Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem



Tarquin's response was icy, a firm "No way!"noveldrama

Bobby's face darkened, he took a moment to simmer down before replying with a restrained anger, "How about we call the cops then, hand him over to the authorities, would that work?"

The narrowing of Tarquin's sharp eyes suggested he was surprised by the suggestion. Yet, Clayton and the Patel brothers furrowed their brows in concern!

Before Tarquin could even reply, they pulled him aside and said, "This smells fishy! The Murphys have a mole in the police department. They're probably planning to use the cops to take Larry first and then snatch him back from them. That way, they won't offend you."

Tarquin got the picture, "No worries. The Murphys might have someone, but as luck would have it, I also have a buddy in the police force. I'll give him a heads-up. The Murphys won't get their way."

Clayton, still uneasy, asked, "Is your friend influential enough, though?"

"He's alright."

But Clayton was fretting, "The Murphys have a tightwork inside..."

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have been worried. Even the Murphys' henchmen would've treated him with utmost respect.

But now, caught in a whirlwind, he felt disregarded!

The Patels looked serious, "If push comes to shove, we'll step in. Larry's the direct culprit behind mistreating our sister. We can't let the Murphys whisk him away!"

Clayton immediately shook his head, "No way! You should be even more cautious in dealing with government bodies."

Seeing their concern, Tarquin tried to reassure them, "Don't worry, my friend has a say in the police department."

Over at the Murphy camp, Roger was quizzing his dad, "Why think of calling the cops now, Dad? Didn't we agree not to involve them?"

"Times change, son. Calling the cops now works in our favor!"

As Clayton had pointed out, he didn't want to offend Tarquin by snatching Larry directly from him. So, the plan was to let the police take Larry first, then retrieve him from the authorities.

"What if Tarquin also knows someone in the police department?"

Bobby scoffed, "Unless he knows the Chief of Police, knowing anyone else won't do!"

"And what if he actually knows the Chief?"

"That's impossible! Tarquin might be powerful, but his stronghold isn't in Oceanopolis. His influence here is limited."

"Then why are we still afraid of him? Let's face him head-on!"

Bobby turned sharply, exasperated, "How did I end up with such a dimwit for a son! It's a curse, truly!"

Frustrated by his son's naivety, Bobby calmed himself before preemptively dialing 911, determined to make the first move.

After the call, he dialed a private number...

The Murphys had to take Larry today, both for their safety and their pride.

He wouldn't let his grand show of force to the Hawkins end in humiliation, not in the eyes of Oceanopolis's elite!

Soon, the police arrived in force, heading straight to Bobby, who was greeted with respect by the leading officer.

Clayton frowned, "That's the Murphy's nephew, the deputy chief. With the Chief nearly retired, he's next in line. So, barring the Chief, he's the most influential there. Your friend... is it the Chief?"

Tarquin shook his head, "No."

Clayton's heart sank. If not the Chief, then who could possibly hold sway?