17-Eddie

Crime and Comedy in New York City

By: Paul E. Murphy

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Sometimes, a cop has to improvise.

Like when my partner Richie and I had to respond to a woman claiming a guy in another building was trying to control her brain.

Richie questioned her thoroughly, and found out that this guy’s death ray would only work at night and only seemed to be directed toward her bedroom window. "Not a problem,” said Richie, “I’ve seen this before. Follow me and do exactly as I say.”

He explained that if she covered the window entirely with aluminum foil, the negative ions that comprised the thought-control function of the gamma ray that this guy was directing toward her could be recalibrated, diffused, vaporized. . .

That accomplished, she had another question. “But officer, if you know what he’s doing to me, why can’t you stop him?”

“Ma’am, this is a federal matter.”

It was the early 1980s on the east side of Manhattan and the NYPD cops were cool, competent, and at times, hysterically funny. Slide into the front seat of Officer Paul Murphy’s ‘radio car’ as you take the next incoming 911 call. These characters and their true stories are an incredible mix of comedy and tragedy that no writer could possibly invent.