The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event.
(“Superman”)
October 1, 1993
Jeff Royce ran the brush over the barbecue grill a bit harder than he meant to. It didn’t matter. He wasn’t even looking at the grill but past the house to a man mowing his lawn across the street.
Picking up the two bags of raked leaves, Jeff walked around to the front edge of the house, and deposited the bags in the cans, never taking his eyes of the man for a moment.
Omar Khalid looked up from his mower and waved a hand as he noticed Jeff. It was a few moments before Jeff thought to wave back.
A middle-aged couple passed by on the sidewalk, giving Jeff a friendly greeting and wave as they did. Three small girls rode by on the bikes, laughing. Though they passed right in front of him, Jeff didn’t see any of them, except Omar, who had gone back to mowing.
Jeff’s staring was only broken when he heard the faint ringing of the phone inside the house. He shook his head, then headed towards the door.
***
“Hello?” Jeff answered curtly, picking up the phone in the living room.
“So, you got any plans for the weekend?” Ethan said, smirking on the other end.
“I told you not to call me here.”
“Well, you keep ducking me like this, you don’t leave me a lot of choice.”
“Garrison tell you to call me?”
“No, just making sure you’re keeping your eye on the prize.”
Jeff pulled the front room curtains back slightly and stared at Omar, still mowing his lawn.
“I know who I’m supposed to keep an eye on.”
“Good.” Ethan smiled. “Look, one way or another, this should all be over soon. You know I’m just looking out for you, right?”
“Yeah.” Jeff answered, suddenly sounding weary. “Well, since we’re exchanging friendly advice, here’s some from me. We’ve been doing this job too long. Get out and find something else to do before it turns you into something you don’t even recognize.” He sighed. “Or it kills you.”
Ethan said nothing, but Jeff didn’t notice. Instead, his gaze was focused squarely on Omar across the street…
***
The motel parking lot, nearly empty a half-hour earlier was now a sea of police and emergency vehicles. Sitting at the back of an ambulance, Detective Lilly Rush pushed away the oxygen mask again, before the paramedic holding it shook his head and finally gave up. She turned her head up towards the six-foot wide crater on the second floor that had formerly been the room of Ethan Moore.
Her partner, Scotty Valens, sitting next to her, gestured to the older man walking back over to them.
“CSU’s almost here. So are Vera and Miller” Lieutenant John Stillman said. “Will’s interviewing the guests. Owner said he saw a black van pulling out of the lot about an hour ago, didn’t think it belong to any of the guests.”
Lilly nodded. “Maybe we’ll get lucky with traffic cameras.”
Stillman looked up at the wrecked room, then back at them. “They’re probably gonna bring the FBI in on this.”
Scotty rolled his eyes. “Cause that worked so great the last time they worked a bombing in Philly.”
“We’re gonna need their help on this.” Stillman said. “We’ll talk once the docs clear you both.”
Lilly and Scotty both nodded.
“There’s one more thing. They found this blown halfway across the lot.” Stillman held up a glossy black and white photo with scorch marks at the edge. It showed Jeff and Omar outside somewhere. Jeff had his hand out, apparently conversing with Omar, who was looking around uneasily, allowing the camera to catch his face.
“That’s Omar Khalid, the guy Jeff was supposed to be watching.” Scotty said. “Ethan still had this after all these years?”
“Doesn’t look like they could see him take it.” Lilly said. “Wonder which one of them he was shooting.”
“We still think Ethan was telling the truth?” Stillman asked. “That this guy’s still alive?”
Scotty shrugged. “Guy knew he was about to meet his maker. I don’t think he’d lie about that with his last words.”
“We need to find him, boss.” Lilly said. “Whatever happened to Ethan here, whatever happened to Jeff seventeen years ago,” Lilly pointed to Omar’s face in the picture. “This guy’s the key.”
ROLL INTRO
Cold Case opening credits by ES Posthumus
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