February 12, 1985. It was another monotonous morning at the 5th police station in Boston, where I, Detective Luis, served as chief of investigations. My superior, Mr. James, was somewhat peculiar in his way of speaking and acting, and I could not understand how someone like him had been promoted to chief of police.
As we drank coffee, James asked how I was coping with my new role. I replied that there was nothing very interesting on my table yet, just cases of treason and politics, nothing of great importance. James, in his ironic way, commented that I looked tired, old and lacking in enthusiasm.
But I wasn't like that, even at 27 years old, I still had the face of a 20-year-old. And I wasn't tired, I just wanted more exciting cases, like those in the films I loved watching, like "48 Hours" and "Once Upon a Time In america".
I've always been like that, a person who doesn't care much about things. At school, I was known as a rebel. My "parents" even took me to a clinic, where I was diagnosed as a sociopath. It was there that I understood many things that were going through my mind and all the behaviors that I considered "unconventional".
But how can someone who doesn't care about anything, not laws, authorities, teachers or parents, be a police officer who defends the law and morals? Simple, I put on a mask and everyone thinks I'm just lazy and stupid.
For example, I know very well about the things James does. He used to be my boss when I was still a street cop. Every day, he flirts with the attendant at the cafe 5 km away, before arriving at the department. Then he keeps bothering me with his lessons on how to be a good police officer.
He takes breaks every hour to drink coffee, and at 6pm, his workday ends. He takes a shower in the district itself and then goes to a common brothel, where he stays for an hour and a half. When he leaves there, he walks unsteadily and returns home to Brookline, where he lives with his wife Jane and daughter Brien.
But I don't care about that. In fact, it was Jane herself who asked me to investigate it, with great anguish and concern. At first, I thought about reporting him, but I realized that he was not going against the moral and ethical laws of our country. So I threw away my report and made another one with some lies to calm her down.
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I used to write reports on everyone I met and tried to adapt to each one of them, but the only one who seemed to understand me was my boss, Mr. Paul, whose fatherly look always left me thoughtful.
One day, while I was working, Paul asked me to come to his office. He had news for me.
"Come here, Luis," he said. "I have news for you, son."
I promptly replied, "Yes, sir."
James, a co-worker, wished me good luck as I headed to Paul's office.
"Go with everything, Luis!", he said.
"Thanks, James," I replied before moving on.
When I got to Paul's office, he said, "Luis, I know you're bored, but I was just testing your skills, and you're excellent for this case."
I answered truthfully, "Oh, no, sir. I don't think I have anything special."
But Paul was insistent: "You can hide it all you want, Luis Francis Gordon, but I'm you."
I was confused by this statement, but before I could ask what he meant, he changed the subject.
"Well, this case I'm going to give you is very special," he said. "It was in another district, but it was a total failure. So they sent it here. Take a look at these papers at home and don't tell anyone. This document is strictly confidential."
He handed me the document and I took it carefully.
"Yes, sir. But what do you mean by 'I am you'?" I asked, confused.
"I'll see you tomorrow, son," he replied, dismissing me earlier that day. "I want you to read the case carefully and we'll talk later. That way, Mr. James won't bother you, right?"
So, I went home with the document in my hands. The case was about a woman named Hellen Madison. She was a student and suspected of income tax evasion, trafficking, murder and association with the mafia. I was perplexed to read these accusations, especially the one about association with the mafia. Who was this woman? Why had I been chosen to investigate her?