A small part of the action in “Criminal Opera (coming soon)”:
“Before long, the pair of lawyers emerged into the building’s polished marble lobby and out into the breezy sunlight of Third Avenue. David Garvey pointed right, toward the nearby cross street where the former Coast Guard cook had opened a new coffee bar.
Coming toward them was a pair of older Asians, a man and a woman, each tightly holding the hands of two little girls of different colors. One little girl was trying to pull away from the man holding her hand and kept kicking his left ankle. Never bashful, David whipped aside his left suit jacket coattail, revealing his holster, and said to Aaron Muckler: “Let’s stop these folks – this looks suspicious.” The two lawyers effectively blocked the sidewalk as the pair of Asians looked for an alternative route while the little girl began to scream. The Asian man hit the little girl he was dragging on her shoulder and yelled “Shut up!” David Garvey stepped into him and pointed this pistol at the man’s forehead while yelling at his partner “See if you can get a cop here pronto – this looks like more child trafficking, just a few blocks from Grand Central Station. No, wait, see if you can flag down that patrol car coming up Third Avenue!”
Since the patrol car was still more than a couple of blocks south, David Garvey returned his pistol to its holster and smoothed his suit coat jacket back in place then turned to watch the slowing police vehicle. One of the other children was screaming and trying to get away from the Asian who was tightly holding her hand – he dropped her hand as he reached into his jacket pocket to draw a sharply pointed knife. The little girl immediately ran away up Third Avenue screaming. David and Aaron both took the opportunity to point at the man and yell “he’s going to hurt those children!” Other people on the sidewalk immediately moved away as the police cruiser beeped its siren and pulled sharply to the curb, now with its lights flashing. Another unmarked car was coming in slowly right behind the first.
David Garvey turned his head to the right, where Aaron Muckler was standing, and said into his ear: “I’ve got a bad feeling; this extra car may be related to my political activities. Whatever is coming probably has nothing to do with you. You need to quietly fade away and go back to the office or whatever suits you. I’ll buy you coffee another time.”
Cover art by Gayla Gordon
