Petty Crimes

         Consumed with lack of sleep and stress Hayden’s mind was confounded by this strange peach-colored hindrance obscuring his view of the cooling black coffee that was placed in front of him fifteen minutes before.  The interference began to wave and Hayden finally comprehended it was a hand which belonged to a man.  A man, who, upon further inspection, turned out to be someone he knew very well, yet hadn’t seen in quite some time.
         “Asa.”
         The man plopped down opposite Hayden in the booth.  Helping himself to a piece of toast he perused one of the many papers scattered over the table.  “What’s all this?”
         Hayden took it out of his hand and began collecting the rest of the papers making the checked table cloth visible.  He scanned the pile thankful to see the top page hadn’t given away too much information.
         “It’s a case I’ve been working on.  I can’t seem to find any leads.  I’ve been up for weeks.”
         “That’s why it looks like the cat dragged you in.”
         “You don’t look that great yourself.”  Which was true, Asa had always appeared scraggily in school, but he looked even worse off ten years later.  His dark eyes gazed out over sunken cheeks and his lean frame looked like it might drown in his frayed clothes.  He seemed to be in better humor at least.
         “Still trying to cover up that scar I see.” Hayden tacked on after a moment or two of uncomfortable silence.  Tiny black hairs rested under Asa’s nose, meekly trying to cover up a long gash running along his upper lip.  “Don’t worry, Asa, eventually you’ll finish puberty and you’ll be able to grow a real mustache.”  Hayden chuckled, a proud mustachioed man himself.
         Asa nodded solemnly, idly tracing over the bump with his finger.  “I had a full one a while back, but I shaved it off.  I just recently realized I missed it.”
         “I remember exactly how you got that mark,” Hayden began to happily reminisce.
         “I do too, I was there.” Asa interjected, annoyed, “Anyway, I am sorry to hear you’re still a cop.”
         “It’s an honor to hold this job.  It’s probably more respectful and rewarding than whatever it is you do!”
         “I don’t do anything.  And I was hoping you might have known of an opening somewhere, but seeing as you’re a cop… You’d probably need some sort of time-consuming training to be one, wouldn’t you?”  Asa asked, uninterested.
         “Right ---” Hayden’s response was interrupted by the thunderous drums of some obscure symphony.  Holding up his index finger, Hayden flipped open his cell phone.  “Foster here.”  He listened to his commander intently as he watched Asa lazily rub over his scar.  He hung up his phone and said, “You always wanted to be an actor didn’t you?”
         Asa shrugged, “I used to say they didn’t seem to have it so bad, if that’s what you mean.  Lots of ladies, money and attention all for little or no talent.”
         “We might have something along those lines down at the station for you.”
         “Like what?”
         “Just come around tomorrow and we’ll set something up.  The pay won't be too cushy but it’s something.”
         “Okay.”
         The next morning Asa met Hayden outside of the police station.  “It’s amazing to see how much other people can get done while I’m usually asleep.” Asa yawned.
         “Yes.” Hayden said half-heartily trying to humor him and then got down to business,  “When we’re in there we can’t act like we know each other, because then you being here would be totally useless.”
         “That’s fine,” Asa yawned again, “I’m good at snubbing people.  What am I supposed to be doing anyway?”
         “The station is in desperate need of bodies for lineup.”
         “What?”
         “When we don’t find enough people who fit the description of a suspect we send in some filler men.  That’s where you come in.”
         Asa seemed a bit hesitant.
         “I know it’s not as glamorous as the life of a real actor, but I was only trying to help.”
         “These lineups are just for petty crimes, right?”  Asa asked, “I don’t want to be stuck in a room with a bunch of murderers.”
         “Of course.”
         “And all I have to do is stand there?”
         “Yes.”
         “Alright” Asa agreed, “I’ll do it.”
         Hayden nodded towards the door and they went inside.  A few meters in Hayden grasped Asa’s arm tightly behind his back. 
         “Hey!” Asa complained.
         “We must make this believable.” Hayden whispered in his ear.  He threw him into a crowd stomping through a doorway.  Asa got to the frame and looked back at Hayden.  Hayden nodded for Asa to go on as he, himself, went in the door beside it.
         Hayden acknowledged the other occupants of the room and looked through the one-way-mirror.  It sure was a grubby bunch standing there before them, a crowd Asa seemed to fit right in with.  The other man in the room was asking the woman a question.  “Do you see him out there?”
         “I’m not sure, possibly.”
         The man nodded at Hayden and then spoke into the microphone.  “Number one, please step forward.”  A pot-bellied man with stains all over his shirt stepped forward, but so did Asa. 
         “Please step back number three.”
         “I was just wondering what this is all about.”
         “What?”
         “If we have to stand here we might as well be let in on what you all think one of us supposedly did.”  Asa argued.
         “Suspect of murder.”  The other man stated plainly.  He then continued speaking to the woman.  “Does number one look anything like him?”
         “No, he’s much too heavy ---”
         She was interrupted by Asa’s yelp.  “You said these were only going to petty crimes, Hayden.  Last time I checked murder wasn’t let off easy!”
         “Number three step back!”  The other man bellowed into the intercom.
         Asa moved forward instead.  Banging on the mirror he bellowed, “Hayden!  Hayden I want to talk to you.  Now!”
         Hayden turned calmly to the woman, “Ma’am is number three the man you saw?”
         She gasped, “Yes!  The man had a scar just like that!  I didn’t notice it before because of his facial hair.”
         The guards in the other room were already pushing Asa back in line when Hayden grabbed the microphone.  “Asa Greelee you are under arrest for the murder of Heward Carmikkle.”
         Even with Asa accusations of betrayal penetrating through the walls, Hayden’s mind could only focus on the fact that he’d finally be able to sleep that night.