On July 28th, Garrick was on his final day of duty. After today, he could officially retire. Reflecting on his more than thirty years at the precinct, where he'd risen through the ranks from patrolman to senior officer, Garrick had weathered many storms.
The new guy, much liked by Garrick, was the only one who insisted on calling him "Mr. Garrick" instead of just Garrick, a formality that made him feel like a true gentleman of Old Kaelang. However, the new recruit seemed to attract trouble like a magnet – in less than a month, he'd been involved in more cases than most saw in a year, even engaging in a shootout with four robbers on the street on Monday.
Garrick wanted to advise him to take it easier, but the young man proved to be quite adept, even at fishing, which they often did together after wrapping up their paperwork in the afternoon. After bringing in a significant bounty, Garrick had little to complain about. On this final day, he arrived early at the office and began packing his few possessions – mostly tea sets and coats he kept at work – into a cardboard box. The remaining tea and fruit slices he decided to leave for the newcomer. After all, he was planning to travel the world with his wife before retiring to the countryside. Their savings and a lump-sum pension equivalent to five years' salary would be more than enough to afford a third-class world tour and a small farm thereafter.
"Good morning, Mr. Garrick," greeted Elyon, who had recently apprehended the culprits of the National Bank port branch heist and caused Garrick to work an overnight shift. Despite a twinge of envy, Garrick felt a sense of pride in his protégé, who might not call him "master" but had certainly added to his legacy at the precinct, proving that clerks could indeed crack cases and catch criminals.
"Your collar's crooked, straighten it up. You're looking unkempt, no lady will fancy you," Garrick said with a chuckle as the young man adjusted his collar in the mirror.
"Today, it's just the two of us for patrol. The patrolmen have all been dispatched to search for those suspects you've been after, so we're on duty."
"Right, it has been busy lately."
If only it wasn't all because of you, Garrick thought but held his tongue. This lad could handle himself well and was quickly climbing the ranks – an inspector's badge wouldn't be too far-fetched in his future. Garrick's own nephew was still working his way up, and he hoped Elyon would help steer him toward commendable acts.
"Give me a hand," Garrick asked, reaching for Elyon's extended arm as he climbed into the carriage.
"Aren't you sitting in the back, Mr. Garrick?"
"It's my last shift; I want to see the district one more time. How about joining me for dinner at my place after? My wife is preparing roast chicken."
"Sounds good, Mr. Garrick." Elyon drove the carriage towards the port, the vehicle moving slowly, betraying the driver's inexperience and caution not to spook the horse or hit any pedestrians.
Garrick lit his pipe, casually bringing up the recent bank heist.
"How did you and Cook end up catching those three escapees?"
"A tenant across from the port bank reported something suspicious on Friday morning, so we checked it out. It turned out to be the robbers, and they resisted fiercely, so the captain and the rest had to take them down. Yeah, that's about what happened."
Garrick observed Elyon glance awkwardly upward to the right, his driving posture tense – the rookie's storytelling needed work. Garrick didn't press further; he had taught Elyon the official version himself, and it seemed this wasn't your run-of-the-mill bank robbery. But with retirement on the horizon, it was just a way to pass the time.
The routine morning patrol was familiar and uneventful, with the usual friendly greetings. Unacquainted passersby, upon seeing the uniform, would stand aside to let the police carriage pass.
For lunch, they stopped at a budget café by the port. Just as Elyon was about to order some cheap coffee, Garrick interrupted.
"Let's have something nice today. Two beers, please. And for lunch, two ribeye steaks with potato salad."
"Make mine well done," Elyon requested.
The waitress quickly served their orders, and Elyon struggled with his charred piece of meat.
"I haven't seen Cor today," Garrick commented as he popped the top off his beer.
"Cor's probably enrolled in some tutoring classes," Elyon managed to say through a mouthful.
"What was that? Swallow your food before you speak."
After swallowing and washing it down with beer, Elyon clarified.
"Cor recently received a bonus. He's likely investing in some education to improve his chances of getting a job as a paperboy."
"That's good to hear. It's essential to have the courage to climb out of the abyss. This afternoon, let's head to the docks and warehouses – we can't slack off without our little informant."
"Understood."
"What's your take on my distant nephew?"
"Do you mean Bell? He's dedicated and more enthusiastic about his work than I am."
"But he lacks your education and doesn't have a teacher like you. Look after him, especially when there's a chance to earn some recognition."
"I will, no problem."
Garrick offered some parting words of encouragement, though he wanted to caution Elyon against bringing the nephew into dangerous situations like shootouts. Seeing the earnestness in the younger man's face, Garrick didn't voice this concern, choosing instead to focus on the positive influence Elyon could have.
In the afternoon, Garrick led Elyon on foot around the docks. The familiar traders, aware of the old officer's impending retirement, greeted him warmly, some even offering gifts like a mackerel or small items, which Garrick graciously accepted before moving on.
"How does approaching retirement feel?"
"A bit aimless. You spend your career looking forward to it, and when it's finally here, you wish time would slow down."
Elyon glanced at his watch; it was four o'clock. Their patrol shift was nearly over, and tomorrow he'd promised to spend time with his sisters to unwind after the week's tension.
Just then, a blood-soaked man burst out from the docks' warehouse area.
"They're mad! They put that cursed thing in the warehouse! Everyone's dead... Hahaha, they won't leave me be. For sure."
The man collapsed at the boundary between the warehouse and market districts.