Chapter 12

We made it back to the station and I quickly ducked into my office, hoping I wouldn't hear more about my love life and Tran. I had just got settled in the chair when Shorty came in with one of the Lieutenants on the list and told him why we were letting him go. He didn't seem upset and explained that he had been expecting it with the new leadership. He was pleasant about it and wanted to know if we would give him a good report when he applied to one of the casinos. I told him I would and then reminded him that by law he wasn't allowed to carry a weapon or own any unless he got his record expunged. He seemed to understand everything that he was being told and made it clear to Shorty. He would have all his stuff turned in by the end of the day tomorrow.

We spent the rest of the afternoon firing the supervisors and trying to do it in such a way that there wouldn't be too many hard feelings. For the most part they expected it with the change of sheriffs but a couple had to be threatened with immediate arrest before they calmed down and accepted the facts of life. I had to remind a couple of them that if they tried to play officer and were caught, it was a felony and they would not like jail being an ex officer. It was around five when the secretary from the front buzzed me and said she was leaving. She wanted to know if I needed anything before she left and I told her no and to have a good evening.

I looked at Shorty and said since we were done, now would be a good time to knock it off for the day. He agreed and we both headed for home. I remembered to lock the office this time before I went to my unit. I was finally going to get home before dark and then groaned when I remembered I had to pick up the log chain and locks from the hardware store. I headed that way and found it fairly easily. I got the stuff I went in for and threw it in back of the unit and once again I headed for home.

I had just walked in the door when I remembered the log cabin contractor had never showed up at the office. I put the M-16 by the door and got the coffee going. I had just sat down in the chair when I saw a bright yellow Jeep pull up in front of the house. That thing looked like the one I had rented from the airport, and it was. It was filled with suitcases and two little girls that I had missed since I had left Florida. Mark had come and he was two weeks early. Good that meant I could get him settled in the next week, and give up my position and go back to being a man of leisure. Now I was really happy as I ran to grab the girls up in my arms.

They were both trying to climb into my arms at the same time and I was eating it up. Mark was watching and shaking his head at our struggle. I was finally able to get free and went to help him with the bags. We made three trips before we got it all in the cabin. The girls directed us by telling us which suitcases were theirs and to be careful how we handled them. I was laughing and for a while it felt like home having them here. We finally got done and we all sat down in the front room. Mark and I sat on the sofa and the girls went to the windows, sat down on the window ledge, and were watching the deer as they came out of the pines to eat the green grass growing in the little meadow in front of the cabin.

"Harry, sorry we showed up early, but the house and contents sold quicker than I ever dreamed it would. Those people bought everything in the house except our personal stuff. Our things are on a moving van somewhere on its way here. I appreciate your offering your cabin for a place to stay, and I have to say it's beautiful up here."

"Hell Mark, you know you and the girls are always welcome in my home for as long as you need to stay. I am trying to get a contractor nailed down to start on your place. Since you're here, you can help me pick out the type of place you would like to have built for you and the girls."

"Can't I just take it easy for a few days and enjoy the peace and quiet? I want to walk around with the girls and just relax before I take the sheriff's job."

"Tomorrow is my last day till Monday so let's take the weekend and just explore with the girls. Maybe we can find a spot to build your cabin and do a little trout fishing. I bet your daughters would love it. We can use my Jeep since it was made for the country around here. The back seats are in the garage and we can bolt them in so the girls will have seat belts."

"Sounds like a good plan to me, Harry. I am looking forward to the whole thing. I haven't had any fresh caught trout since I was stationed out here in the service. I know my daughters will love being able to explore the area and get used to the different animals. I will have to watch out for snakes and show them the poisonous ones if we see any."

"I have snake bite anti venom in the refrigerator for emergencies. Abe kept it for some reason. I have plenty of food and will cook so they get something other than grilled cheese sandwiches."

I left Mark growling about cheese and cooking and headed for the kitchen to cook our dinner. Dina, the oldest came in and asked if she could help me fix supper, and I told her I would be glad for the help. We fixed fried taters and for meat we had big thick pork chops that had to be the thickest chops I had ever seen. I cooked everyone one apiece since they were so big. I had juice for the girls and beer for the guys and we sat down to eat. The girls were yawning about half way through the meal and I could tell the excitement of the day was catching up with them. We took them to their rooms, and made sure they brushed their teeth. We both tucked them in before I went to the kitchen to put everything in the dishwasher. I made a pot of coffee and sat down in front of the windows and just watched the stars and the moon rise. I felt like I now had a home with the girls and Mark being here. I had always thought the sounds of kids laughter was the most relaxing sound you could hear. I now had that in the cabin, thanks to my friend and his family. I knew I would miss them when they finally moved to their own place. I set the coffee pot to go in the morning and went to bed.

I woke with the alarm, turned the coffee pot on, and went to the shower. My guests were still sleeping so I had my coffee and got my to go cup and headed for the office. I turned the radio on but it was silent, so I had a quiet ride in. Tomorrow I would be running around my property with my temporary family and having fun for the first time since I had arrived.

I pulled into the station and went inside and found part of the lobby was set aside for uniforms and gear that had been dropped off already this morning and last night. I could not believe the amount of clothes each deputy had issued to him. No wonder Mrs. Hawkins had made such a profit from the department. I went behind the counter and there was a box full of badges and other equipment. The ID cards were there with a rubber band around them. I took the band off and found that each deputy had three ID cards issued to them for some reason. I decided that I would have a talk with the records and ID section this morning. From this point on each man would have one ID, and if he lost it he would have to fill out a form, and have it approved before another one was issued. I headed into my office and saw that Andy's desk and personal possessions were gone. What the hell! I called the evidence room and there was no answer so I headed for the radio room to talk to Pinky and see if he knew what was going on.

I walked in and it was bedlam in the radio room. I saw Pinky and Shorty in the office and it looked like they were shouting at each other. I walked over and opened the door and they both swung toward my entrance and relaxed when they saw it was me.

"Somebody want to tell me what's going on? It seems the station is empty and all the employees are here in the radio room. I suggest you get your people under control, Pinky, and then we can see why everyone looks like a bomb hit the station."

I must have said the wrong thing because they both looked at each other in shock. Pinky went out and even through the office door I could hear the noise die down. I saw my clerk headed out of the room followed by the other personnel that worked out front. I sat down and sipped my coffee and waited for Pinky to come back in the office. He returned shortly and sat behind the desk and looked at me.

"Harry. I have some bad news. Andy was hurt last night when he and his wife were on the way to dinner. The story I am getting is that a truck came around a curve on the wrong side of the road. He swerved to miss him and went off the road and hit a tree. His wife will be ok but he is non responsive to treatment. They don't know if he will make it or not. The truck driver was drinking and he is under arrest. His truck has been confiscated as material evidence."

"Damn, how is his wife taking it and is she still in the hospital?"

"She is home with cuts and bruises but is expected to be fine. She seems to be taking it all very well considering how much they loved each other."

"I want a unit at their place for transportation if she needs it. Have Doris get one of the unmarked units ready for her to be driven back and forth in. I want full department support for her for whatever she needs. I want flowers sent to the hospital and I want a deputy on his door until we find out if he is going to be ok. Now, goddammit, get it done! The both of you!"

I got up and headed for my office, telling Shorty I wanted to talk to him when he got through doing what I had ordered them to. I went in and couldn't sit still so I went to the records room and had the clerk type up a notice to put in all the boxes about having more than one ID. I made it an order and gave all the personnel one week to turn all the others in. I asked her if she had a list of all the reserve officers and I was told that no list existed. I called the newspaper and put a notice in on the front page. I made it clear what the consequences would be if the order wasn't followed. I very carefully worded it so there could be no misunderstandings and no recourse if they broke the law by impersonating an officer.

After I got off the line with the newspaper, I called the prosecutor and we had a little conversation about the charges he was going to put on the driver. I also wanted the information on the company he drove for and all the information on his insurance company. I planned on talking to Andy's wife and giving her the name of the attorney that Floyd had given me out here for my use. I would call him and put him on notice that she would be calling him and how much he wouldn't charge her.