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Chapter Ten: The Paradox

It didn't take long before Reis found himself back in Joji's office with the mysterious stranger. The entire ride over passed by like a flash, leaving only the foggy memory of sitting in unsettling silence as he could feel the stranger's black eyes grilling him from behind. Reis took a seat at the front of Joji's desk, himself and the black wolf exchanging stares as Joji sat on the opposite side shuffling through files in the bottom drawer. They had taken the handcuffs off of the wolf, though Reis wished they hadn't because now the guy was slouching in his chair, right arm over the back of the metal chair and the other resting on his lap. He carried in him no ounce of respect or decency; grinning as he looked at the gold ring on Reis's left hand and then back up at him with his mocking, black eyes. Finally, Joji slammed the drawer and dropped a giant file on his desk. It was an old looking file, as the wrinkles of the cover and the thickness of the contents suggested that it was of long term vitality. Joji opened the file and took out a single index card that was placed on the top of the pile of papers. Joji looked up, grilling the wolf, who returned the gesture with a raise of his eyebrows and a widening of his face in arrogance.

Joji began to read aloud, "Calmonte Lighthorn. Alias 'B.B.W.' Arrested in March of 1989 for illegal transfer of guns and ammunition. Arrested in December of 1991 for mass production of illegal narcotics. Arson... misrepresentation...violator of the Dent Act. Arrested in August of 1996 for the destruction of the Atlas Casino in New Orleans. Missing according to the Nation Census since 2000."

Joji placed the index back on the top of the contents in the file. Then he folded his hands and leaned over the top of his desk, placing the end of his nose on his folded hands. "I guess the Census is gonna get a surprise call today. Huh, Cal?"

The wolf, Lighthorn, shrugged carelessly. Joji then lifted his head and prompted himself up with his elbows that lay on the desk.

"Alright Cal. From what I remember, you're an upfront guy, so let's get some things straight. First of all, what are you doing here?"

Lighthorn only slouched a bit more. He looked rather ridiculous being almost seven feet tall and forced to sit in a small metal chair. "I don't know, Junior. You can't seem to escape a Lighthorn as much as I can't seem to escape a Barkin."

Joji slammed his palm on the deck, "You ain't making smart ass remarks in my office, Cal! Now answer the question!"

Lighthorn grinningly shook his head. Suddenly the office door opened. Joji shot his head up to see who it was. It was Carol, accompanied by Salina. Reis got up from the end of the desk and moved over the side of the room, standing upright with his hands crossed behind him; still not allowing his eyes to separate from Lighthorn's. Lighthorn did, however, break off his starring match with Joji to gaze at the two women who had come in. Carol circled around the left side of the wolf and moved behind Joji's desk, placing his hand on the top of Joji's seat. Lighthorn nodded his head with a silent chuckle as she stared him down with her tired eyes. As Salina smoothly made her way around Lighthorn's right, the black wolf snapped his head in the other direction toward the slender feline with the kind of swiftness that would startle the timid. But Salina kept her poise, moving with such focus and determination that it was almost graceful. She said nothing, but Reis could see her piercing yellow eyes shouted a hundred chastising remarks at the stranger. Salina found a place right next to Reis.

The short confrontation was ended with Carol saying, "Is this him?" Joji nodded his head, still facing Lighthorn. Lighthorn maintained his calm and tranquil composure.

"Ladies," said the black wolf with a flick of his hand from his forehead outward, like a light salute, "so that we are not all strangers here, the name's Calmonte Lighthorn..." He then moved his hand to present Joji, "...This is...as I like to call...his dad's mini-me..." he then moved his hand into a pointing gesture toward Reis, "...and coming up in the world, mini-me's side-kicker."

"And this is the DA, Cal!" shouted Joji, "Now cut the act and answer our questions!"

Lighthorn widened his face, "What'd ya wanna know, junior?"

Joji squeezed his eyes tighter in a fiercer glare. "Where were you around 7:30 to 8pm Saturday night?"

"I was getting a little T and A. You want to get her name? Her address and phone number?" said Lighthorn rubbing his nails against his jacket.

Joji said nothing, only retaining his menacing glare. Lighthorn gave a light laugh, "No? Come on, junior, you got a look as if you hadn't had a good night in a long time. Oh well, if you're interested, maybe you can finder her in the Census."

Joji again pounded his fist on the desk. "Dammit Cal, you know what we want to know! The Tobias kid!"

"Who?"

"Big tiger. 'Bout twenty-one. Ring a bell?"

Lighthorn gave a confused frown, "Of course not. I don't know the guy."

"Oh, so you didn't kill him?"

The wolf put his thumb to his chest, "Who me? Why would I kill a guy I never heard of?"

Joji leaned his head forward, "I don't know. I personally don't know about the politics that go on in a drug ring like the kind you run. But maybe the money we found on him would suggest that he may have been taking more than his fair share..."

Lighthorn waved his hands outward, "Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. I don't know what the hell you're babbling about. Who's saying that I am a cartel here?"

Joji still clutched the fist he had slammed on the desk, "...the way the kid died was right out of your..."

"-Now listen here junior, your way out of line. From the moment you picked me up from my massage at the parlor you've done nothing but yap about conspiracies that you claim I'm at the center of, but you have not yet cited any kind of evidence to pin me to any of your hunches. Nothing to connect me with any drug ring, not even anything to put me in the place of your shooting. If there's one thing that I've learned from a life of dealing with your kind, it's probable cause."

Carol looked at Joji, "Is this true, Joji?"

Joji shook his head, "Of course not. The owner of the Hole himself said that he saw a person there at the bar on the night Tobias was killed looking for him only a few minutes before the shooting. A black wolf, fitting your description."

Still, Lighthorn wasn't moved. "Oh really, did you happen to take one of my portraits that you got sacked up in that file of yours? Did he identify me from one of those, junior?"

Joji was silent. Lighthorn grinned as he pulled out a box of matches from his jacket pocket and quickly plucked one of the cigarettes from the pack that Joji had on his desk toward the front.

He placed the cigarette in his mouth.

"Don't smoke in my office..."

Lighthorn rolled the cigarette against his lips, tracing his smile. "I think that you all need to lighten up." Lighthorn pulled a match out of the box, but didn't light it. Instead, he gently tucked the box of matches back into his coat pocket.

Carol rolled her eyes, "This is getting us nowhere."

Joji snapped, "I swear Cal, if you light that here I'm gonna snuff you across your _howler_face." Even though Reis knew that Joji meant nothing by the statement, he could not help but feel the least bit of offense to the derogatory wolf term.

"Calm down," scowled Carol to Joji almost motherly. This only further amused the black wolf.

"Listen to her junior. You need a good role model..." the wolf raised the match and slowly moved it toward Joji.

"...after all..." the wolf placed the tip of the match on Joji's badge, "...I hear your daddy had a little... accident..." The wolf slid the match against the badge, causing a spark to shoot up like a small explosion. But before the wolf could bring the lit match to the end of his cigarette, Joji sprung up and slammed his fist across the black muzzle of the wolf. The wolf was pushed right out of his seat with such force that he landed on the right side of his face. Reis leapt in front of Joji, holding back his arm. "JOJI! JOJI! Calm down..."

"For god's sake Joji! What the hell is wrong with you?" shouted Carol

Very, very reluctantly, Joji fell back into his chair. Reis pulled the black wolf up off the floor with his two fists and plopping him down back in the small metal chair.

"Who the hell are you?" snapped Joji from behind Reis, making Reis look up to the door in front of him. Standing in the entrance was a scrawny stork in a peculiar light blue jacket over a yellow dress shirt and an orange and yellow stripped tie. The stork causally strolled into the office with a wide grin. "I would be Mr. Lighthorn's counsel."

Joji glared, but leaned back in his chair, trying not to look at Lighthorn who he knew was sporting a gleeful face. "Alright, let's have it," he said.

The stork, still smiling, reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a couple of folded papers, raising them up like a triumphant torch. "Writ of habeas corpus. For the release of Calmonte Lighthorn." said the stork, tossing the papers in front of Joji. Joji picked them up and glanced over them. "Who issued it?"

The stork raised his eyebrows in delight, "Justice James Nab."

Joji looked up at Lighthorn again, his eyes still almost teary red with rage.

"Alright Lighthorn..." sighed Joji "...you can go."

Reis's blood turned cold.

Lighthorn happily rubbed his face as his put his cigarette back in his mouth and pulled out another match from his pocket. "Hocus pocus..." sneered the black wolf as he got up from his seat and brushed off his leather jacket.

"Look here..." snapped Joji as he stood up and bended his upper body over the desk, "I mean this as a warning. If you stay here, I swear to God, your steps as a free man are numbered. Every one of them will be watched and recorded. Got that? Every one. And when you trip, we'll be there to catch you."

Lighthorn bobbed his head, "Good to have friends who care." Then the black wolf gave another lazy and mocking salute as he turned to the door, escorted by his stork.

"I'm not finished Lighthorn!" shouted Joji. Lighthorn grinned as he turned back around to face the fuming gray dog behind the desk.

"If you stay here...I will destroy you." Joji pressed his finger against the top of the desk. "After a little talk with every newspaper, every news anchor, every church pastor, every politician and every restaurant owner in Chemung county, you'll be lucky to be able to take a piss in a public restroom. You'll have no business here, as much as you don't right now."

Lighthorn chuckled. Putting his hands out in a wide shrug, he said "We'll maybe they'll see me different."

"If I don't get to you, you'd better hope that they don't come kicking down your door!" shouted Joji. He then pointed toward the stork standing beside Lighthorn, "And your stork won't be able to bail you out of another loon's barrel!"

"That's enough Joji!" Carol immediately interjected.

Lighthorn put up his hand, "That's okay. I got a few words to get off my chest too." Lighthorn placed his cigarette back between his lips. You think you scare me junior? I've been in more jams with your copper kind since I was a pup then you could comprehend with your pup mind. I got stories that'll curl your even your fur." Lighthorn then made his way over to the other side of the room within reaching distance of Reis and Salina, who now stood in a corner together. He looked at Reis. "You really think you're all that in that uniform don't ya? You call me a thug? We'll guess what..." Lighthorn then turned back to Joji, "...at least I know I am. You never knew that that silver you polish on your chests only shows that your part of a government monopoly on thugs. I provide what everyone wants instead of a monopoly...competition." And then Lighthorn moved his head to face Carol. "And you never considered that you are fighting for the wrong side. At least not out loud. Lying to these cops and even to yourselves. Pretending to stand for justice with these desperados. You're thugs of words 'cause you can't be thugs of strength. So you hold these guy's leashes. Kissing ass to each other and kicking ass behind each other's backs. Well let me spell out the paradox for ya..." Lighthorn turned back to face Salina "Every cop hates a lawyer..." then he faced Reis "...and every lawyer hates a cop." Reis squeezed his left hand, feeling the pressure of the gold ring between his pinky and middle finger. Lighthorn tapped his hand to his chest, "Well at least I'm honest about that truth and so is my friend over there. And you know what?" In a flash, snapped the match in his right hand right up Reis's badge and light his cigarette. Blowing out a puff of smoke, Lighthorn said "The truth will set you free."

Reis felt his hot blood pounding through his temple. He began to move forward with both fists grasped, but he was stopped by the feeling of Salina's arm around his waist. Joji watched with some relief, and then he turned back to Lighthorn. "Keep up the talk. 'Cause we'll see how loud you squeal when you end up in a jam without a lawyer, a gun ...or anything flammable." Lighthorn raised his eyebrows in excitement and said "Speaking of which, I would like to have my little water squitter back."

Joji looked at Reis and nodded his head toward the door. Reis walked around Lighthorn and almost right through the stork, who had to reluctantly move to get out of the way.

Reis finally returned after an odd delay. "Finally," exclaimed Lighthorn. Reis tossed to the black wolf his gun. But when the wolf caught it, the gleefulness ran from his face and turned into a look of absolute and utter surprise. Lighthorn realized that he was holding his gun that had been bent to its side to the point that it looked like a horse-shoe. Lighthorn looked up with a flare in his eyes to Reis. Reis tried keep his composure despite the unnerving, sinister glare of Lighthorn's black eyes. Then the flare in the wolf's eyes departed as quickly as it came, turning into a glow of elation. The black wolf began to gag up a chuckle which, holding onto his chest, turned into hysterical laughter. Lighthorn began laughing so hard that he struggled to straighten out his body and walk three feet forward to his lawyer who was giving an awkward grin. "Smokes and Mary" shouted Lighthorn, "kid's alright!" Lighthorn then stumbled over to Reis, looking into his deep blues with his empty blacks. "How much is he paying you, kid?" asked Lighthorn waving his thumb at Joji. "'Cause I'll double it. Stick with me and you'll be running around town in a thousand dollar suit."

Reis said nothing, he just stood, keeping still his tense body and his glaring eyes. Lighthorn smoothly backed up towards the door, "If ya change your mind, I'll be around." After giving a wink and another wave of his hand in a light salute, the black wolf walked out of the room, leaving behind a trail of smoke. It was a path which the stork followed, coughing as the smoke hit his face.

Reis gazed over at Joji, whose face glowed as he gently nodded his head. Carol marched right between the two of them and faced Joji. "I hope you're happy."

Joji grinned, "Sure am. He's here ain't he? Just like I said."

"Yea, and you let another one slip through your fingers, you lug."

Joji shrugged, "I meant what I told him. He'll either have to hold it or ditch town."

"And another criminal escapes you!"

"He ain't gonna run," Joji said moving forward crossing his arms "He's gonna stay. And with the entire town riled up about him, the first tip we get we'll hull him in."

Carol rolled her eyes, "And in the meantime, how many more are gonna end up dead with no trace of their murderers?"

Joji said nothing as his grin sank into a blank stare.

"That's right," said Carol as she turned his body and started for the door, "nothing has been getting better since you became Sheriff."

Reis moved over to Joji's side. Joji only smiled again and said, "Why don't we discuss it over dinner?"

"Go to hell, Joji!" snapped Carol as she exited the room.

"Let's say nine. Call me." Joji turned to Reis and said sarcastically, "She won't call."

Reis gave a light chuckle. Joji happily pounded his two fisted against Reis's chest "You got some nerve." Joji nodded his head to the door, "I've wanted to do that since I was like eleven."

Reis smiled. Joji places his hand on Reis's shoulder, "Let's say we make a stop at the Hole tonight after patrol, huh? Drinks are me."

"I don't know, Joji," said Reis rubbing the back of his neck.

"Come on, Reis. You deserve it. You can bring Marcus."

"I think he's having dinner with his parents tonight, but I could ask him."

Joji then turned to Salina, who was still standing in the corner of the room with her arms crossed and face puzzled. "How 'bout you join us, Salina."

Salina tilted her head, "How did you know my name?" she asked. Joji looked to the corner of her eyes. "Marcus told me. So what do you say?"

Salina gave a condescending smile, "I don't think so. I got a lot to do."

Joji only cocked his head as he grinned. "At nine o'clock at night? Come on. I'd like to get to know a new face in town. And I can get you better acquainted with the place, too. It's only a few drinks on me, plus dinner."

Salina said nothing, but lightened her face. Joji nodded his head toward the door. "You're not gonna let what he said get to you, are ya?"

Salina looked up to Reis, who gave a friendly smile.

"Alright. I guess I need to relax a little."

Joji beamed, "Great!"

Salina nodded her head as she walked to the door, "Till then."

After she left, Joji looked up at Reis.

"You think you could excuse me for a sec. I gotta make a quick call."

"Of course."

As Reis walked out, closing the door, Joji picked up the black wire phone from this desk. He dialed a number and pressed the phone against his ear.

Ring...Ring...Ring...Ring...

Finally, Joji heard the rasp lively voice of his brother on the other line.

"Hey, this is August, can't come to the phone right now but please leave a message and I'll get back to you A to the S to the A to the P."

Joji sighed as he waited for the beep.

BEEP!

"August...he's back..."