A Nighttime Foray into Hell's Kitchen

A Nighttime Foray into Hell's Kitchen

The restaurant door was pushed open again, and Fudge and Matt walked in.

As Fudge walked, he complained, "Matt, I told you we needed to come earlier. You wasted too much time on that girl. At this hour, Alvin's steaks are definitely sold out."

Matt smiled and ignored Fudge's complaints. He looked well, as though he had rested well these past two days. He spun his cane flamboyantly in his hand before lightly tapping Fudge on the waist.

Fudge jumped as if electrocuted, waving his hands as he cried, "Okay, okay! Our great lawyer Matt is a dedicated professional. It definitely isn't because that girl was smoking hot. Oh, and her voice was hot too!"

Fudge skipped out of Matt's striking range and waddled toward the bar with a chubby penguin version of Jackson's moonwalk. He laughingly greeted Michael and Scott, then called to Alvin, "Alvin, you've got to save me. My stomach is telling me it needs you to rescue it right now. I don't care what it is—I need to fill it."

Ginny had been sitting on a barstool behind the counter. Misty's threats had not frightened her, but Fudge's comical performance had caught her attention. Resting her chin on her hands, she watched him with interest.

Noticing Ginny's attention, Fudge dramatically covered his face with both hands and ran in place with quick little steps. Like an overexcited fan, he let out a soft squeal. "Ahh~ Wow, is this Hell's Kitchen's little princess? My God, you're so beautiful. You look like a real princess!"

Fudge made Ginny giggle. Clutching her little belly, she slid right off the barstool.

Alvin swiftly caught Ginny, who was laughing so hard she was nearly sitting on the floor. He held her in his arms and glared at Fudge. Ignoring the clown, he greeted Matt. "Hey, Matt. You're looking good!"

Matt wore dark red sunglasses. Perhaps because he had been resting well, his complexion was especially rosy. Walking over, he said with a smile, "The past two days have been quite nice. A flock of lovely little birds has been flying around Hell's Kitchen. Alvin, did you know?"

Alvin laughed it off. "Maybe the breadcrumbs I scattered on the roof did the trick. Who knows? But it's a good thing, isn't it?"

Matt smiled easily. "It is. At the very least, I've slept well for two nights." He took off his sunglasses, revealing gray eyes, and made a funny face at Ginny in Alvin's arms.

Ginny was very curious. This was another different kind of person, and it made her happy. Over the past two days, she had met several different people. She felt they were all her kind.

Left hanging to one side, Misty's face had begun to turn green with anger. The only thing keeping her from erupting was the last shred of her police instinct. She might have realized that something was wrong.

Alvin did not know what Misty's problem was. But she was a newly appointed precinct captain, and the first thing she did was offend two of the most capable officers in the Hell's Kitchen precinct. Then she came to throw her weight around at the Peace Hotel. She did not seem very bright.

Sighing, Alvin did not want to make things difficult for her. After all, she was a police officer. Looking at Misty, he said, "Officer Misty, I hope you'll withdraw your accusation against me. Everyone in the neighborhood knew that I was here all night and went nowhere. If you suspect me, bring a judge's warrant, and I'll cooperate with your investigation. Don't casually pin a crime on someone. Maybe you're used to doing things that way elsewhere, but this is Hell's Kitchen. That won't work here!"

With a livid face, Misty said coldly, "Yesterday, you negotiated with Black Bear, one of Bloody Jansen's men. After the negotiations broke down, Black Bear and all his men were seriously injured and hospitalized. At the same time, Bloody Jansen's Long Island villa was attacked, and all thirty-six people there were killed. You're telling me this has nothing to do with you? I don't care if scum like you kill each other, but among those thirty-six were innocent servants and gardeners. Don't let me find evidence. You'll pay for this!"

Alvin looked speechlessly at the Big Apple City police commissioner. The old fox clutched his glass of lemonade and stared into it intently, as if he had not heard the conversation between Misty and Alvin.

Alvin no longer paid attention to the impulsive policewoman. Smiling at Commissioner George, he said, "You must really hate her to transfer her to Hell's Kitchen."

George could no longer remain indifferent in the face of such an accusation. He said solemnly, "Ms. Misty Knight is an outstanding officer. We believe her arrival will improve public safety in Hell's Kitchen. That is why we transferred her here." The way he spouted such serious nonsense made him look exactly like a United States president on television.

George's words were so insincere that even Misty herself could hear it. She finally realized that she might have done something wrong. She glanced at Michael and Scott. Seeing them lower their heads in silence, she stared at Commissioner George with a livid face.

Being stared at by one of his own subordinates like that, even George's thick skin could not quite bear it. He gave a wry smile and said, "I know you, Alvin. I've read all your files. You're an impressive man. In one year, you've brought more change to Hell's Kitchen than we police have in the past ten years. But maintaining public safety still has to rely on the police in the end. The Hell's Kitchen precinct captain position has been vacant for over a year. Misty is the most suitable candidate I could think of. That's why she and I came here today—we wanted to get to know you." He looked at Misty, then at Michael and Scott behind her. Shaking his head, he smiled bitterly. "Now I'm starting to doubt whether she's up to the job."

George spoke sincerely, and Alvin did not think he was deliberately looking for trouble. Looking at Michael, he said, "Michael, for God's sake! Tell your new captain where I was yesterday."

Michael awkwardly rubbed his nose. "Mr. Alvin was in the restaurant all day yesterday. During that time, he held negotiations with Black Bear. The purpose was to make the other side stay away from the children at the school and the minors in the community. Also, Black Bear is completely unharmed now. I have reason to believe that Mr. Alvin has nothing to do with what happened on Long Island. There was no need for him to be involved."

Misty looked at Michael suspiciously, her face livid as she said nothing. She now felt incredibly foolish. She could sense the rejection and distrust from the officers within the precinct. In her impulsiveness, she had chosen a completely wrong target to establish her authority, and right in front of her superior, she had displayed her stupidest side. Was there anyone more pathetic than her on their first day in office?

Looking at Misty, Alvin said, "Officer Misty, I welcome you becoming the captain of the Hell's Kitchen precinct. But first, you have to prove that you're a qualified officer before everyone will listen to you. That's the rule in Hell's Kitchen. It's the same on the streets and in the precinct."

Misty looked at Alvin and said coldly, "Then how do I prove that I'm the right person?"

Alvin laughed heartily. "Simple. Come take a walk through Hell's Kitchen at night."

Misty said somewhat incredulously, "That's it?"

Alvin smiled. "One week from now, as long as you're not dead and haven't run away, I'll be the first to say: welcome to Hell's Kitchen!"