"Oh, hi, Stan," Joel said. "I didn't recognize you from behind. There's a reporter at the hospital that might be impersonating a cop. I thought you might be him."

"That's Gary Alexander. Wears a cowboy hat and leather coat. I caught him a few hours ago in Ray Newman’s room," Stan said.

Stuck in the bed since one wrist was handcuffed to the bed rail, Michael Trapp said, "I talked to Gary earlier too. He asked about the gun that Pipe gave me. Gary looked more like a cop than you three clowns: a midget with nerd glasses, a bimbo, and a scarecrow. Officer Stan, you're so skinny, I'd think you were a heroin user. I'll bet you are. Let me go, and I'll get you plenty! What do you say?"

Stan responded, "How about I slap on another drug charge?"

"I was only joking. Cops have no sense of humor or fun," Trapp protested.

The three officers moved away from Trapp’s range of hearing.

Joel asked eagerly, "Did you arrest the reporter?"

Stan answered, "No. I hung back as a nurse came in and caught him talking with Ray. She asked if he was supposed to be there. He never identified himself as a police officer, although he did flash a badge. She let him stay when she saw it, but then I came in. I took it from him, then escorted him out of the hospital. Here, take a look."

Rather than a shield shape as the Port City Police Department used, this badge was a star. It looked like something from a cowboy western show. It was a child’s toy, not even metal but silver-painted plastic.

Stan said, "If a jury saw this toy badge, they’d laugh about anybody being fooled. Also, I witnessed that he just silently did the badge flash, not giving a verbal statement claiming to be an officer. That’s why I didn’t bother arresting him for impersonating a police officer."

Maureen told Joel, "Told you it didn’t have to be one of us that told about the gun."

"You were right, Maureen. I’m sorry for thinking it was you," Joel admitted.

"That’s not something I hear very often from you. Say it again," Maureen urged.

"You heard me the first time," Joel said resolutely.

Stan said seriously, "I heard what happened to Fred and Sharon. I spoke with Sharon this morning, but then she was taken away."

Maureen asked, "Where to?"

"To surgically put a metal pin in her leg," Stan replied.

Joel asked, "Will she be permanently disabled? I knew a guy that had to have something like that done after being shot."

Maureen asked, "Another officer?"

"A soldier, not a police officer. He got wounded in 'Nam. Walks with a bad limp even now, but he's happy to walk at all," Joel replied.

Maureen said, "Let's hope that medical science has advanced enough since then that Sharon won't have that problem."

"You'd have to ask her doctor to find out more," Stan said. "Her doctor is in the O.R. with her, so you can't do that now. So, let's talk about the drug aspect of this case. Look, I'm not the villain here. I understand that you did what you had to. I'm salvaging what I can."

Joel gave a loud yawn, as if the idea bored him.

Stan asked suspiciously, "Robust, did you pull an all-nighter again?"

"Yes, but I got a lot done," Joel responded.

Stan said, "You're older than I am, and I gave up doing that years ago. Maureen, are you on the case?"

Maureen replied, "I was off it temporarily because of a dispute over Carbon. She's my cat. Joel got that taken care of, so I'm back on."

Stan asked, "Maureen, did you sleep last night, or do youngsters like you just not show it?"

Joel yawned again, despite fighting against it.

Maureen replied, "Yes, I got about six hours of sleep. I came back in at eleven in the morning."

Stan turned to Joel and said, "Robust, go get some sleep. Please. Maureen can fill me in. She did make detective, you know."

Joel looked at the two, then said, "All right. Maureen, write everything up and have a copy on my desk by tomorrow morning."

Maureen said, "Tomorrow's Saturday, Joel. I'm off. I’m going sailing...in your boat."

"I haven’t got time for that. Besides, it's too cold," Joel said.

"I'll put the report on your desk before I leave tonight, but I won’t be in the office tomorrow. I’m going sailing," Maureen promised.

Joel said goodbye and left.

Early the next afternoon, Fred and Nora walked hand-in-hand along the seashore. Although the sun shone brightly, both wore lightweight jackets because of the chill.

Nora joked, "You look like a pirate. Suitable for today."

Fred replied, "I suppose I do wearing my eye patch. I've got knocked off Joel's boat once when he tacked without warning me. Last thing I'm going to do is risk losing my fake eye in the bottom of the ocean. It's expensive! Joel himself lost a pair of glasses when sailing once."

Nora shivered, "I wouldn't want to get knocked into the water today."

They reached the boat docks. They walked by empty berth after empty berth. They reached one at the far end with a moderately large sailboat still there. The name Melissa was spread across the stern. Both Nora and Fred knew the boat shared the same name as the Robust's daughter.

Fred shouted, "Ahoy! Anybody there?"

Maureen's head popped out of the cabin and she said, "I was wondering if you two were going to show up."

"We stopped to see Sharon," Fred said.

Maureen Makenzie came out of the cabin. Irene Robust followed behind her, carrying a large bag with a sail in it.

Maureen asked, "How's she doing?"

"Her operation went well. Her doctor is pleased," Fred said. "She's awake and alert. Her spirits are good."

Nora added, "We left because her parents showed up. They drove up from Boston to be with her."

Maureen said, "I'm glad to hear it."

Fred asked, "Is Joel here?"

Maureen asked back, "Do you really have to ask?"

Irene said, "My husband is at work. However, I've got to take this boat in. We should've brought it in a month ago. Since it's so cold, let's just bring it in."

Maureen said with a pout, "I came here to sail!"

Fred said, "It's not really that cold with the sun beating down."

Irene responded, "Well, let's go for the last sail of the year."

Out in the bay, Irene had Fred take the tiller. When he had tried tugging at lines and sheets, he had grimaced from the pain of his ribs. He managed the tiller without difficulty, though.

Nora handled the mainsail. Irene went up to the bow to help Maureen with the jib. Having never sailed before, Maureen was having trouble fastening the line to the cleat.

The boat was getting close in to a rocky shore, so Fred yelled what Joel sometimes forgot to do when he sailed, "Ready about. Coming about!"

Fred turned the boat back toward the open water. Nora ducked under the swinging boom. Irene directed Maureen in how to release one line and pull on another to swing across the jib, that being the smaller sail at the bow.

The boat raced along through the waves that glinted in the sun. A salt-water spray kicked up over the side. Maureen got lightly splashed and laughed.

Irene assured her, "Salt-water is good for the complexion."

While it was indeed cold out in the bay, none of them felt it because they were so exhilarated.

Later, there was hard work bringing the boat out of the water with a winch and crane apparatus, then stowing it for the winter in a building. Fred was highly embarrassed at being excluded from the strenuous tasks because of his ribs, leaving those to the three women. He winced every time he tried hard labor, so he finally relented to doing the lightweight work.

As the women moved the boat while Fred was in the back room of the building stowing sails and lifejackets, Irene asked Nora, "How's Fred holding up?"

"Not too bad. We talked to Joel yesterday. He's done a great job for clearing Fred of any wrongdoing, but I'm glad he's making sure all the t's are crossed and i's are dotted," Nora answered.

The next day, Fred pushed his Aunt Gail in her wheelchair down the aisle of a large church. His mother Lana walked beside them. Fred wore a tweed suit. He had his fake eye in. Fred noticed that despite having gone to this church his entire life, now everybody was starring at him. He had expected that, but it still saddened him.

Aunt Gail noticed too and yelled with a sound that reverberated through the place, "What're you staring at?"

People abruptly turned away, suddenly fiddling with hymnals or their bulletins. Lana, Gail, and Fred took their place in one of the front pews, as they normally did.

During the sermon, the priest talked about how Jesus died on the cross. His sacrifice was to forgive all of men's sins. The priest unmistakably was starring straight at Fred Vigeretti as he said this. The priest pointedly mentioned the time confessions would be held.

Suddenly, a white light lit Fred. He knew it was not a religious revelation, as the light came from the side, not above. He turned toward the light. A cameraman had a portable videocamera, which a light attached to it that poured out light directed at Fred. Several feet in front of the cameraman stood Gary Alexander, a tall man in a large cowboy hat.

The priest halted in mid-sentence. Everybody turned from the priest to look at what was going on.

Gary loudly declared, "Fred Vigeretti, despite being a police officer, you are an illegal drug addict! Eric Lewis was active in the zero-tolerance drug program at his high school. Did your drug addiction cause you to shoot him?"

The priest shouted, "We're in the middle of service, sir."

Pointing accusingly at Fred, Gary shouted up to the priest, "This man shouldn't be in a house of God. He's a killer and a drug addict!"

The priest shot back, "Even if true, this church welcomes repentant sinners. What's your name?"

"Gary Alexander," Gary said with pride.

The priest said, "Mr. Alexander, why don't you take a seat in that empty pew, please? My sermon pertains as much to you as it does to Mr. Vigeretti. Also, it is proper manners to remove a hat when in church."

The congregation laughed.

In obvious embarrassment, Gary did not sit down and did not take off his large hat, but marched down the aisle to the entryway at the back of the church. With half the congregation looking back at the reporter while the other half managed to keep their eyes on the priest, the priest determinedly carried on with his sermon.

Aunt Gail whispered to Fred, "I warned you about your drug use!"