E. 1. 8.
Ted and Jaki walked out of the distributor's office, and the facility. Jaki made it to the curb and ran across the street when it was clear, the cold air hitting them again. The doors were unlocked and Jaki got into the car quickly, she sat in the cold seat and shivered. Ted made it to the vehicle and opened the door, he had the keys out before sitting down and while shutting the door, entered the key into the ignition.
As he turned the car on, Jaki reached over and turned the heater on. The air coming out was cold, and Jaki put her hands under her arm, she closed her eyes for a second. Ted said "Well it is getting late, but I think we should go to Bob's residence." Jaki kept her eyes closed, she was waiting for the engine to warm up again and responded. "I agree, go ahead and drive, the car while heat up faster." Ted took out his phone and asked Jaki "What was the address again." Jaki said while opening her eyes. "831 North Bambrey Street." Ted entered the address onto a the map app on his phone, Jaki took her notepad out of her jacket and added the address below Bob's name.
"Got it, not that far." said Ted as he put the car into drive. The trip was very fast a few rights and they were there. Ted put the car into park, and Jaki said. "Just a moment before you shut off the car." She put her hands forward to the vents and let her hands warm up. They both were looking at the buildings, nothing special, a row of apartments and older, plain gray bricks, a few trees by the street, the cars were older and needed some work.
Ted looked at the addresses on the buildings, he said. "It is that one right there." as he pointed past Jaki. She looked over and took her right hand and opened her door, she got out. Ted quickly turned off the car, to catch up, she was still in that mood. Ted had to hustle around the car to catch up to Jaki who was already at the door, and knocking loudly, there was no doorbell.
Ted made it to the door, as the lock and chain could be heard being unlocked and slid open, the door opened. "Yes." said a voice and it did not sound well. The door opened more and there was a young white male wrapped in a blanket, his hair was not combed and looked as if were messed up from sleeping, he took a Kleenex and put it to his nose and blew. "Can I help you?" Bob asked weakly.
"Are you Bob Willis?" asked Ted with a lower tone. "Yes." Bob responded, Ted and Jaki took their badges out of their jackets. "We are detective's Lancaster and Grimes, can we come in?" asked Jaki, she continued. "It is pretty cold out here." Bob moved back away from the door, and said. "Sure come on in, it is not much warmer in here." Bob walked into the apartment, the furniture he had was used, it looked like hand me downs or things he found around town on the curb or in alleyways.
Bob went to the sofa that had a throw blanket on it, there were some tears in the arms, he laid down and put his hand on his forehead. Jaki came in and watched him as Ted closed the door, she asked. "Are you okay?" Bob had his eyes closed and wrapped himself tightly in the blanket, and responded. "I am okay thank you, just not feeling well, I have the cold or something." He was looking pale, he obviously had been to the restroom many times.
"What is it that you want?" He opened his eyes for a moment and looked at them, putting the Kleenex back up to his nose and blew again. Ted realized he was in no shape to be doing anything exerting. "Bob, we are asking people some questions regarding your girlfriend Suzy." Bob opened his eyes and sat up on the sofa, and asked. "Suzy? Is there something wrong?" Jaki watched him and said nothing, she was watching his demeanor. Ted said. "We are investigating a crime, and just need to ask you a few questions if that is okay?"
Bob was sitting up straight and crossed his legs, he hugged the blanket around him tight, the room was only a little warmer than outside, the windows were closed but old, they let in just a slight draft, the smell of an old furnace was noticeable, the feel of cold from the windows touched Jaki and Ted's exposed skin.
Ted asked as he got a little closer. "Can you tell us where you have been for the last two days?" Bob answered back. "Right here." Jaki finally spoke and asked. "Do you have any witnesses and any way to prove that?" Bob looked at Jaki and the question was coming to his face. "Yes...." he was taken aback a little and dug inside the blanket to his pocket, he produced a phone, he swiped on it and went around with his thumb, it took him a little longer than normal, but it looked real, he was sick.
"Here, is the messages between my mother and I, as she told me to make sure to take in plenty of fluids and try to eat some chicken soup, things like that." Bob held the phone forward and Jake turned and pretended to look at another part of the room, she did not want to touch the phone and get the bug he had. Ted went forward and asked him, "Can you just turn the phone around please, we do not want to get sick." Bob heard and turned the phone around. Ted started to read the messages, he was Bob in the text, and the other was just Mom. As he said there was his mom telling him to take care of himself.
"Thank you. Can you tell us who are the friends and associates with your girlfriend Suzy?" Bob took the phone down and thought for a moment, he finally said. "I know she has a couple of friends, she spoke of them, but I am horrible with names. Uhm, one is..... Shelley Peterson." Jaki took out her notepad and entered the name, and asked. "Do you know where Shelley lives?" Bob looked at her and said. "No I am sorry, I do not." Ted listened and asked. "Do you know anyone else?" Bob looked back at Ted and said. "No I am sorry, I cannot remember anyone else, we never met, she only spoke of them, maybe after I get to feeling better, but I do not think so."
Ted took a card out of his jacket and handed it to Bob and said. "Thank you for your time, here is my card if you think of anything, or anyone else please call us. We will see ourselves out." Bob took the card from Ted and said. "Okay thank you." he read the card as he wiped his red nose again. Jaki turned towards the door and said while opening it. "You might want to add curtains or blankets or something to the windows, it will stop the draft and keep in the heat better." "Thank you." Bob responded as Ted went out the door and closed it, Jaki was already back at the car, the door closing.
Ted made it to the car faster, it was getting pretty cold with the sun going down. As Ted got in the car, Jaki said. "You know what, I want a spare key made so I can turn on the engine and get the heater going, waiting on you takes forever." Ted got the key in the ignition and turned the car back on, the engine still warm, the heater worked quickly. "I think our day is done, let's go back to precinct." Jaki nodded in agreement, and added the name to her notepad.
Ted pulled out his phone and went around doing something, Jaki put her hands back up to the vents, she let the heat move around her hands and fingers. She looked up at the digital read of the car, and said. "48 degrees, it got colder and the sun is going down, they got it wrong. There must be a cold storm coming." Ted was typing something on his phone, and said. "Hey just a second." Ted took the phone and kept working with it, he finally put it up to his ear.
Ted waited for a moment, the ringtone could be heard by Jaki and finally it stopped and a voice could be heard, though Jaki could not hear the words. Ted said. "Hey honey, how are you?...... Good, have you eaten?..... Well, we still have to go back to precinct, but we will have to fill out some reports and stuff, you know how it goes........ Of course...... That sounds good..... Okay, save me a plate...... I love you to..... Yes, I cannot wait to get home and see you..... A movie? which one?........ That sounds fun..... Okay, I will see you later...... Yes, I love you as well...." Ted blew a kiss into the phone and finished. "See you later honey..... ha ha.... oooh, stop... okay, okay, later sweetie..... Okay bye." Ted put the phone down on the mid console between he and Jaki, he put the car into drive and started to drive away.
"Another long day." said Jaki, Ted responded. "Yeah, there is going to be a lot of paperwork, maybe we can get out in a few hours." Jaki took her hands away from the vents, the inside of the car warmed up and she looked out the window back at Bob's apartment thinking. "He is not our suspect." She finally said. Ted nodded yes and said. "I agree, and that means they are still out there, we are missing something. We can pick it back up tomorrow." Ted drove and watched the streets, the light gone, and lights in windows were on, and coming on. A few people were on the sidewalks moving quickly to their doors, the wind hurrying them along.
The traffic lights were bright in the new darkness as night was fully coming on. "Have you talked to your parents lately?" asked Ted as he waited at the red light. Jaki responded. "Yeah, I called them a few days ago, Dad was out, but Mom and I spoke for a good while." "Oh good." said Ted, and followed. "And how is your mother doing?" Jaki looked over at Ted as he started to move forward, when the traffic light turned green, and said. "She is doing better, her Dr. says he hip should heal quickly, she has been doing her therapy." Ted looked over quickly and then back to the street. "I am glad to hear that." he had a smile and Jaki knew he was actually happy to hear her mother was getting better, it made her feel good, and she looked back out the window again thinking.
Thank you for keeping the shell full. 
, but it seems as if "a long way" is a very relative term.
