Carmichael

Silk scarf and a napkin hidden in a drawer

Two hundred bucks in an envelope labeled Lenore

"Maybe she shouldn't see this

She should never know"

Said the widow's best friend Ann

"I'll just take it and go

I'll give it her the money later

Say it was in his shoe

That way she'll never find out

That'll do"

"Carmichael was a credit to the force

In everything he did

It's like we've got a big hole in our side

Where he fit

If any of you officers would like to say a word

Now would be the time to be heard"

"Thank you chief, I sure would

He was a partner of mine

He was always very careful

Played it straight down the line"

One by one the officers spoke

And the service drew to a close

He had no living relatives but his wife-who never showed

She just couldn't face the men--they all understood

They got in their cars and drove home

As directly as they could

"Carmichael, you asshole!"

The new widow sobbed beneath her vale

"Shot down in the line of duty

Is this how justice never fails?

I wish that things were better

When we said goodbye today

But we had our share of good times though along the way

Remember 'Hey mister Las Vegas-You used to be so cool!'?

We met Wayne Newton down on Pebble Beach and you acted like a fool

But we both just couldn't stop laughing-it seemed so funny to us

We left our luggage back in the room and almost missed the bus

That was a great vacation--maybe the best of all

But goddamn it, Carmichael, you're dead now and I'm talking to the wall"

The force got back to normal

Carmichael was replaced

For one year nobody parked a car in Carmichael's space