“Stop right there!”
I couldn’t hold in my sigh as I turned around and looked at the young police officer. He had his gun out and pointed at my legs, ready to shoot if I decided to run. “Is there a problem officer?” I inquired.
“Luke Ventul, you are under arrest for crimes against the people of New York, for murder and theft, for damage to property and vandalism, and charges of assault.” He listed off my supposed crimes, taking a step towards me to put handcuffs on me.
I rubbed my face with my hands as I sighed again. “Let’s just get this over with.”
He only glared at me. “Face the wall with your hands on your head Lola,” he snarled.
I did what he asked. He handcuffed me and dragged me to the cop car.
I sat on the phone with my friend as yelling went on outside the door to the captain’s office. “Yes, it happened again. I’m just calling to let you know I’m not dead, and I didn’t get shot this time. I can’t make it tonight for obvious reasons.” The shouting stopped and the door open. “I have to go, see you soon.” I ended my call and looked up at Captain Nicholas and Officer Benkel.
Benkel’s face was red with embarrassment and he looked like he was on the verge of tears. “I’m very sorry Steve,” he mumbled. “I made a mistake. I hope you can forgive me.”
I stood up and walked over to him, “Don’t worry about it Officer Benkel, you are not the first person to mistake me for my twin brother, and you won’t be the last.”
“You are dismissed Benkel,” Captain Nicholas ordered. Benkel lowered his head again and left the captain’s office. “I’m very sorry as well Steve. He’s new here, and it seems like the information about you and Luke went in through one ear and out the other.”
I laughed, “He was probably just excited to make a huge arrest.” I walked back to my chair and the captain sat down at his desk. “Could I maybe get a more comfortable chair, Nick? This one always hurts my butt.”
Nick chuckled at that, “Sadly, even though you are in this office at least once a month, I can’t show special privileges. I hope we didn’t delay you for anything.”
“I was heading to my friend’s house. I called her, and she wasn’t surprised. How much paperwork is this going to create?”
“Too much, but don’t worry, I made a template for you.” We chuckled at that. “Why don’t you just move? I’m sure you will be not arrested as much in another city like Chicago or San Fran.”
“Do you remember the first time you arrested me?”
He sighed, “That was the closest we have ever come to catching Luke.”
After hearing that I had been arrested for her crime, Luke had sone up at the station to prove that I had a twin. He threatened to blow up the station unless they let me go.
“I can assure you that if I move, I will be arrested again. But then I won’t be on as good of terms with the police department. It’ll be the first time we met all over again. And this time Luke will have a lot farther way to travel.”
Nick let out a big laugh at that. “That would definitely inconvenience your brother to have to leave the city.” He sighed, “Well, I guess you should be heading home. I have to fill out paperwork again. Do you need a ride?”
“No, but thank you. I’ve moved closer to the station so it would be a shorter walk home.”
“Smart boy. You be safe okay? I’ll try to keep the police off your back for at least a week.”
I smiled my thanks at him and walked out of his office.
Kilie, the cleaning lady on my floor, went white when she saw me approach my door. “What the-! I- I just saw you enter!”
“What?”
“I just saw you enter your apartment! And now you're entering it again! I think I’m going crazy!”
“Calm down Kilie. I forgot something downstairs and had to go retrieve it. You must have just haven’t seen me leave.”
Kilie looked slightly relieved at that. “Maybe, I was rather distracted.”
I smiled at her, “Good night Kalie.” I walked into my apartment and closed the door behind me. “I gave you the extra key only so you could feed my cat,” I said to the dark room.
“I didn’t know how long you were going to be at the station,” the room replied back, “and I didn’t want Kellie to go hungry.”
I turned and flipped on the lights. My twin was sitting at my dining room table with a piece of cake in front of him. “You didn’t want yourself to go hungry either,” I snapped as I hit him on the head and picked up MY leftover cake.
He just leaned back and smirked at me. “Heard you got arrested again?”
“No thanks to you,” I shot back as I placed the cake back into the fridge. “It would make things a lot easier if you just turned yourself in.’
Luke threw back his head and moaned, “We are not having this conversation again.”
“I’m not the criminal here, Luke. That’s your job.” I sat down across the table from my brother. He smiled at me and for a second, I felt like a kid again. “Remember when we used to steal candies from grandma’s purse?”
“You were the distracter and I snuck behind her. It was almost too easy.”
I shared a smile with him, then asked, “How did we get here Luke? You being a mob boss, and me getting arrested all the time for your crimes?”
Luke’s smile fell, “I don’t know Steve. You always were the one who would take the blame when we were younger. Now the stakes have just gotten higher.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes, “Maybe I should get a tattoo? Or shave my head or something?”
Luke cracked a smile, “I’ll just copy you. You are my failsafe from getting arrested. Every officer is hesitant to stop me because they think I’m you. And if I did get arrested, I’ll just order my people to follow you around, and call you Luke until they release me thinking I’m you.”
“You are a horrible brother.”
He shrugged, ‘It’s my job.” He glanced at her watch and stood up. “I have to get going. Bones is expecting me back in a half hour.”
I stood up as well, “Please leave through the window. I don’t want to give Kilie another heart attack.”
“Ouch, is that how you tell all your guests to leave?”
“Only the annoying ones. Take care of yourself out there Luke.”
“Don’t you worry about me. I know how to handle myself.” I hugged my brother tight, wished him well and then closed the window behind him.
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