Kate Mangino walked into the Southern California Police Department. She tried to tell herself that at least her son was safe and not alone like he would be if he was home. The nurses would come in every hour to check on him, which was relieving. He had a television and his cell phone, and they would feed him. As she walked up to the front desk, she heard someone walk up from behind and call her by name.
“Mangino, right?” someone said. She turned around. “I’m Detective Chanello.”
“Hi. I remember you from the interview.” He was 6 feet tall with dark hair and an athletic body.
“Yes.” There was momentarily silence. “So, you made it from Alabama. How was your flight?”
“We drove.”
“Oh yeah. You have a son if I remember correctly.”
“Yes, Wesley.”
“Great. I know I showed you the office before, but let me show you the desk you’ll be using." They walked down a hall and Chanello showed her the sign on the door. It read “Detective Chanello and Detective Mangino.” “How do you like that?” he asked.
“It’s great,” said Mangino..
“We will share this office and be partners. I’ll train you and show you the ropes.” He guided her over to several filing cabinets. “Here we have our three main categories of cases. In this cabinet is solved cases. This has the most folders because we solve 98% of the city’s cases quickly. This cabinet is for our open but current cases. These are people who are currently in the system awaiting trial or cases that are unsolved still, but only for a year or less. And here is the cabinet of unsolved cases. Do you see that small folder on my desk?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the subcategory in unsolved – over 10 years old. There is only one case there. Just one. We almost always get the bastards.”
Mangino read the file – “Mr. Sorenstein”
“He was some union and mafia attorney who had gotten too many people off. But, he later wound up dead. So, we got poetic justice,” said Chanello. “We are still obligated to catch the person who killed him, even if we don’t want to,” Chanello said with disappointment.
Mangino had heard of the case, even in Alabama. Although there were many theories about who did it, one was that it was the police, or more likely the FBI since he had just gotten off a mafia hit man who had killed an FBI agent.
Chief Lutz entered the room abruptly, like a freight train rolling downhill. “Mangino, welcome to the Southern California Police Department. It’s good to have you on board. Can you follow me?” he said before she even had a chance to respond. She followed him down the hall to a commons area.
“Now the first thing I want you to do every morning is make coffee. Do you know how?”
“Of…..of course,” she replied, not knowing why she, a detective, would be asked to make coffee. Was it because she was new or because she was a woman?
“Mangino, are you listening?”
“Yes.”
“Ok. So. Basically, you are going to listen to Chanello. He’s your partner, and he is going to train you. You can come see me whenever you need to. Got it? Good. I’ll be in my office.”
Chanello spoke up. “Let’s go back to our office.”
“Alright.”
“I’m sorry about him. He’s not as gruff as he seems. It’s just a rookie thing. I know you’ve been an officer in another state, but as a detective here in California on your first day, the sergeant views you as a rookie.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s no big deal. Hey, I need to call my son. Is there an office where I can have some privacy?”
“Sure, you can use our office while I go get some coffee.”
“Alright. Thank you.” Kate walked in the office and shut the door. Afterwards, she took out her cell phone and called her son. He answered after one ring. Although he sounded tired, Wesley also sounded happy. The nurses were taking good care of him. He had eggs and bacon for breakfast which was better than the bowl of frosted flakes she would have given him at home. Now, he was watching an e-sport tournament which was supposed to last all day. Luckily, the meds seem to be doing their job. After the call she felt better and knew he was safe and in good hands.