The next several days as we waited for Beauregard to go to trial in Helena were rather quiet. I still had to do my patrols on foot, since I couldn't drive a car. For the most part things were quiet for me. I couldn't deal with speeding cars, and over the course of those days there were no major incidents that I could investigate. No robberies, no domestic disturbances, no homicides, no suicides. That was a major relief for me, but part of me wondered if after Ebenezer Smith's whole "tiger attack on cattle" lie and Beauregard going off the deep end and shooting an officer had finally quieted a lot of these potential problems for a little while... Or maybe they were just going on far away from where I was patrolling and different units were dealing with them.
I found more evidence of R.A.M. breaking up over the course of those days as more people who would have never given me the time of day before began some nervous conversations with me.
"Hello... uh... Officer... Wayne... is it?" a man said nervously on one of my patrols.
"I am," I nodded, "Is there something going on you're wanting to report?"
"Uh... no... not really," the man said nervously, "they... trust... you... alone... without... that other... guy?"
"Yes," I answered, "Just because I am a tiger does not mean that I'm a mindless mundane animal that will go "wild" at any moment. Everyone that was either injected and forced to be in the Animatrix Fun House or has since been "with" someone who was has not lost what made them human... There are some differences as we have gained some of the instincts that our respective animals have as well... but the end result is really the creation of an animal that has evolved into a hominid-like life-form... and because of that, we can coexist with man."
I hopped that made sense.
"So... you... have... the urge... to... hunt... but... you... can... control... it?" the man asked.
"That puts it simply, but yes," I answered, "and what Molly and I want to hunt are deer, which I understand a lot people around here hunt too."
"You hunt... deer?" the man asked, now sounding more curious then nervous.
"During the hunting season, yes," I nodded, "I wasn't transformed until AFTER the hunting season, so this fall will be my first."
"Care for some advice?" the man asked.
"Sure."
"Make sure the wind is never at your back, even if you set a blind or stand somewhere, if the wind is blowing your scent to the deer, they'll know you're there," the man advised.
"Thank you sir for the advice," I replied, though Molly had already learned that lesson had told me about it when she returned from her hunting forays during the last hunting season, "and thank you for the polite conversation, but I must return to my work."
"Of course," he answered, "have... a... good day."
Of course, not ALL of the R.A.M. members had given up the fight in the course of the week leading up to when Beauregard would be tried. Molly informed me that the school principal and the school district superintendent still clung to their orders to try and get Mrs. Fitzpatrick to fire Molly. So far they had been unsuccessful.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Halfway through the week, the schools made their requests for an officer to come and talk about what it was like to be a police officer. And as Officer Howard had told me before, that task fell to me. The site was in a sort of gym at the PreK/Kindergarten/Elementary School where Molly worked as an aide. I was met by the principal at the front door.
"What are YOU doing here?" he growled, "here to continue your war on humanity?"
"I'm not at war with humanity," I answered calmly, "you asked for an officer to come and give a basic "show and tell" of what it is like to be a police officer. I am the officer they sent."
"There's got to be a mistake," the principal answered.
"No there isn't," I replied.
"I specifically requested that it be a human officer," the principal answered, "there HAS to be a mistake."
I lowered my head and muzzle so that he could look straight into my greenish-gold eyes.
"Officer Howard does not make mistakes," I growled, "you asked for an officer, and here I am. Now you will escort me to where I am to give this presentation, or you may explain to the children, who all seem to love my wife, why you're a racist pig."
The principal grumbled something, but relented, "Follow me."
He then lead me into the gym where the students were all seated in the bleachers with their teachers and aids seated with them. Mrs. Fitzpatrick's class was in the front rows with Molly sitting at the end of one, with a couple of students behind her playing with her tail. I politely waved to her, and she returned it. The principal took the small microphone first.
"And no to explain why animals make bad officers, George Wayne," the principal spoke clearly.
There were a few gasps as the mayor stepped away and allowed me to approach the podium.
"I believe your principal has been into some coffee that is a little too strong," I spoke, "for I believe I am a good officer of the law and my superiors seem to agree. I am here to tell you what it is like to be an officer of the law."
"Have you ever thwarted evil doers?" a kid near the back asked, raising his hand.
"I suppose I have," I answered, "while I was in college I managed to rescue my present wife from being abused by a Eugene Changes' desire to make a dollar off turning people into animals..."
There was a short gasp and several of the kids in Mrs. Fitzpatrick's class that were close enough moved to hug Molly.
"And here, as an officer of the law, I was involved in the arrest of Ebenezer Smith and his son for attempting to frame me for attacking his cattle, and most recently, I was involved in the arrest of Pierre Beauregard for planning the attack on Leona Washburn in Peoria, Illinois, and assaulting my partner Officer Frederick Barnes with a deadly weapon," I continued.
"Is he okay?" one of the teachers asked.
"He appears to be recovering, and should be released from the hospital soon," I answered.
I then moved on to what I had initially come to say.
"As an officer of the law, it is my duty to protect and serve the people and honest citizens of Columbia Falls," I spoke, "as "protect and serve" has been the motto of every police unit in the country, it seems to me. When someone does something wrong, it is my duty to find out who and arrest them."
"Like with the bad guys..." a different child asked.
"Yes, but police work is not as black and white as our cars would indicate," I nodded, earning a few chuckles, "police work can be fairly hard as proof of the crimes committed must be found, and this is something that all officers of the law are trained to look for, even basic patrol officers like myself."
"Do you like the work?" a different child asked.
"Yes, very much," I answered, "I would like to think that gives me a feeling like I belong and am part of the community."
The little "show and tell" session went very much that way for the rest of the time I was allowed, and several kids came forward to shake my hand as they approached. The principal watched from the back with a very disgruntled face as he apparently was losing the children as potential R.A.M. recruits.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Toward the end of the week, Molly and I learned that Officer Barnes had been released from the Kalispell Hospital and that his brother Joey had taken him home. The two brothers were apparently even staying together so that Joey could look after his brother. So, that evening, after my shift ended, Molly and I decided to pay him a visit, as we couldn't get to Kalispell that easily. It was Joey who answered the door when we arrived.
"Oh, hello, Officer Wayne," Joey Barnes spoke, "and this mus be Molly..."
"Yes," I nodded, "and it's "George" right now. My shift is over for today."
"We're here to see how your brother is doing," Molly added.
"Oh, come in, come in," Joey Barnes replied, "Fred is doing about as well as can be. He doesn't like a lot of the babying he's been getting, but with all the surgery they had to do, he can't really sit up on his own or stay sitting up without hanging on to something. I've suspended a sort of rope and pulley so he can do so..."
"Very ingenious," I nodded.
"I thought so," Joey Barnes replied.
"Joey! Who is it?" came Officer Barnes' voice from the bedroom we were approaching.
"It's your partner and his wife, they've come to check on you," Joey replied as he opened the door.
The room was rather dark as we entered, though our eyes could see very well in low light levels. Officer Barnes was laying on the bed with various blankets and pillows around him. There was a wheel chair next to the bed. Molly and I slowly approached.
"Frederick, this my wife Molly," I spoke calmly as Molly offered him her "paw".
Officer Barnes gave a soft chuckle, and shook Molly's hand in his, "Call me Fred. Frederick is too formal, and I obviously ain't on duty... it'll be alright if I call you George?"
"I'm not on duty, either," I replied.
"It's good to see that you're doing well... Fred," Molly spoke trying to sound friendly. She actually sounded more nervous then she needed to be.
"About as well as can be expected," Officer Barnes replied, "I'm all tore up and my stomach muscles ain't back in shape yet."
"Physical therapy and I guess putting you in the wheel chair will help," I commented.
"It'll take a lot of time," Officer Barnes coughed out, "has Beauregard gone to trial yet?"
"In a day or two," I answered, "From what we've seen on the news, the trial of the three gang members is being delayed until Beauregard's is over."
"Hopefully they get him good," Officer Barnes coughed back, "it's good to see you, George. You and your wife look very good together."
"Thank you," Molly and I replied, almost in unison.
"And I'm glad to have you for a partner and friend," Officer Barnes then spoke.
"And friends are always there for each other," I nodded.