23 June 2025, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2776: such a stereotype

Image by Irina Alex from Pixabay

Mr. Henry Halleck VII walked into work as the conservator of the Big Loft Police Department, and specifically into headquarters, with a certain amount of tense optimism for the first time in his tenure. The department had shown itself much improved over the tense previous week, and people seemed grim but still somehow upbeat that morning. People were talking about it, and the dirty looks he usually got from the old guard upset about the conservatorship were less.

This was inevitable. The real leader of the department had emerged. He had been there since 2019, hated over the course of much of that time, but still: already there, and in a crisis, he had emerged as it was inevitable that he do.

The man in question also had the ability to walk through walls, apparently; there was a report on Mr. Halleck's desk when he arrived, and Mr. Halleck had been assured that he was the only one who had a key to his office.

Mr. Halleck read the report, sighed deeply, and picked up the phone, and soon enough, a whole police captain older than him was in his office thoroughly cussing him out.

“So, you're in here cussing me out because you are angry you got caught, not that you left on social media about 38 percent of the city's population that “It's such a stereotype, but we're going to roll with it because it's time honored and easy” to explain why you are cruising those neighborhoods more even though they are not even out here protesting in and threatening neighborhoods we need to protect? Your behavior says those neighborhoods are right about us: we are the violent, threatening ones in Lofton County.”

Said police captain would have leaped across the desk, but he noticed just in time that Mr. Halleck had the desk drawer open and his hand was already in there, and there had been an ominous click.

“Remember, Captain: I'm the same kind of man that you are. You want to be violent and threatening with me, but you haven't done your research. Virginia sent me because I've handled your type of man once, and I can again.”

“You no-good carpetbagger!” the captain growled.

“Fun fact: the Hallecks of Virginia are highly respected in their region,” Mr. Halleck said. “That took some doing, of course, but what people learned is that we can be as genteel or as rough and tumble as it takes for native Virginians to respect us. My family has lived here for three generations. But, look; I'm going to be able to leave sooner than I would, and thus turn you over to the tender loving care of probably incoming Chief Henry Fitzhugh Lee.”

The police captain blanched.

“No,” he said.

“Perspective helps, doesn't it?” Mr. Halleck said. “You know full well that you would be eternally wherever you have prepared your soul to be if you tried any of this foolery on Capt. Lee, but I'm a conservator at heart – we don't need any more bad press, so I will give you time to figure out your retirement while you are on administrative leave. Leave your gun and badge right here and go home.”

The police captain was glad enough to go, and still nearly died of a heart attack when he turned around and saw Capt. H.F. Lee calmly standing at point-blank range, with his gun drawn and ready.

“Perspective, Captain MacGruder,” Mr. Halleck said. “Dismissed.”

Capt. MacGruder had enough pride to not run, but his body language said he wanted to as he departed.

Capt. Lee put his gun up, and Mr. Halleck put the safety back on the 357 Magnum he had in the drawer.

“Press conference about this foolery in 15 minutes – thank you for the briefing and the backup, Capt. Lee. I'll get this fire out if I can.”

“Of course,” Capt. Lee said.

“Just one more thing – how do you get through walls to get into my office?”

Capt. Lee smiled.

“I dropped that off on Friday before you locked it.”

“Oh!” Mr. Halleck said.

“Lees as mind readers and wall walkers – such a time-honored stereotype!” Capt. Lee said.

“We all need to watch our prejudices, I suppose,” Mr. Halleck said with a smile.