Detective Kali

I began the story after meeting a who stated that I look like a character that they thought they had made up. Eventually, I was approached with the idea for writing it, and I was so excited because I wanted to make sure that I approached my writing with a very diverse that reflected the world that I grew up in my personal experiences or things that I just simply witnessed.

after dedicating so much time to putting this entire story together, at some point, they decided to change the story and wanted me to change it, and they thought changing the ethnic background was something really simple and did not affect the story and as a writer, I wholeheartedly . Every aspect of any character, of any person is a slow buildup brick by brick of the local culture, ethnic background, education, a person receives, the make, the good the bad all of those little things contribute to how and why a person is the way that they are along with who they are naturally. So when I am told to change one of the most important aspects of the character, I simply lost the and have been trying to make my way back…. Maybe you’ll like it maybe I will find my muse to write this.

“Local Authorities have another hate crime with an elderly Vietnamese man dismembered and left in the trunk of his very own car. Detectives are currently on the scene obtaining evidence of yet another heinous crime!” The echoing words of the reporter play behind closed eyes until what sounds like a drop of more paperwork hits my desk. “Shee-ah or however you pronounce it, here’s another one little lady.” Opening my eyes to the displeased view of a slicked hair man refusing to admit his age and a worn out face only a mother could love. I grumble “Detective D, how sweet? I got enough cases on my plate; don’t be humble take some for yourself”. Detective D glances up at the television & points “isn’t that one of your people Kali?”. “They are all my people” I mutter; he slides my feet off my own desk & puts more paperwork on it and then sternly “Then perhaps the extra credit can go to you”. He walks off feeling cocky and I wonder to myself how shocked he would be if I leaped at him; just once. 

I hear my favorite detective slide her chair over to my desk “ Detective Чурбан (pronounced Churr-ban) at it again I don’t think he realizes you can kick his ass”. I smirk “Then let’s leave it as an element of surprise, so what case are you spinning on Kira?”. “My anxiety is spinning on this girl. She dates this guy 3 times he gives her a uhhh плохое предчувствие (bad feeling) & she dumps him. Kid can’t let it go, girl goes missing. We got probable cause, the warrant, no suspect in custody & evidence pointing to him. I just want to talk”. “How old are they?”. Kira tosses her blonde hair accidentally showing her auburn roots “girl is 24 and the guy 39 Kal”. I am trying to give suggestions but I honestly can’t think of any angle she hasn’t thought of. I hear whistling coming from down the hall and I nudge Kira “Siti must be here with lunch”. Siti is a curvy Malaysian woman with long hair, full cheeks that give her a much softer look than Kira and I could ever dream of. Kira is beautiful but most American men fear her Russian beauty and accent even though she’s sweet. Siti’s cherub cheeks are dangerous. I’ve seen men try to own her beauty out of fear but only one degenerate ringed her…for now.

Siti drops Lunch on my desk “Here Kal & they made it extra spicy and sweet for you”. I notice Siti has a bag that smells like Pho “Siti how could you get Pho knowing I’m eating Asam Laksa, I can’t choose!” Siti proudly smirks into a bubbly laugh and passes the second bowl of Pho to Kira. I mimic my heart being shot and we all laugh. Kira asks “Siti what’s the stitch on your case?”. Siti cocks her head back “I won! So hopefully no more problems!” “Cheers to that!” I say as I slip out my flask. Kira & Siti glance at me lovingly but judging from concern. I smile and reluctantly put the flask back with my wallet. For a minute, we remember we are human and feel it too. 

The television blares “Another Black kid killed by local law enforcement! Tune in at 11!” I hear the Sergeant come from her office and the whole floor turns to her. She sternly speaks “I know another media circus production makes us look like the enemy of the people but we can pull through this! We are here to protect the people and anyone whose not for the community can be weeded out. Don’t let this new story deter you. We are this city’s last line of hope and protection. Without us, the city will go back in time”. The room is silent. Sargent Chloe Lombardo has been trying to keep the good willed motivated since the city started showing signs of turning against its protectors. I turn to Kira and Siti “It didn’t take many rotten apples to create a war with the people; we’re not all bad.” Kira interjects “at least your color helps you in some situations, from where they stand I’m another white cop with bad motive”. I respond “Our skin is blue & that will always separate us from the people signed up to protect.” We eat in silence until my partner arrives at my desk hard “KalKal, we gotta go!” I grab my coat and badge and wave to Siti and Kira.

Fox and I slide into our car with sirens blaring. “Whoa Fox! Where we rushing to?”. His smug face replies “Remember the paid protestors who were joining the movement but destroying the city?” I roll my eyes “Of Course & we caught the small timers.”. Fox lights up “Yeah but we just got a hit on one of the leaders. One of their guys talked and it looks like they are inciting more mayhem to come”. I raise my fist in the air in excitement “let’s get em Fox, they turned this city into mayhem.” We weave through traffic like a sewing thread. As we pass by the citizens we vowed to protect I think about the officers making my job more difficult, which reminds me to ask “Where we headed Fox?”. His face changes and leans left away from me to say “The Heights”. Of course, one of the many places that is hard to be a cop in. A few months ago we had a national blow up of one of my own demonstrating brutality to a suspect; we were so ashamed of him. People in my department joined the forces to clean up the system and it seems to get harder and hard; how can I protect a community who doesn’t trust me and I can’t even blame them for not trusting us. Maybe we’re in over our heads trying to change things from the inside. Maybe we’re on the right track. Fox interrupts my thoughts with “This guy is no different that corrupt cops, the only difference between him and us; is that the community trusts him without realizing he’s selling them to the machine. Stick together and we’ll get out of this alive. Besides we’re going there to talk while we wait for the warrants.” All I can do is nod at him.

We pull up to a church and a long line of the community standing out front. Fox looks at me, “You want me to use my color to help you out Fox, you looking paler than usual.” “Oh real nice”. I jostle his elbow and head out the car. The church goers turn to observe us and can smell the blue blood odor we must reek of. “Excuse me, pardon me.” I try to say with a smile on my face with my partner at my back. The crowd opens up for us a little to create a tight uncomfortable path to the front door while closing in behind us. We arrive at the door and a large man at least 6’3” with his arms crossed in front of his body like he wishes a mutha would. I pull out my badge and before I could speak “We know what you are, and you’re not welcomed here. Last time ya’ll came here. Ya’ll were finna to break necks over small time jigs. What you want?”. “Bro, I’m here…” “Bro? You traded your color for blue, don’t bro me. Wannabe sis-tah.” I pause for a second and breathe. “Look we have no warrant. We’re not raiding. We want to talk to Q to ask some questions; he’s not everything he makes himself out to be.” The man walks uncomfortably close to me to say “Well I can tell you what he ain’t. If he finna to talk to blue skinned freaks, he’ll call you.” A man in a blue suit opens the door to the church “Excuse my brother, he cares about his community. Miss?…”. I peer pass the bulging human door to address the man in the suit “It’s Officer Xia and Officer Fox, we have a few questions for Q.” He makes way for us to pass by and I can feel the heat from the community on my back.

“The name is Malachi, follow me.” We follow him and up the stairs to a Reverend’s room; Q sits back in a chair with his feet on the desk smoking. “Officers? I hear you’d like to speak with me?” Fox is a little on edge and keeps close to me. “Yeah, mind if we take a seat?” Q takes his feet off the desk and leans in “Cigar? Cigarette? Maryjane? Vape? What’s your poison?” I look down at the box of vices and reply “Sounds nice but we are working and that would be unprofessional.” Q shrugs and sits back waiting for us to speak. Fox glances at me to lead the conversation; I can see he’s really uncomfortable. Q is watching the tension leak from Fox’s pores and he asks “Did they give her to you as a mutt representation, pass go, collect $200 card to come to the Heights?”. Fox resolves his tension “I requested to work with only the best.” Q replies “White boy must be nervous, but what brings you here.” I have to break this irritation he thinks is a conversation “Q, I wanted to get some insight on your whereabouts on March 23rd?” Q’s eyebrows raise and a supercilious smirk crosses his face “Well Off-ah-sirss, I was out saving lives much like yourselves. I am a big fan of the blue. I love me some blue men, some blue women. Why do you ask?”. “Word on the street is that you’re a bigger fan of dirty blues than straight blues, looks kinda funny for a community struggling to trust anyone.” Q’s smirk fades “Do you have names of whose talking?” I gasp dramatically “Names? Who said I had names. I said word on the street. You know as a detective sometimes we just hear things. I do walk in both lanes of this world and that world.” Q claps his hands loud and begins to laugh “Oh Lady Blue has jokes! Let me ask you, what are you exactly, cause you don’t look like you’re real Black. You know we can smell that kinda shit on people.” “You wanna conversate with me talking a colorism stand, now isn’t the time and last time I check it doesn’t matter what I am. I protect all colors and so does my partner. Where were you March 23rd?” Q pulls out a black leather planner, “hmmm..(as he flips through the pages)…looks like I was on Atlantic Drive giving a speech, feel free to check the live streams of the community #NPNJ it’s really catchy amongst us; you’ll find that even some of your blue skinned there protecting the community.” He knows we’re limited but I do know we could start getting a highlight of which cops to watch. “What were you doing there?” “Giving a speech on our lives matter. How our lives are taken and no one cares. Especially if the life taker is blue, you should come to my next one?” “Do you care?” I ask him. “Of course I care.” His arrogance is irksome and I lean in closer to him “Then why would you feed dirty blues your own community, trash the city and fight those trying to protect your community. Working with something clean keeps the home clean.” He looks over at me and says “Dirty blues? That’s offensive, the only color anyone likes is green.” I know he’s not going to talk anymore and I stand up; Fox says nothing with his words but his face is readable. As we make our way to the door Q yells “Thanks for the visit, perhaps you should pray somewhere else. Blessings!” and the door slams behind us. Malachi seems pleased with himself and guides to the distrusting crowd outside. We get back to our car to find a keyed drawing of a pig. There’s no point in even asking because we already know no body is gonna know who did it.

Fox revs up the engine “Peel out the Heights first then pull over.” I tell him. He calmly drives out of the neighborhood and we have to keep up a non-fearful appearance in the car windows. We hit the highway and Fox pulls over to Bronze Lake Park. I step out of the car as calm as I can. I unhook my belt that holds my shield and gun. I need a minute to collect my thoughts and emotions. Fox sits in the car watching me walk to the nearest tree; as I begin kicking it over and over. It feels like I have only kicked once until Fox yells from the window “Didn’t your Sifu tell you to control your anger? And to respect nature.” I glance at him and say nothing. “Never mind, continue to beat the tree and leaf.” I stop my roundhouse mid motion and turn my head to him. “You know it creeps me out how much muscle control you have, carry on. Hit the tree and not the Fox.” I release my last kick and put my belt back on. We sit in the car. “Fox, internal affairs is counting on us and it’s like every turn we take is a dead beaten path and the walls are closing in on us, not even to stop us but to mock us from within and without.” His piercing brown eyes hit hard “Let’s update Lombardo, & try again. We’ll get what we need for a warrant. We’ll get more than circumstantial evidence to sway the courts so hard; I can see it now, Officer Xia takes down Dirty cops AND the mob! Here’s your medal. Hiiii-yahhh!” My partner has a way with words and getting me to silently chuckle, but I can’t laugh out loud; I refuse to give in to him.

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Lombardo sees my angry posture and lets me go to my desk as I see Fox in the window shaking his head at the Sergeant not to ask me anything. I approach my sad cold lunch and Siti comes to grab it from me “Let me warm that up for you and you can come into my office.” Evaluation time. As much as I want to complain, having one of the department’s psychologist in house helps a lot more than any of us care to admit. She’s been on a few jobs with us to help tackle EDP’s (emotional disturbed people). Some kid pitched this idea of supporting cop’s mental health to DC and they seemed to listen. It also helps that we’re actually friends, what better person to call you on your shit than someone who knows you and works with you. I head to her office and she greets me with a warm bowl of Asam Laksa. As her door shuts, she sits back and cheerfully stares at me. We could honestly sit in silence and she knows that is enough but today I feel like talking.