Two weeks have passed since Roy's blind date. See how the world is treating him and what he's up to in this week's The Sheriff. Don't forget to see what the other Briefers are up to! Their links follow my tale! And if anyone is interested in becoming a part of the group, the more the merrier, give me a shout! Enjoy!
Two weeks after the ill-fated blind date at Partners, Roy
found himself in Tucker Falls again, but this time for business reasons. He’d
received an unexpected call from the sheriff requesting he meet him for
breakfast. The invitation had piqued Roy’s interest, as well as his curiosity. He
had a good working relationship with nearby law enforcement , both local and
state, but the officer he was most in contact with was the sheriff of Tucker
Falls, Harlan Sinclair. Their meetings were mostly held in the sheriff’s
office, though, so this was unusual.
Harlan was in his late forties, and had been sheriff for
some twenty years. His chestnut hair,
which he kept cut just below the ears, was starting to get a little gray, and
maybe he had a bit of a belly, thanks to his pretty wife’s good home cooking,
but he still cut quite the figure. He was popular with the people he served,
but he was also known for being a no-nonsense kind of guy who didn’t tolerate
inappropriate behavior from anyone. Roy appreciated that in him, which was one
reason they got along so well.
They met in a small diner situated within walking distance
of the sheriff’s office. The décor wasn’t fancy, but the food was good
old-fashioned home cooking, and the service was great. Everyone there knew Harlan,
it seemed to Roy. They made a point of saying hey as they walked past the booth
where the two men sat.
“Morning, Sheriff,” a young woman with a two-toned
blue-and-brown hairdo greeted him. She turned a bright smile on Roy, then
noticed his uniform. “I stand corrected. Two sheriffs this morning.” She seemed
very chipper for so early in the morning, but Roy figured that was better than
having someone bite his head off at the crack of dawn. “Start you out with
coffee?”
“Works for me, Callie,” Harlan responded, turning an
inquiring glance to Roy. “You?”
“Coffee would be great,” Roy agreed.
“Awesome! Be right back, take your time looking over the
menu.” She laid a plastic-coated menu in front of each man, then turned and
sashayed toward the waitress station across the room.
The two men made professional small talk until they received
their coffee. Once Callie took their breakfast orders and sauntered away,
Harlan got down to business.
“Tell me something, Roy,” he began. “You having any problem
with drugs in your neck of the woods?”
If Harlan hadn’t looked so serious, Roy would have laughed.
Drugs? In Burnham? The only people he’d ever taken drugs off of were people
passing through the small town, not any of the residents. And not very often at
that. He supposed it was possible
someone in town smoked pot, but he seriously doubted even that. So obviously it
wasn’t a problem.
“Not that I’ve noticed,” he said at last. “Why do you ask?
Is something up?”
“Maybe,” Harlan said. “Well, something is, I just haven’t
figured out what.”
“What do you mean?” Roy reached for his cup and took a long
drink of the hot brew, letting it warm his insides.
“There’s been a string of burglaries lately. At least I
think there is. A string, I mean. Definite burglaries. People’s houses being
broke into, a few small businesses too. Most of what’s being taken is stuff
that’s easily sold and not very traceable, you know? I just wondered if someone
was feeding a drug habit. Or maybe some hot shot dealer from one of the big
cities decided to hang his hat in Tucker Falls.”
Roy frowned. That could be a problem, not just for Tucker
Falls, but for Burnham too. He didn’t like the sound of that one little bit.
Although Tucker Falls was a bigger town, and had more deputies, cooperation
between the various sheriffs’ departments was instrumental in enforcing the
law.
“I appreciate the offer.” Harlan gave him a smile of relief.
Obviously the subject was one he’d been wrestling with. “To be honest, I’m not
quite sure what I need help with. I really wanted to apprise you of the
situation, ask you to keep a special eye out. I know you patrol between here
and Burnham, and I know you see things. I really respect you as a lawman, Roy,
and I trust your judgment.”
“I’m very flattered, Harlan,” Roy said sincerely. “I will
definitely keep an eye out when I’m on patrol.”
“That’s all I can ask,” Harlan said gratefully.
Just then their food arrived. Callie set their dishes on the
table, refilled their coffee, then left.
“How’s them kids doing?” Roy asked as they ate.
“Growing like weeds.” Harlan laughed. “We got little Harlan
his own bike, and he thinks that’s the best thing since sliced white bread.
Missy’s already reading now, and she’s only three years old. By the time she
gets to school, she’s gonna be the smartest kid there.” The sheriff’s pride in
his children was obvious as he spoke. “So, when you gonna settle down and have
some young’uns of your own, Roy?”
Roy snorted. “At the rate I’m going, never,” he said. “I’ve
just about given about on meeting Miss Right. Lately, it seems like all I can
find is Miss Wrong, and I’ve seen enough of them to last me a lifetime.”
“Well, never say never,” Harland said, punctuating his words
with his fork. “When the time’s right, you’ll find the perfect woman for you.”
“Yeah, sure,” Roy said agreeably. “Maybe someday.”
When pigs fly.
to be continued
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