Giving the lights and siren a quick check, Dieter started the engine and had put the car in gear when he suddenly pointed to a corner of the garage. “Is that who I think it is?” he asked, squinting through the windshield.

Following his stare, Lyle quickly located a lone figure standing beside the door through which they had just exited the building. It was clearly Orlando standing with his back to the wall, his arms folded across his chest and his eyes glued on Lyle. “Yeah, I think so,” Lyle replied angrily.

“Should you go talk to him?”

“I think that anything I have to say to him at this point is liable to erupt in violence,” Lyle said sourly. “No, it’s better that we avoid one another from this point on.”

“Are you sure?” Dieter asked with a concerned look to Lyle.

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’m completely over him. He’s a ghost.”

Dieter considered this a moment with another glance to Orlando who remained in place, seemingly not moving a muscle. “I wonder what he’s doing there.”

“Molding, probably,” Lyle replied.

“I mean…” Dieter began to explain, his clarification being interrupted.

“I know what you mean, Deet. I have no idea what he’s doing there, and furthermore, I don’t give a damn. Just drive.”

“Well, okay.” Dieter eased off on the brake and the car began to roll forward. All at once he reapplied the brake, bringing the car to a rather sudden halt. “No, I think you need to go speak your mind.”

“Deet, I have nothing to…” Lyle began.

“No, I think that you have plenty to say and you’d feel a lot better after you’ve gotten it off your chest. He treated you badly and he needs to know it.”

“Let’s just leave it be, okay?” Lyle implored, his eyes still upon the man across the garage whose gaze remained glued on his own.

“He obviously wants to talk to you,” Dieter said. “Why else would he be standing there?”

“Maybe he’s waiting for a bus.”

“Then why’s he staring at you like that?”

Lyle turned to give his partner a quick glare. “Because his eyes are glued open. How the hell should I know why he’s staring at me?”

“Then go over there and find out.”

There was no denying the return of Lyle’s ire which was again burning in his stomach, and yet he figured that a confrontation would only make matters that much worse. By the same token, Dieter was right in that Lyle did have a lot to say to Orlando, and, yes, he probably would feel better releasing his anger. “What’s your interest in this,” he asked, suspicious of his partner’s insistence that this be settled.

“I didn’t want to tell you this but you’ve been acting like a wounded bear all afternoon, snapping at every little thing we say or do and we’re tired of it.”

Lyle shook his head, half surprised, half angered over the insinuation. “I have not. Now get this bucket of bolts going before I shoot you for loitering.”

“There you go again,” Dieter said, shoving the car in Park and killing the motor. “Do you want me to go get him, or will you be going over there?”

“Deet…” Lyle warned.

“Either way, you two are going to get together so you can tell the son of a bitch off, otherwise we’ll be sitting here all night long.”

“Fine,” Lyle said indignantly and sat back against the seat. “We’ll sit here all night long.”

Dieter then flung open his car door and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Nope, not an option. I’m going to get him.”

“Damn it, Deet,” Lyle spat. “ Get back in the damned car!” Realizing no way out of this, he unbuckled his own belt and flew out of the car, now angrier than before over both Orlando and Dieter. Slamming the door, he stormed over to the man now slowly pushing himself away from the wall; all the unidentified words that were to be delivered to Orlando at home earlier now rushing forth in his mind with tremendous force.

Selected text copyright 2010 by Timothy Lee