The restaurant's front door opened again, and Foggy and Matt walked in.
As he walked, Foggy complained, "Matt, I told you we had to get here earlier. You wasted too much time on that girl. Alvin's steaks have been sold out for ages by now."
Matt smiled and ignored Foggy's complaints. He looked well rested, as if he'd gotten plenty of sleep over the past two days. He spun his cane in a flashy circle and lightly tapped Foggy on the waist.
Foggy jumped as if he'd been shocked, waving both hands as he cried, "Okay, okay! Our great lawyer Matt is a dedicated lawyer. It definitely has nothing to do with that girl being smoking hot. Oh, and her voice is HOT too!"
Foggy jumped out of Matt's range and made his way to the bar with an exaggerated, goofy Jackson-style shuffle. He greeted Michael and Scott with a laugh, then called to Alvin, "Alvin, you've got to save me! My stomach says it needs you to rescue it right now. Whatever you've got, I need to fill it up!"
Ginny had been sitting on a bar stool behind the counter. Misty's threats hadn't scared her, but Foggy's antics had caught her attention. She propped her chin on her hands and watched him with interest.
Foggy noticed Ginny watching him and dramatically covered his face with both hands. He ran in place, squealing softly like an excited fan. "Ah~ Wow~ Is this the little princess of Hell's Kitchen? My goodness, you're so beautiful! You look like a real princess!"
Ginny giggled at Foggy's antics, clutching her little belly as she slid off the bar stool.
Alvin was quick to catch Ginny, who was laughing so hard she nearly fell to the floor. He held her in his arms and glared at Foggy. Ignoring the clown, he greeted Matt. "Hey, Matt. You're looking well!"
Matt wore dark red sunglasses. Perhaps because he'd been sleeping well, his complexion looked especially healthy. He came over and said with a smile, "The past two days have been great. There've been a bunch of cute little birds flying around Hell's Kitchen. You know anything about that, Alvin?"
Alvin gave an awkward laugh. "Maybe the breadcrumbs I scattered on the rooftops did the trick. Who knows? But it's a good thing, isn't it?"
Matt smiled easily. "It is. I've slept well for at least two nights." Then he took off his sunglasses, revealing gray eyes, and made a face at Ginny in Alvin's arms.
Ginny was very curious. Here was another person who was different, and that made her happy. Over the past two days, she'd met several different people. She felt they were all like her.
Misty, left out to the side, had grown so angry that her face was turning green. The last of her police instincts was the only thing keeping her from lashing out. She might have sensed that something wasn't right.
Alvin had no idea what was wrong with Misty. But she was a newly appointed police chief who'd immediately offended two of the most capable officers in the Hell's Kitchen precinct. And now she'd come to the Peace Hotel to throw her weight around. She didn't seem very bright.
Sighing, Alvin didn't want to make things difficult for her. After all, she was a police officer. He looked at Misty and said, "Officer Misty, I hope you'll retract your accusation against me. Everyone in the neighborhood knew I was here all night, and hadn't gone anywhere. If you suspect me, get a judge's warrant. I'll cooperate with your investigation. Don't pin a crime on someone without cause. Maybe you're used to doing that elsewhere, but this is Hell's Kitchen. That won't work here!"
Misty's face was dark with anger as she said coldly, "Yesterday, you negotiated with Black Bear, one of Bloody Jensen's men. After the talks fell apart, Black Bear and all his men ended up badly injured in the hospital. At the same time, Bloody Jensen's Long Island villa was attacked, and all thirty-six people there died. You're telling me you had nothing to do with it? I don't care if you scumbags fight among yourselves, but there were innocent servants and a gardener among those thirty-six people. Don't let me find evidence. You'll pay for this!"
Alvin looked speechlessly at the Police Commissioner of Big Apple City. The old fox clutched his glass of lemonade and stared into it as if he hadn't heard a word of the conversation between Misty and Alvin.
Alvin ignored the impulsive police officer and smiled at Chief George. "You must really hate her to have transferred her to Hell's Kitchen."
George could no longer sit silently in the face of that accusation. He said solemnly, "Ms. Misty Knight is an outstanding officer. We believe her arrival will improve law and order in Hell's Kitchen. That's why we transferred her here." He sounded like the American president, delivering a perfectly straight-faced load of nonsense on television.
George's words were so insincere that even Misty could hear it. She finally began to realize she might have done something wrong. She glanced at Michael and Scott. Both stared at Chief George with dark expressions, their heads lowered and their mouths shut.
With his own subordinates staring at him like that, even George's thick skin couldn't take it. He smiled bitterly. "I know you, Alvin. I've read all your files. You're an extraordinary man. The changes you've brought to Hell's Kitchen in one year have surpassed what we police have accomplished in the past ten. But maintaining law and order is ultimately our responsibility. The post of Hell's Kitchen police chief has been vacant for over a year. Misty was the most suitable candidate in my eyes. That's why I came here with her today—to meet you." He glanced at Misty and at Michael and Scott behind her, then shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Now I'm starting to wonder if she's really up to the job."
George sounded sincere, and Alvin didn't doubt that he had any intention of causing trouble for him. He looked at Michael and said, "Michael, for God's sake! Tell your new police chief where I was yesterday."
Michael awkwardly rubbed his nose. "Mr. Alvin was at the restaurant all day yesterday. He did have a talk with Black Bear, but the point was to keep the man away from the children at school and the minors in the community. And Black Bear is alive and well. I have reason to believe Mr. Alvin had nothing to do with what happened on Long Island. There'd be no reason for him to."
Misty looked at Michael suspiciously, her face dark as she said nothing. She felt incredibly foolish now. She could sense the officers at the precinct rejecting and distrusting her. She'd impulsively chosen exactly the wrong person to make an example of, and done it right in front of her superior. She'd shown him the very worst of herself. Had anyone ever had a more humiliating first day on the job?
Alvin looked at Misty and said, "Officer Misty, I welcome you to Hell's Kitchen as the new police chief. But first, you have to prove you're a capable officer before you can expect everyone to listen to you. That's the rule in Hell's Kitchen. It's the same on the streets as it is in the precinct."
Misty looked at Alvin and said coldly, "Then how do I prove I'm the right person for the job?"
Alvin laughed heartily. "It's simple. Come test yourself in Hell's Kitchen at night."
Misty asked incredulously, "It's that simple?"
Alvin smiled. "A week from now, as long as you're still alive and haven't run away, I'll be the first to say, 'Welcome to Hell's Kitchen!'"
Before you continue