The Beast of 1977 (Book 1)

Captain Brickman's disposition was both low key and solemn as he stacked a series of papers all in a row while sitting quietly at his desk.

From left to right, reports of the incident from the night before, along with a prostitution ring that was busted up around three a.m. were all gathered into his stiff hands and neatly placed to the side.

Staying busy was never a challenge for the besieged man; it was a natural way of life. But that morning lay heavy and hard upon him, like carrying a three hundred pound man on top of his shoulders for hours.

Purposely, he had managed to keep away from Linus so far that morning, even though seven o' clock hadn't even arrived yet. There was so much he wanted to say to his colleague and friend, but it wasn't the right time, not with the investigation underway. Instead, he chose to keep to himself, secluded to the safe confines of his office.

Every so often he would answer his phone to take angry complaints from those who found wrong with the police department, or he would come out to ask for another cup of coffee from one of the female officers, but all in all, the unobtrusive man remained stationery and out of the way.

A sudden knock at the door startled the captain to where he lost complete track of the filing detail that he was right in the middle of.

Exasperated, he dropped the papers that were in his hands and looked up to see a silhouette stand on the other end of the stained glass door.

"Come in." He gently grimaced.

From behind the door appeared Fitzpatrick, who himself looked as if he hadn't slept a wink in two nights.

"Uh, sir, Mr. Mercer is here." Alan unenthusiastically stated.

Without saying a word, the captain groaned, gathered his papers and raised himself up and out of his creaky old wooden chair. The man sailed past Alan on his way out of his office and through the main work area where phones were ringing off the hook every other second and officers were handing him the proverbial stare downs.

"He's downstairs in interrogation." Alan said while following right in behind Brickman.

Without stopping, Brickman replied, "I'm fully aware of where the gentleman is, Detective."

was already an over boiling pot of

hurriedly and boldly stepped

"Don't start with me,

O'Dea." Alan pressed on. "You know just as well as I do that guy

"What do you want me to do?" Brickman shrugged. "Run upstairs, grab Linus and jump out the

"No...but if we could just get the D.A. on the phone,

a guy. I also know that just a few doors down I have to explain to a father why his son

Alan glanced behind him before slipping his hands inside his pants pockets and sighing, "You should see this Mercer fellow. He looks like he's about to go nuts at any moment. Officer Washington is right around the corner if you

Fitzpatrick as though he had lost his mental faculties before saying in a grunt, "Look, I've been up since nine last night. I'm high on Sanka, nicotine and cold medicine. Now, if I were you I wouldn't be concerned about my well-being as you are, because the question of why you left your piece in the trunk of that cruiser is gonna come up before the day is done, Detective. So what I suggest you do is head back upstairs, grab a cup of coffee

that the captain sidestepped Alan on his way past the interrogation room and directly to a tall, black officer who was standing against the

captain stopped, looked up at the officer and simply said, "Washington, we need you

officer looked down at the captain

The captain stood and watched as the towering officer marched down the empty hallway before turning around and stepping just ten feet back to the interrogation room. With an overwhelming sense of trepidation, the captain approached the

controversy and pain stricken calamity, Brickman had a pre-planned statement stored away in the furthest recesses of his brain, ready to send out at a moment's

sweaty right hand twisted the cold doorknob, beyond the door sat Mr. Mercer with his hands folded and his eyes closed to the world.

captain could hear the protesters outside the window behind Mercer yell and chant for justice and an end to police brutality. They had been out there for the past two hours, and their incessant pleas were increasing as

Brickman. Good morning." Brickman modestly broadcasted before sitting himself down on the other side of

as if he were either far away

point." Brickman discreetly stammered as though he were trying to cough. "At this very moment, the department is conducting an extensive investigation into Detective Bruin's actions from last night. All we know for now is that Detective Bruin made his way over to see your son and bring him here

make eye to eye contact with him. But no matter how diligently the captain explained the

of now, Detective Bruin is indefinitely suspended, without

instant, a slight grunt cooed from out of Mercer's throat before he slowly uttered, "Captain, can you imagine what it's like to look down upon your son and see his entire body opened up