The Day A Mountie Died - part three

The chilly drizzle had turned into a cold rain.

Benny's dead.               It's all your fault.
Benny's dead.               It's all your fault

 The Riv's windshield wipers seemed to chant over and over and over................

Almost of it's own will the big powerful Buick pushed it's way through the rain glazed traffic.  In the driver's seat, Ray sat like stone, oblivious to nearly everything but the tan Stetson on the seat beside him and the windshield wipers' taunting chant....................

Benny's dead.            It's all your fault.
Benny's dead.            It's all your fault.
Benny's dead.
Benny's dead
Oh, Benny......................
Why didn't I take you..........why didn't I make you...........go back home?

With a small jolt, Ray realized he had parked the Riv.  In dull curosity he peered out through the rain streaked windshield.  He was at Fraser's apartment building.

Heavily, he crawled out of the Riv.  He stood in the rain, holding the Stetson protectively close to him, and gazed up at the windows of Fraser's apartment.

Darkly, Ray muttered, "Fat lot of good it does _you_ for me to come here now."

With slow tread Ray slipped inside.  Ghost-like he flitted up the creaking stairs and stole down the dark narrow hall to Fraser's apartment. He eased inside and shut the door softly behind him.  He leaned wearily against the door and looked sadly about.  Just as Fraser's old apartment had always been in the other rat trap building, this one was also spick and span clean.  Nothing was out of place; everything was in order.

Everything except...............Ray frowned...........the bed.  It was rumpled and tossed as if someone had crawled out of it and left it.

Ray groaned inwardly.  He looked at the Stetson he held as he sorrowfully said, "You didn't feel like making the bed this morning did you?"  Ray gulped down a painful knot.  "I should have drug you back up here and stuffed your stubborn backside back into that bed."  Ray swallowed at the despair that was choking him,  "Why didn't I, Benny?  Why didn't I?    Benny."

Gasping at sobs that would come, Ray turned slowly from the bed.  He stumbled over and leaned against the window.  The cool glass was soothing to his hot forehead.  In weary defeat he closed his eyes and let the sobs come freely.

The touch of something cold and wet on his right hand caused Ray to start out of his gloom.  Dully, he looked down to find Diefenbaker sitting beside him.  The big wolf was staring intently at the Stetson Ray cradled in his left arm.

Flooded with guilt, Ray spoke brokenly,  "Dief, I am so sorry.  I know this is all my fault.  I knew Benny was sick this morning.  If I had of only brought him back home........."  Ray grit his teeth,  "But I didn't.  Because of me you lost your master and I.........I lost my.........best friend."

Dief whimpered softly.

Struggling with  his overwhelming grief, Ray groaned, "Oh, Benny.  If only I could somehow tell you just how sorry I am that I let this happen to you."  With eyes full of misery he turned fully around to gaze beyond Dief and then froze with an ice cold dash of fear.

Standing just in the edge of the gray light coming in through the window was the ghost white pale image of Fraser.

Ray gasped out a few incoherent words but his mouth was suddenly too full of fuzz to speak clearly.  His eyes felt as if they had somehow became his whole face.  He could feel the sweat popping out all over his bare crown although the rest of his body felt like it had been plunged into icy water.  

The ghostly thing moved closer, stepping fully into the twilit light.  Ray could easily see the dark smudges under it's huge blue eyes.  Smudges that showed up even darker against it's pasty skin.  Ray could hear it's soft rapid breathing hissing between it's slightly clinched teeth.  It swiped one hand across it's forehead.

In a hollow voice it said,   "Ray, you have no reason to be sorry for anything.   And I do assure you---again--- that -------in the strictest sense of the wooord; since I have nothing contagious---------I am not sick.  I have only been aflicted,  all day,  by a hideous migraine."

"Fraser! You are a hideous migraine!"  Ray yelled stomping toward his friend.   "Do you realize that I have spent this whole stinking afternoon thinking I was chasing your sorry dead backside all over Chicago.  And do you know why?"

Eyes big with puzzlement, Fraser shook his head.

"  'Cause _someone_ .........."  Ray poked Fraser's shoulder,  "did not bother to call me and tell me that he did not get blown away  in that drive-by shooting."

Fraser swiped his forehead as he hesitantly answered,  "Well, actually, Ray,  I did attempt to call you.  Not right at first..........I mean not when I first got home.  Inspector Thatcher permitted me to leave within an hour of your dropping me off.  I knew that you had to be in that meeting so I knew that attempting to contact you would be futile.  I came home and went straight to bed."

Ray's scowling silence gave Fraser courage to hurry on. "When Mr. Mustafi heard about the shooting he came to tell me.  However, he first had to bribe Dief to let him in." Fraser scowled down at his wolf.  "Today is Mrs. Mustafi's baking day.  Dief wouldn't let Mr. Mustafi in until he brought him a big slice of her fresh apple cake."

Smugly, Dief slurped his tongue over his lips.

Fraser shook his head in disgust before going on, "Anyhow, as soon as I learned what had happened I called the police station.  However it took me several attempts before the call went through."   Fraser became thoughtful,  "Really, the station should consider adding some more phone lines.  When at last my call did get through, Lieutenant Welsh informed me that you were already aware of the shooting and on your way to the Consulate."  Fraser swiped his forehead.  "I tried to call the Consulate next but could get no answer.  I assumed that the Inspector had accompanied the body to wherever they had taken it.

I dressed,"  Fraser waved a hand absently over his worn jeans and heavy red checked coat,  "and headed for the Consulate hoping to meet you there.  Unfortunately,"  Fraser paused to scowl slightly at Ray,  "you had already preceeded me."

"Yeah.  I guess I had,"  Ray said with an innocent smirk.

Fraser grunted in disapproval.  "You scared poor Turnbull half out of his mind!"

"Then I guess ol' Turdball is totally crazy now,"  Ray said with a wolfish smile.

Fraser rolled his eyes and shook his head.  "The man was hiding under his desk, Ray.  It took me several minutes to convince him that it was safe to come out."  Fraser's voice held just the edge of annoyance.  "When he did finally come out he was so incoherent that I could not understand what he was saying.  I had to wait at the Consulate until the Inspector returned before I could find out where to go next............." Fraser paused and looked uneasily at Ray.  "When she told me that the body had been sent to the train station......"   Fraser flicked his tongue over his under lip, "I knew you would go there..........." he trailed away, his eyes anxiously searching Ray's darkly scowling face.

"I did," Ray said flatly.

Fraser's tone became quiet and apologetic,  "I know how hard that must have been for you.........."

"It was,"  Ray said shortly.

Fraser swallowed hard before saying, "I endevored to arrive at the train station before you had left, but once again you eluded me."   Fraser paused to smile weakly.   "The people at the train station were all still chattering about a green-eyed lunatic who had attacked one of the security guards with a Stetson hat."  He made a feeble attempt to chuckle but it was dried up  by Ray's sour face.  Head drooping, Fraser hugged himself as he softly apologized,  "So, Ray, if anyone should be apologizing: it should be me.   I am so very sorry  for all that you had to go through with today."

Ray's voice was chilly as he answered.  "Yeah, Fraser, you should be sorry 'cause you could have saved me and Turnbull and all them people at the train station a whole lot of grief if you had just remembered that I carry a phone!"

Fraser's head snapped up with the shock of remembering.  "Oh, dear!" he whispered in dismay.  "I did forget that fact.  I have not been thinking straight.  This awful headache................"  His hand strayed across his forehead.

Ray stepped closer to Fraser, taking every advantage of the inch he held over his friend's height.  Pleadingly, Fraser looked up at him.

"No, Fraser, you haven't been thinking straight,"  Ray bit off his words.  "So I think you really deserve and even need this."  Ray's left arm jerked up; his hand knotted into a fist.

Shocked, Fraser squeezed his eyes shut.  Ray had never struck him before, but he bravely braced himself for the blow to come.

Ray's arm swung in and then clamped around Fraser's shoulders.  His hand slid over a certain spot on his friend's back.  For a brief moment, Ray held Fraser in a fierce one armed hug.  

Shoving Fraser back, Ray said unconcernedly,  "Ah com'on, Benny.     Did you think I was worried over you or something?   I just wanted to give you back your sorry old hat 'cause you left the stupid thing in the Riv this morning."  He clapped the Stetson onto Fraser's head at a cock-eyed angle.

Smiling in relief, Fraser pulled off the hat.  He blanched a shade whiter when he saw the smuged crown and crumpled brim.  He knew though that in a few days he would have his hat cleaned and straightened.

With a fond smile, Fraser looked at his friend and said, "Thank you kindly for returning my hat, Ray."  He held the Stetson closer as he softly went on, "I did realize that I had forgotten it, but not until  after you had left, however.......,"  Fraser flicked his tongue over his under lip,  "the lack of my hat saved my life today."

Ray's head went up in puzzlement. "How's that, Benny?'

Quietly, Fraser explained,  "Inspector Thatcher came out and saw that I was not properly attired for duty.  She inquired as to the whereabouts of my Stetson.  I explained, that on account of my having such a headache, I had accidently left it in the Riv.  I went on to tell her that you would be unable to return it until much later since you had that meeting today.  Upon hearing that, she graciously permitted me to go home to rest with the understanding that I would stand guard duty for the next two days."  Fraser stopped speaking.  His gaze fixed on the soiled, rumpled hat.  After a moment, he murmered, "This time forgetting my hat proved to be a fortunate thing........at least.........it was..........for me."

As he caught his friend's meaning, a shudder raced through Ray.  Swallowing hard, he gripped Fraser's shoulder as his gaze also fixed on the Stetson.  For several moments they stood in silence, thinking of the Mountie who had not been so fortunate.  

Then with a grumbling gowl, Diefenbaker shoved in between them.  Rumbling pointedly, he glared first at Fraser then at Ray.

Ray cleared his throat, then managed a chuckle,  "Ol' Dief here looks as hungry as a wolf."

Dief showed his teeth in a snarl.

"I suppose he is,"  Fraser said.  "With everything that happened today neither he nor I ate a proper lunch. Well,  I shall get busy and prepare dinner for the three of us."

Fraser started toward the kitchen area but Ray blocked his way.  Fraser hesitated when he saw the shocked look on his friend's face.

"Benny Fraser!  I am suprised at you,"  Ray proclaimed in tones of great disappointment and disbelief.

Fraser blinked uncertainly.

"Has this headache done something to totally addle your brain?"  Ray demanded.

"I don't believe so,"  Fraser began, his tone puzzled.  "Why do you..........."

Ray jammed his hands onto his hips and glared down his long fine nose at Fraser.  "Well, I do believe so.  I can kind of understand you forgetting that I have a phone.  I mean, you are more comfortable communicating with smoke signals,"  he paused to chuckle wickedly as Fraser rolled his eyes,  "but for you to deliberately disobey the orders of your gracious Superior Officer..........." shaking his head, Ray trailed off .

More puzzled than before, Fraser stared at Ray.

Ray grabbed Fraser's shoulders and spun him around.  "The Dragon Lady sent you home to rest, didn't she? And you ain't been resting at all today."  Ray clicked his tongue disaprovingly as he shoved Fraser toward the bed.  "So you get to obeying orders and I'll see if I can rustle us up a bite of something."

Fraser made a feeble protest, but Ray's stern glare silenced him.  With a fond smile, Fraser went to tumble himself onto the rumpled bed.

With a satisfied snort, Ray went to rifle through Fraser's cabinets. Opening first one door then another he critically eyed their meager contents.

Finally, Ray slammed the doors shut and called over his shoulder, "Hey, Benny?  How's about we order in a pizza?

When he got no answer, Ray turned around with a worried scowl.  The scowl gave way to a grin.

Snoring softly, Fraser lay sprawled , sound asleep, cradling his Stetson close to his heart.  Ray tip-toed over to carefully unlace and tug off Fraser's hiking boots.  He then tossed the blanket over his friend.  For just a moment Ray stood smiling down at Fraser as he thought back over the day.

Dief growled a reminder.

Ray snorted at the wolf then pulled out his phone.  Just before he punched in the number of the pizza place, Ray looked down at Dief and firmly said,  "Don't you ever tell the moron I said this, but  I am _really_, really  glad that he did leave his stupid hat in the Riv this morning."

The End.

All standards disclaimers.