He added that if I would meet him at the Wharf Rat Bar at noon sharp, he would treat me to lunch. I gushed my acceptance of this rare invitation, ignoring the forecast of sleet for the afternoon, and wondering why my brother had twice underscored my being on time. I’m usually prompt anyway, but today I arrived at the Rat fifteen minutes early.
Sonny was already at the bar, and only one stool beside him was empty. I took it, and a couple of people standing at the end of the bar glared at me. I judged that Sonny had flashed a gold badge to save it. Before I could order a beer, Joe set a bourbon Old Fashioned in front of me.
As I started to thank my brother for the unusual generosity, he advised me that he had ordered a seafood platter for both of us. “I figured I’d better order. Billie’s going to be busy around here.”
At that remark, I realized that not only was the bar filled, so were most of the tables. A rarity this time of year. “What’s going on?”
“That’s what I want to know!” said a voice behind us. Billie, Joe’s wife and the Wharf Rat’s excellent cook, went on, “Weather like this and everybody gone for the season, and we’re full with a sleet storm coming, when in the summer a drop of rain meant nobody was here when they were here.” Conversation with Billie always left me with a slight buzzing in my ears. But she was a sweetie, and her seafood platters were masterpieces.
“Hang in there, Billie. If you get swamped, I’ll help you clear.”
“Thanks, Alex. I appreciate your help even if I don’t take it.” She hurried on.
“Can you understand her?” Sonny whispered.
“Perfectly.”
“Now that scares me. Ah, here’s the noon news. Let’s watch it.”
“I sat silently watching and listening, without knowing why, to a male and a female anchor reciting the disasters du jour. Looking around, I saw that most of the Rat’s customers were doing the same thing. Bored, and very close to being irritated at my brother’s mysterious smug smile, I almost missed the beginning of why we were here.
The video showed the governor pinning medals on two men, saying something about the Good Citizens Award and their help in initiating an investigation regarding fraudulent practices in state construction.
Suddenly I recognized Harmon and his brother-in-law, looking strange and uncomfortable in double-breasted suits and stylish haircuts.
At the same moment, a shout came from the Rat’s front table, where Harmon and his Blues Brothers cronies hung out. “Look, everybody! Look at that! I’m on the TV. I’ll be damned, they said we would be on TV, but I didn’t believe them. Look at that!” Harmon, now in familiar jeans and work shirt, but with a medal pinned to the shirt pocket, had leapt to his feet and was pointing at the screen, where the grinning governor stood between the two men and raised their hands like triumphant boxers.
Applause, cheers and whistles broke out around the Rat, as the news went on to lesser stories. Harmon made his way around the room, stopping a moment here, shaking hands there, smiling, as if he were the governor himself.
When he reached us, he stopped and thanked Sonny, with tears in his eyes, for reporting his tip to the State Police. “I just love the both of you,” he said. “You are good people. I wish you had been with us yesterday. It was something. They put the governor and us in this nice room until they were ready to make that little movie. They called it the green room, though there wasn’t nothing green it. But there was a big table and leather chairs and all kinds of drinks. Hard and soft. The governor, he made us all a stiff one. I figured maybe he was nervous about being made a movie of.” Harmon tilted his bottle of beer for a genteel sip.
“Anyway, just to settle him down,” Harmon continued, “I told him about some of my crime experiences. He was especially interested in that alligator with the naked lady. And I can tell you... I have to say it... he was plumb amazed. Nice man, but don’t know much about the drug picture.”
Sonny grinned. “I’m sure you set him straight.”
“I did,” Harmon said. “Anyway, here I rattle on, and what I want to say is to the two of you. I know how hard you both work when a case is tough. I’ve seen you both tired and worried, but I’ve just gone on about my own business. Well, I want you to know, from now on, I’m not going to be so selfish! This medal really means somethin’ to me. I’m gonna be Johnny-on-the-spot to help you both in every way I can. And that’s a promise.”
He rested a large, warm paw on each of our shoulders.
Sonny looked stricken.
I managed a reply, quite probably tearful.
“Harmon, you cannot imagine what that promise means to us.”
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