Easing Into the Night

This is a story of friendship, an unlikely one that develops between a cantankerous old detective, Archie, and an immortal, Bob. Their meeting allows Archie into Bob's world in a way he can't deny, experiencing for himself a mystic ritual he wasn't sure of and realizing how close he came to missing something in his personal life that would have devastated him later.

Bob is trapped in a 90-year-old body, his immortality a curse by a powerful Shaman due to an indiscretion involving someone in the Shaman's inner circle. It entailed his treatment of women.
Excerpt: "My whole life, I had used women up, spit them out, and then found another younger, prettier, hotter woman to take their place. The only reason I ended up with the 104-year-old was she pursued me, I having a name that was of some small notoriety with the women of that age group, along the line of Casanova, just not to that degree."

Bob's immortality was dependent on easings. The Shaman had said, "Ease them into the night where they will go and be what they are." He would find women left alone in their declining years and help them enjoy their last days on earth. At death, he would hold their hand and talk them through it, history scattered with his easings.

Bob is involved in a 911 call when the latest of his wives dies at the local hospital and his ritual is misinterpreted. Archie is the large, old detective assigned to his case. He's been soured by life and computers, his gruff demeanor and caustic language a part of him he isn't aware of, his personality alienating everyone. Friendless, he's surprised when he takes a liking to Bob.

A google search reveals a discrepancy in Bob's age as Archie follows a trail of buried wives back through time thinking he'd found a serial killer. At some point, it went back too far and defied reality. His interest was piqued, and an interview was set up. 'Immortal' envisions wonders and stimulates our curiosity, the reality a shadow of what we imagined as our detective learns along with some valuable life lessons. Though there is a fascination with this mythical creature, Archie's only concern is if what he's doing is a crime. Just the facts are what Archie has lived by his whole career as a detective, and immortality wasn't a factor on his justice scale.

He also finds a note hidden in an old Excel-based file from a detective that had handled Bob's last case.
Excerpt: "If you are reading this, I'm dead. That's because if you weren't reading this, it would mean I'm still alive and shielding Bob's skinny ass. I don't know what brought you into this, but it's probably because Bob lost another wife. It's like saying the Tigers lost another game, whoop-de-do, they lose all their games. I'm not trying to be cynical, just realistic; Bob's been losing wives as far back as we've been recording history and then some, but his intentions are good even if I don't understand them."

The detective also mentioned a note he'd found in a file from his predecessor telling of testimonials from previous police types. "It spoke of thousands of notes left by every law agent who had shielded Bob throughout history, many on animal skins and crumbling parchments. You are now part of a legacy that may be the oldest in the world. That is if you find Bob worthy. If you don't, you'll be the first one in history who didn't, for every one of those notes represents an officer of the law who thought otherwise."

Archie's wife, Rose, is dying in the hospital, and Bob senses Archie hasn't weighed the gravity of her loss. In her final moments, Archie has an epiphany and realizes something he wouldn't have if not for Bob giving him the chance to see a wrong that would have haunted him the rest of his life had he not recognized it. Everything changes when Bob has a heart attack, not something normally associated with immortality, but maybe not a bad thing, an ending of substance and satisfaction to show for it.