30-07-2026, 03:59 PM
“You’re a reader, Dallas. I know you’ve read John D. McDonald, the Travis McGee writer. There’s one...I think it’s “A Flash of Green”, although I might be wrong. You remember that one. It’s about a guy who’s a big big fish in a little pond and he thinks he can get away with anything. But an enemy manages to publicize a scandal he’s involved in.
“The big fish walks away from the scandal, but he’s going to be stuck in that little pond for the rest of his life. A line has been drawn around the Little Pond and as long as he stays in it, he’ll be safe. But if he ever steps outside it, the scandal he’s been tarred with will be brought up. He’ll never win higher political office or move to a higher level in business. Because no one will want to have the scandal tar them.
“How does this apply to you, Dallas? Well, there will be a well-publicized scandal about you betraying the public good to curry favor with cops and miniorities in the archives of most major newspapers and organizations around the country.
“When you go for governor next Fall, how many negative ads will be run quoting a prominent prosecutor about how you can’t be trusted to protect the public good?”
He was leaning forward on his desk and I noticed the knuckles were turning white as he pressed down.
“Doesn’t matter if the charges prove out or not. All a lot of long suffering white voters will see is another politician currying favor with blacks and minorities, and a lot of minorities who don’t trust cops will just see another politician who lets cops go around killing people and getting away with it.
“You run for Governor and you’re going to get screwed from both ends. It’s hard enough to win any elective office without those kind of lead weights around you.
“You fire me and I go public, you might as well learn to love being the State Attorney here, or maybe run for Mayor. Because you’re never going to rise any higher, and all those dreams you had of doing good for the state can be put into a drawer somewhere.”
Finally he eased his grip on his desk and sat back down. Taking a deep breath, he said, “That French woman you’re banging has one hell of a body.”
I know my mouth dropped open.
“That change of subject just gave me whiplash. Where did that come from?” “Just a comment, Bill. I had no idea when I called the Captain of the Bonne
Chance and asked him to give you a babysitter that you’d wind up banging her. And not only that, but that she would follow you home. You think her husband knows what she’s up to?”
“Dallas, I knew you could be cold blooded when you wanted to be, but you honestly think that threatening the marriage of a woman I’m seeing is going to make me back off?”
He shrugged.
“Of course not, unless you care about her and her marriage. Of course if you did, you wouldn’t be banging her, would you?”
“Is there any point to this conversation? And how do you even know about her? Do you spy on all your employees?”
“No, only the ones that are important. Actually, Harry, you know him, he’s one of our investigators, was having an anniversary supper at the restaurant where you and your family showed up last weekend. He recognized you, and, naturally, knowing about your divorce, he spotted the good looking brunette sitting with you. He took a picture. It’s second nature with him.
“Well, since you’ve already had one breakdown and you’re vital to this office, I had her checked out. We employ a lot of investigators, you know. And I talked to the Captain of the Bonne Chance.
“So I know what happened on the Bonne Chance between you and Aline des-Jardins. I know she’s currently married, with one son. And I know her husband knows you from that investigation four years ago in Paris.
“That one kind of surprised me. You’re the guy who does the right thing, and you got a married woman to cheat on a man who took you under his wing and was your friend. You seduced a friend’s wife. Somehow, after that experience with Doug Baker, I wouldn’t have expected that of you.”
I already knew that, but it sounded different coming from him. “Again, so? What do you care about my love life?”
He pointed to a photograph in a frame on his wall. It had been taken at a party the year after I was appointed lead prosecutor. He was there with his wife,
the two other Chief Assistants and their wives and at the end myself and...
I looked away from it, determined I wouldn’t let him read anything in my eyes or on my face about how the photo hit me.
“Aline is a passing fancy. You’re still in love with your ex. I saw it just then. Anybody that’s around you when she’s anywhere close can see it. You can lie through your teeth, but why bother. You can bang all the women you want around the courthouse, but there’s a hole in you and you’ve never going to fill it with anybody but her.”
“You’re so full of shit, but again, what does this have to do with me and Shawn Smith?”
“If you let Shawn Smith slide, I’ll run for Governor next year and get it. Even if I don’t get it, I’ll step down and I can arrange it so you’re appointed to follow me. That gives you four years to prepare for another run. With a four-year track record, my backing and that ‘Angel of Death’ reputation you can probably have the job as long as you want it.”
“I don’t have a life, as you well know if you’re keeping tabs on me that closely.”
“You could, Bill. Your ex is seeing another instructor at UNF, a writer type named Clint Abbott. Seems like a decent guy but they’re just friends with benefits according to all we can tell.
“In the meantime, she’s buzzing around the courthouse in her new job and, according to some of our female staff, she manages to find reasons to come up to this floor many more times than she needs to. Almost as if she was trying to see, or be seen, by somebody.”
“If this was a Harlequin romance, I’d say you might have something. But there is nothing left between us, never will be.”
“You’re not the man you were six or seven months ago. And whatever she did is in the past. If you wanted her back, I’m betting you could get her.”
He turned the photo that sat on his desk next to his phone around so I could see it. It was a photo of himself, his wife in a low cut black gown and their two daughters, since married and mothers in their own right.
“Greta and I have been married for 30 years next February. It was the best thing I ever did. I was pretty wild in my younger days, but I’ve never regretted marrying. I’m proud of what I’ve done in public life. I’m proud of the job I’ve
done here, not least of which was picking you. But there’s nothing in my life that matters as much as she does.
“I know you love this job. I know you’ve made sacrifices for it. But you can’t take the damned job to bed with you at night. You can’t hold the fucking job in your arms when life kicks you in the teeth and you need human contact. Aline won’t be in your life. You can’t fill it with temporary stand-ins.”
He turned the photo back toward him.
“You’re not just giving up this job if you go forward with the grand jury on Shawn Smith. You’re giving up any hope of ever putting your life back together, of winning Debbie back.”
I was determined that the puppet master wouldn’t know that he had just kicked me in the guts with his words.
“We playing a scene from Faust now, Boss? You’re Mephistopheles offering to grant me my fondest wish if I’ll only surrender my soul?”
“Just think about it, Bill. You said you won’t do anything for a couple of weeks. I gather you’re waiting to see what happens with Aline. All I ask if that you think about what we’ve talked about before you make a final decision. You’ve waited this long. Give it a couple of weeks.”
“I won’t change my mind.” “I’m hoping you will.”
“The big fish walks away from the scandal, but he’s going to be stuck in that little pond for the rest of his life. A line has been drawn around the Little Pond and as long as he stays in it, he’ll be safe. But if he ever steps outside it, the scandal he’s been tarred with will be brought up. He’ll never win higher political office or move to a higher level in business. Because no one will want to have the scandal tar them.
“How does this apply to you, Dallas? Well, there will be a well-publicized scandal about you betraying the public good to curry favor with cops and miniorities in the archives of most major newspapers and organizations around the country.
“When you go for governor next Fall, how many negative ads will be run quoting a prominent prosecutor about how you can’t be trusted to protect the public good?”
He was leaning forward on his desk and I noticed the knuckles were turning white as he pressed down.
“Doesn’t matter if the charges prove out or not. All a lot of long suffering white voters will see is another politician currying favor with blacks and minorities, and a lot of minorities who don’t trust cops will just see another politician who lets cops go around killing people and getting away with it.
“You run for Governor and you’re going to get screwed from both ends. It’s hard enough to win any elective office without those kind of lead weights around you.
“You fire me and I go public, you might as well learn to love being the State Attorney here, or maybe run for Mayor. Because you’re never going to rise any higher, and all those dreams you had of doing good for the state can be put into a drawer somewhere.”
Finally he eased his grip on his desk and sat back down. Taking a deep breath, he said, “That French woman you’re banging has one hell of a body.”
I know my mouth dropped open.
“That change of subject just gave me whiplash. Where did that come from?” “Just a comment, Bill. I had no idea when I called the Captain of the Bonne
Chance and asked him to give you a babysitter that you’d wind up banging her. And not only that, but that she would follow you home. You think her husband knows what she’s up to?”
“Dallas, I knew you could be cold blooded when you wanted to be, but you honestly think that threatening the marriage of a woman I’m seeing is going to make me back off?”
He shrugged.
“Of course not, unless you care about her and her marriage. Of course if you did, you wouldn’t be banging her, would you?”
“Is there any point to this conversation? And how do you even know about her? Do you spy on all your employees?”
“No, only the ones that are important. Actually, Harry, you know him, he’s one of our investigators, was having an anniversary supper at the restaurant where you and your family showed up last weekend. He recognized you, and, naturally, knowing about your divorce, he spotted the good looking brunette sitting with you. He took a picture. It’s second nature with him.
“Well, since you’ve already had one breakdown and you’re vital to this office, I had her checked out. We employ a lot of investigators, you know. And I talked to the Captain of the Bonne Chance.
“So I know what happened on the Bonne Chance between you and Aline des-Jardins. I know she’s currently married, with one son. And I know her husband knows you from that investigation four years ago in Paris.
“That one kind of surprised me. You’re the guy who does the right thing, and you got a married woman to cheat on a man who took you under his wing and was your friend. You seduced a friend’s wife. Somehow, after that experience with Doug Baker, I wouldn’t have expected that of you.”
I should have just walked away, but I was curious to see where he was going. “That’s a low blow, Dallas, and you know it.”
“About as low as what you’ve done to Philippe Archambault.” “I repeat, what is the point?”
He smiled. Despite his nice guy image, he could be a bastard when he wanted to be. He wanted to be now.
“You know she’s never going to stay with you, don’t you?” “So now you not only snoop, but you tell the future?”
“She’s been married for ten years. She’s had a few shipboard flings, but she always goes back to Philippe. She has a son to tie her to him. If they split she knows she’ll never get her son. Philippe is too high in the French government. He’ll get the boy. And so when her two weeks here is up, she’s gone. No matter what she tells you.”I already knew that, but it sounded different coming from him. “Again, so? What do you care about my love life?”
He pointed to a photograph in a frame on his wall. It had been taken at a party the year after I was appointed lead prosecutor. He was there with his wife,
the two other Chief Assistants and their wives and at the end myself and...
I looked away from it, determined I wouldn’t let him read anything in my eyes or on my face about how the photo hit me.
“Aline is a passing fancy. You’re still in love with your ex. I saw it just then. Anybody that’s around you when she’s anywhere close can see it. You can lie through your teeth, but why bother. You can bang all the women you want around the courthouse, but there’s a hole in you and you’ve never going to fill it with anybody but her.”
“You’re so full of shit, but again, what does this have to do with me and Shawn Smith?”
“If you let Shawn Smith slide, I’ll run for Governor next year and get it. Even if I don’t get it, I’ll step down and I can arrange it so you’re appointed to follow me. That gives you four years to prepare for another run. With a four-year track record, my backing and that ‘Angel of Death’ reputation you can probably have the job as long as you want it.”
“And... ?”
“This job takes time, but not like yours. You’ll politic and handle a few cases, but this is only a 9-5, maybe a 9-6 Monday through Friday job. Being a prosecutor cost you your marriage. Being the boss will let you take back your life.”“I don’t have a life, as you well know if you’re keeping tabs on me that closely.”
“You could, Bill. Your ex is seeing another instructor at UNF, a writer type named Clint Abbott. Seems like a decent guy but they’re just friends with benefits according to all we can tell.
“In the meantime, she’s buzzing around the courthouse in her new job and, according to some of our female staff, she manages to find reasons to come up to this floor many more times than she needs to. Almost as if she was trying to see, or be seen, by somebody.”
“If this was a Harlequin romance, I’d say you might have something. But there is nothing left between us, never will be.”
“You’re not the man you were six or seven months ago. And whatever she did is in the past. If you wanted her back, I’m betting you could get her.”
He turned the photo that sat on his desk next to his phone around so I could see it. It was a photo of himself, his wife in a low cut black gown and their two daughters, since married and mothers in their own right.
“Greta and I have been married for 30 years next February. It was the best thing I ever did. I was pretty wild in my younger days, but I’ve never regretted marrying. I’m proud of what I’ve done in public life. I’m proud of the job I’ve
done here, not least of which was picking you. But there’s nothing in my life that matters as much as she does.
“I know you love this job. I know you’ve made sacrifices for it. But you can’t take the damned job to bed with you at night. You can’t hold the fucking job in your arms when life kicks you in the teeth and you need human contact. Aline won’t be in your life. You can’t fill it with temporary stand-ins.”
He turned the photo back toward him.
“You’re not just giving up this job if you go forward with the grand jury on Shawn Smith. You’re giving up any hope of ever putting your life back together, of winning Debbie back.”
I was determined that the puppet master wouldn’t know that he had just kicked me in the guts with his words.
“We playing a scene from Faust now, Boss? You’re Mephistopheles offering to grant me my fondest wish if I’ll only surrender my soul?”
“Just think about it, Bill. You said you won’t do anything for a couple of weeks. I gather you’re waiting to see what happens with Aline. All I ask if that you think about what we’ve talked about before you make a final decision. You’ve waited this long. Give it a couple of weeks.”
“I won’t change my mind.” “I’m hoping you will.”
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