The Interstellar Police Force, Book One: The Historic Mission Raymond Klein (read out loud books .TXT) 📖

the small coffee shop with a gray miniature schnauzer that did nothing but stare at Genghis. Monica came by with a small tray and two large cups of latte. “Here yah go,” she said, with a big silvery grin. Monica placed the cups in front of them both, retrieved their empties, and placed them on the tray. Then she pulled a chair over from an empty table and sat with them. “What a day!” she said. “We’ve been swamped.”

“Yeah,” Jennifer said, while taking a sip of her coffee. “It’s tourist season. I’ve been pretty busy too.”

“Oh, really!” Monica said sweetly. She reached over and rubbed Genghis’s head. He closed his eyes, really beginning to enjoy this ritual of the human race. When he opened them the schnauzer was still staring at him. “Oh, crap! He knows.”

“What do you do, Twinkie?” Monica asked.

Jennifer looked over at Jeff, took another sip of coffee, and said, “I’m self employed. Hospitality!”

“Oh, cool,” Monica said. “I always wanted to work in a hospital.”

They all sat and talked and had a good time. Monica got up several times to service other customers, but always wound up sitting with her new friends. It was late afternoon when Trent and Genghis drove Jennifer back to her apartment. She unlocked the door, opened it, and told them to come on in.

Jennifer kicked off her flip-flops and asked, “Jeff! Want a beer?” She opened the fridge, and Trent looked down at Genghis, shrugged his shoulders, and said, “Sounds delightful, Twinkie. Thank you.”

She twisted off the top and handed the cold bottle to Jeff. He looked at the label, but could not pronounce the name of the company that manufactured this particular beverage. There was an image of a large bird with spread wings, and below it a boast that it was the oldest brewery in America. Jennifer then filled a big bowl with water and placed it on the ground, and said to Genghis, “You didn’t think I was gonna forget you, did you?”

“No, but I’d rather one of those.”

Jeff tipped back the bottle and took a drink. He coughed lightly as the carbonated bubbles shot up his nose. Jennifer laughed and said, “Not much of a drinker, are you?”

The black curtains were open, and natural light filled the room. Jeff looked around the meticulously clean apartment and saw a framed photograph on a small side table. It was a picture of a smiling Jennifer. She must have been in her early teens, with a small dog sitting on her lap. It was the only photograph in the room. The rest were store-bought prints. She asked Jeff to sit down, and he sat on the couch. Genghis walked up to where Jeff sat and slid his hindquarters onto the seat, keeping his front paws on the ground. “That’s funny the way he does that,” Jennifer said as she sat on a cheap cushioned chair with her own beer. “Did you teach him that?”

Trent looked at Genghis as Genghis glared up at him. “Oh, yes! You’ve taught me sooo much.”

“Ah, no.” Jeff looked at Jennifer. “He just started to do that on his own.”

“So,” Jennifer asked, while taking a sip of her beer, “How long have you been a cop?”

“Oh, let's see. Well . . . since I got out of school. It’s the only thing I ever wanted to do. It’s in the family. My father and his father before him were agents. Ah, cops.”

“That’s cool. Family traditions are cool.”

“And what about you?” Jeff asked.

“What about me?”

“You. I’m sure this is not what you always dreamed of doing.”

Jennifer was quiet and introspective for a second. “No. It’s definitely not what I always wanted to do.” She looked at Jeff. “That’s another story, for another time.”

Jeff and Genghis both understood.

“So, Officer Trent,” she said, tucking her right leg under her left, “Tell me. What cool cases are you working on?”

“Well, to be honest with you Twinkie, Genghis and I,” he caught himself, “Ah, we’re, I mean, I’ve been working on the arson fires. In fact, the old friend we were looking for today is not a friend. We feel he is responsible for all these fires.”

“Really?” she said, genuinely interested. “You said you had pictures. You should let me see them. Maybe I do know this guy.”

“That’s a good idea Twinkie. We’ll swing by tomorrow morning with a couple and show you.”

“Yeah, that would be cool. Hey Jeff! You hungry? Let’s order some pizza.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Jeff and Genghis watched in amazement as Jennifer used the telephone. They shared a glance, both thinking that, so that’s what that white thing on their kitchen wall is. The pizza came and Jennifer brought the box into the kitchen, followed by Jeff and Genghis. The aroma of the pizza filled the apartment. “This is what I call my mobs pizza.” She said, as she flipped up the lid. “Mushroom, Onion, Bacon and Sausage! The best, Baby!” She got two plates and placed two slices on each. Handing one to Jeff, she asked, “Can I give a piece to Genghis? Is it okay? I mean, he’s not gonna get the screaming shits or anything, will he?”

Jeff was dumbfounded for a second, then said, “Ah! No . . . I don’t think so.” She grabbed another plate, put a slice on it, and placed it next to the water bowl. “There you go, big guy.” She rubbed his head as he approached.

Jeff watched Jennifer and mimicked her. He picked up the triangle by the crust and took a small bite of the tip. “Oh, this is good!” He took a bigger bite and thought to himself that he was really beginning to like the cuisine of this planet. Genghis had already finished his and wanted another piece. But how? he thought. Then he thought of what a human canine would do: A dumb, drooling human canine and produced a sharp bark. Jeff looked at Jennifer and answered her question before she asked, “Go ahead, you