AfterNet 01 - Good Cop Dead Cop

ballroom.”
    Munroe was surprised. Since he’d died, he’d never had anyone extend that kind of hospitality to him except his partner.
    “Wow, this is something, Linda. Wish I could have dressed up for the occasion.”
    Munroe saw a sea of women in evening dresses and men in expensive (although not always tasteful) suits. A string quartet was playing and a knot of people were being served food at a buffet table while a much larger group was at the bar.
    “Ooh, open bar,” she said, before getting in line for another glass of wine.
    A few minutes later, she was balancing her wine and a plate of food and not doing a very good job of it.
    “It’s always so hard to juggle these,” she said, while trying to devour an egg roll.
    “You know, Linda, I wondered when I first met you whether you were cop material, but when I see you scarfing down food and wine at taxpayer expense, it puts my mind at rest.”
    “Giffit a wesht, Alesh,” she said, turning her attention to smoked salmon on a cracker.
    “Ah, Officer Yamaguchi,” a man said while walking toward her, his hand extended. It was the Manager of Safety Marvin Montoya, the man to whom the chief of police reported, who incidentally was standing next to Montoya. The chief, Harold Moncrief, took the plate from Yamaguchi, who didn’t know what to say.
    “Swallow, then shake his hand,” Munroe said.
    She did what he suggested.
    “I’m sorry I caught you mid munch,” Montoya said, “but Harry pointed you out and I had to come over and say hello.”
    Yamaguchi had finally recovered her poise. “Yes, sir, thank you.”
    “Is your partner here?”
    “Yes he is.”
    “May I speak to him?” he asked.
    “Anything you say, sir, is translated for him, so you’re already talking to him.”
    “Say hi for me. Tell him I like his police department,” Munroe said.
    “Munroe says hello, and he wants me to say he likes your police department.”
    By now, two other people Yamaguchi and Munroe didn’t recognize had joined the group and a round of laughter greeted Munroe’s remark.
    “Does he? Well, good. Look, would you mind accompanying me as I introduce the two of you to some people.”
    She nodded, and said, “Alex says he’d be happy to … uh … ”
    Montoya looked at her with a grin. “I think the expression is a dog and pony show. Yes, I want to show you off to some people, with your permission.”
    She nodded again and Montoya led them to another group of people clustered around the conductor, Marie Alton, the star of the evening.
    Montoya made introductions to the group and the conductor was intrigued. “I understand that the disembodied can’t hear, so I certainly appreciate your spending an evening at a concert that might have been boring for you.”
    Yamaguchi could hardly believe what Munroe was asking her to relay.
    “On the contrary, I had a very good time and I was actually on stage toward the end of the performance. Although I can’t hear, I can still recognize the harmony of your orchestra.”
    The conductor nodded her head graciously at this and lifted her glass. Yamaguchi shot Munroe a silent “you went to see the blonde, right?”
    “Quiet. They’re eating this up,” Munroe told her. He gave her more poetic observations of his time on the stage to relate.
    Yamaguchi was soon fielding questions for Munroe left and right. “No, I can’t see other disembodied people.” “No, I can’t pass through walls.” “Yes, I don’t need to sleep.”
    After ten minutes, many of the standard questions had been asked and answered. Again she marveled that people always asked Munroe questions to which they already knew the answers. Nobody ever asked him questions like, “How do you spend all that time?” to which she’d enjoy really knowing the answer.
    Chief Moncrief pulled her aside after the questions had died down. “Good job, Yamaguchi. I appreciate you keeping Munroe in line.”
    “Actually, he was good as gold, sir,” she answered. “And you know, he is listening.”
    “Yes, I know. But remember, I hired you, Munroe, and I know the Seattle chief of detectives pretty well, so I also know your reputation. So, thanks to both of you. It will be remembered.” The chief returned to the group that had begun reforming around the conductor.
    “Sounds like you made major kiss up points, Linda,” Munroe said.
    “You didn’t do so bad yourself,” she muttered.
    “Talking to your partner?” a man asked her. He’d joined the group