Chapter 21: Officer Eddie's Predicament
"What would you like for dinner tonight, dear?" Sheila asked cheerfully, wearing an apron while preparing ingredients in the kitchen.
"Uh, no need; I'll eat at home," Frank replied.
Before Frank could finish speaking, Karen shot him a look.
"Liam is still here; I need to take him home," Frank added.
"Lip will come by later. I'll have him take Liam back," Karen said.
"Going out so late?" Frank instinctively frowned.
Having lived in China in his previous life, Frank never worried much about safety. Nights in China were very safe; even at two or three in the morning, you could go out for a late-night snack without a worry.
However, in most other countries, nighttime is quite unsafe and dangerous.
After crossing over, Frank learned this the hard way. Attempting to make more money after dark, he was once mugged by someone wielding a real gun.
Not just in Chicago; even in a renowned city like New York, streets and squares become deserted and dangerous at night.
Only homeless people, gang members, and addicts roam the streets, often armed. Frank once saw a homeless man pull out a grenade.
Encountering an addict desperate for drug money could mean getting shot in a heartbeat.
Frank's neighborhood was in a slum, surrounded by even more dangerous areas.
As Sheila was preparing dinner, the doorbell rang, and Frank went to answer it. It was Lip.
"You came back here again," Lip said, surprised but not shocked to see Frank at the door.
"Come on in," Frank said, handing Lip a sealed bag.
Familiar with the house rules, Lip removed his shoes, placed them in the bag, and walked in barefoot.
"Wait, put on some slippers; the floor is cold," Frank said, taking slippers from the cabinet for Lip.
Lip paused, surprised. In his memory, Frank never did such things; he always acted like a lord waiting to be served.
"Hmm?" Frank inquired, seeing Lip's hesitation.
Lip snapped back to reality, put on the slippers, and entered the house.
"Karen, Lip's here!" Sheila called out upon seeing him.
"Lip, I made roast chicken. Want to join us?" Sheila offered.
"No thanks, we'll grab some burgers later," Lip said.
"Oh," Sheila replied, looking disappointed.
Staying at home all day, Sheila loved watching cooking shows and trying new recipes, enjoying watching others eat her creations.
"You've come back; are you staying?" Lip asked Frank.
"I want to, but it's complicated," Frank answered with a wry smile.
He couldn't tell Lip that his girlfriend had threatened him into staying. It was too awkward to mention to her brother.
"I'm ready," Karen said, running down from the second floor.
"We're off," Lip said, standing up.
"Don't forget Liam," Karen said, holding him.
"It's cold; wear a scarf," Frank said, wrapping a scarf around Karen and Lip. "Be careful out there," he hinted to Lip, emphasizing safety.
"Frank's acting strange," Karen noted.
"You noticed it too," Lip replied.
"Yeah, he's changed a lot. He's no longer always drunk, and it seems like he's quit drinking," Karen said.
"Quit drinking? Frank? That's impossible," Lip said, his expression shifting as if recalling something unpleasant.
"Let's not talk about him. Let's go to the usual spot and watch the trains," Karen suggested, linking arms with Lip.
"Lip and Karen have been spending a lot of time together," Sheila remarked casually at home.
"Yeah," Frank replied, watching Sheila's back, pondering how to handle Karen's threat.
At that moment, the sound of a key in the lock caught their attention, and the door opened. In walked a slightly overweight man in a police uniform—Officer Eddie, Sheila's husband and the man of the house.
Seeing Officer Eddie made Frank tense up. In his previous life, he'd never engaged in such scandalous behavior. Sitting brazenly on the couch watching TV felt surreal.
At that moment, Frank thought he should be hiding under the bed or in a closet.
Officer Eddie paused for a moment upon seeing Frank on the couch but then nodded at him.
Before Frank's arrival, "Frank" had been living with Sheila, and Eddie knew the situation, treating Frank like family.
Eddie moved to the kitchen, opened a trapdoor, and descended into the basement without glancing at Sheila.
"Hmm," Sheila, who had been gentle all evening, turned cold as Eddie passed, letting out a dismissive snort.
For a brief moment, the atmosphere in the house became awkward and strange, though only Frank seemed to notice.
Once Eddie disappeared into the basement, Sheila's demeanor softened again, looking at Frank with affection.
Yes, Eddie was fully aware of Frank's affair with his wife, the metaphorical cuckoldry, and even the usurpation of his home.
Yet, Eddie wasn't enraged or ready to draw his gun on Frank. Instead, his attitude was one of resigned camaraderie.
Eddie couldn't afford to move elsewhere, especially with obligations to support Sheila and Karen, so he continued living at home.
Perhaps due to religious beliefs, Eddie hadn't divorced Sheila despite everything. He had even ceded the main part of the house to Frank and Sheila, converting the basement into his room.
The resulting atmosphere was bizarre, especially during dinner, making Frank feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.
"Taste this beef," Sheila said, like a lover, placing a piece on Frank's plate.
Eating, Frank glanced with his peripheral vision at Officer Eddie at the other end of the table. Compared to Sheila's lavish spread of bread, roast chicken, and steak, Eddie's dinner was meager, just a bowl of oatmeal.