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Benny & Ray 86 Call Ray Vecchio Dee Gilles Rated G

Officer Fraser found a message waiting for him at the duty sergeant's desk when he and his new partner, Officer Manning, returned to the stables to feed and water their horses, Patterson and Miles.

Sgt. Ernest Kidd shouted out Ben's name to make himself heard over the hubbub of the active police station, and waved the piece of paper in the air while barely making eye contact with his officer. He handed over the slip of paper with a brief grunt as he carried on a conversation with a man standing in front of him, as well as someone else on the phone.

Ben pulled the slip of paper from Sgt Kidd's fingers with a distracted "thank you kindly", and read the note. Call Ray Vecchio, it said only.

Ben was instantly concerned that something was wrong with Carie, and he immediately grabbed the nearest available phone.

He sat at the vacant desk, a sense of dread in his stomach, and dialed the number. Ben read the note again as he listened to the phone ring. The phrasing struck Ben as odd. Formal. Not `Call Ray', but `Call Ray Vecchio'.

Ray picked up on the third ring.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked without preamble.

"Who said anything was wrong?"

"Oh. You've never called me at the station before, so I assumed something was wrong."

"No, Benny, nothing's wrong."

"Then...why are you calling?"

"I can't just call?"

"Well, it just isn't your usual habit, Ray."

"Well, I was just calling to see if you could get away for lunch, actually. Ma offered to take the baby for the afternoon while I went for my checkup with Dr. Taddeo, and I'm done, so I'm free."

"Ah."

"So, how about it?"

"Well, Ray..."

"Come on, Benny. I haven't seen you all week. I can be there in ten minutes and we can just go to the sub place. I'll have you back in no time."

"I'm sorry... I have lunch plans with Karl, actually. We were just on our way out after we saw to the horses."

"So you break them. What's the big deal?"

"Ray, that would be rude."

"Benny, I'm begging here. I just wanna spend some time wichyu, that's all. Can't we just have a little personal time together?"

Ben wavered. He wanted to see Ray, and yet he did not want to leave his new partner high and dry on short notice, either. "Ray. I can't just--

"You know what, Benny? Forget it. Maybe I'll get to see you when you get home, huh? And by the way, my appointment with Dr. Taddeo went fine, if you even care." Ray abruptly ended the call.

Ben gently replaced the handset, sighing.

"Everything okay?" a voice behind him asked. Karl Manning was a heavyset and red-faced man with an appealing gap in his front teeth. His partner flashed Ben his ever-ready smile.

"Oh. A-1," Ben said weakly.

"You sure? You look like you swallowed something wrong."

"Everything's fine," Ben assured him.

"If you say so," Manning remarked.

Ben followed his partner out of the station, a heavy weight settling in his stomach.

FINIS