Sunshine Valley

The briefing

     Dillon had called everyone in at 6:30 in the morning. Night shift was getting ready to leave and day shift was coming in. The coffee was hot and strong. Patty had made sausage biscuits for Bradley to bring. Dillon ordered extra food from Della. Margaret was tending to the phones so that Tiny and Martha could attend. Bradley started with a prayer as everyone got some food. 

     Once everyone was eating, Dillon popped up a picture on the white board. The picture was of a man. Pitch black hair. Sparkling blue eyes. Glittering white teeth. A smile that would stop traffic. A chiseled jaw line, so sharp it might cut paper. Topped off with a spotless cream complexion. 

     Tiny broke the silence with a low growl, “hot damn.”

     She blushed as the room erupted with laughter. 

     “He is a fine looking man.” Dillon commented from the back of the room. “Douglas “Doug” Greenroll, remember this face.” They reviewed what he might look like with different eye colors, hair colors and styles, even a spray tan. “This man does not respect you. He does not respect your badge. He will hurt you to get to his primary objective.” Dillon walked from the back of the room. “He is currently in jail for shooting a cop.”

     “How do we know he’s coming here, sheriff?” Tolliver asked. 

     Tiny asked, “sheriff, what is his primary objective?”

     Dillon stared at Bradley for a moment before he spoke. He almost called her Evie but thought better of it. “Evelyn Rice. Mr. Greenroll is her ex-husband.” Tiny choaked. “We may get no advance warning that he has been released. The officer he shot, thankfully lived.” He lowered his head for a moment. Knowing he should but couldn’t drag Evie any farther into this than he had too. “I cannot stress to you how dangerous this man is. He has the means to have any weapon money can buy. He will hurt you to get to her. This does not leave this room. Ms. Rice has been through enough and sadly will be put through more before we can get him.”

     “Did she come here to escape him?” Clint asked.

     “No. She came here to live. She’s from here.” 

     “So Jack Rice really is her dad. My parents have spoken about him but I wasn’t sure.” 

     “Yes, he is.”

     “Sheriff, have we given any thought to the idea he might hurt her dad?” Bradley voiced with concern.

     “We believe he will only hurt the people that are directly in front of her. If you are the officer responding to the call. If her dad just happens to be at her house.”

     The room was silent. 

     “I can’t stress to you how dangerous domestic situations are. You know this. Don’t approach him alone. Don’t forget your training. And above all don’t get killed.”

     Bradley shuffled his feet, “that goes for you to sheriff.”

     “Some of us,” Dillon cleared his throat. “Have gotten lax about wearing our vests. We really need to get back in the habit.”

     There was a muffled groan, “they are hot and heavy.” Clint said what several were thinking. 

     “I know. But think about the alternative.”

Sunshine Valley