally found him, Joey's mother had taken her in. End of story. It worked, no one questioned it.

"She's a lucky young woman," the chief acknowledged as he stood. "Now I have things to do. I'll see you in the morning, Joey."

"Yes, sir. I'll be here with bells on."

The chief laughed. "I think the uniform will be sufficient."