Sunshine Valley

WITSEC

     Clint knocked on the sheriffs door. As he walked through the door, Bradley was hot on his heels. Dillon looked concerned for a moment. “Gentlemen.”

     Bradley almost slammed the door but thought better of it. “What’s goin’ on?” Dillon looked back and forth between the 2 men. 

     “Well,” Clint rolled. “I’m almost embarrassed to tell ya. Both men sat down. “Rebecca Ledbetter is not in WITSEC.”

     Dillon erupted with laughter, causing both men to jump. “I’ve been usin’ that wrong all these years?”

     Bradley shrugged, “we’ve never had anyone in Sunshine Valley before in the program.”

     “Oh, that’s great.” Dillon smiled. 

     “Sir, I couldn’t find her because Rebecca is her middle name. Marie Rebecca “Becky” Honeywell.”

     “She’s clean,” Bradley continued. “I can’t shake this feeling that she’s a small fish in a big pond.”

     “It wouldn’t surprise me if she didn’t swim here to hide from bigger fish.” Clint added. 

     Dillon picked up his coffee mug Evie bought him, “bigger fish being Douglas Greenroll?”

     “It is possible.” Bradley remarked. 

     Dillon got up, walkin’ over to the window. “Evie,” he didn’t even bother correcting himself. “Told me that one day, out of the blue, Doug decided he didn’t want their business anymore. He was burnt out and tired. She didn’t want to go into business with his new friend. She bowed out. And they did their own things. She also told me that he liquidated everything he could get his hands on.”

     “Did she know who he was?” Bradley asked. 

     “No, Doug never formally introduced them.”

     Clint gave Dillon a sideways glance, “I would want to know everything about the person my wife was going into business with.”

     Their relationship was,” Dillon thought about a word that wasn’t too off the wall. He finally settled on, “weird.”

     “If Rebecca is connected to Doug somehow, that would explain the senseless animosity Rebecca has toward Evelyn.” Bradley was staring into space as he talked. 

     Dillon looked at Bradley, “this doesn’t make sense.”

     “What part?” Clint asked. 

     “All of it.”

     “You got a better idea?” Bradley asked. 

     “I’m not saying you’re wrong. I’m thinkin’ there’s more to this story. Why would you,” he pointed at both men, “pick Sunshine Valley?” He sat back down.

     “We are isolated.” Bradley offered. 

     “Small backwater town.” Clint remarked.

     Dillon gave him a lglance before adding, “keep diggin’ when you have time.”

     Neither man moved. Clint cleared his throat. Bradley gave him a nod for encouragement. “Deputy Calvin, I know you’ve overheard some of our break room conversations.” Clint stopped, lookin’ at Dillon for any kind of recognition. When he got none, he continued. “He and this woman that he’s been courtin’, she’s pretty messed up. She’s in and out of Coal Town. She’s been in and out of rehab’s, goin’ as far away as Lou-ville.”

     “You just wrote him up for excessive force.” Dillon added. 

     “Yes, sir. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, he’s becomin’ more so. With Bradley’s permission, I told him one more outburst, he’s goin’ on review. Daisy, his girl, ended up in the e.r. that same evening but she won’t tell me who beat her up.” Clint shook his head, “it was bad.”

     Dillon sighed, “all we need is for Sunshine Sue to get ahold of this. Don’t give him one more. Make him go talk to the department shrink. The last thing we need is a deputy full of aggression on patrol.”

     “Yes, sir.”

*I’d like to thank Violet Lentz for correcting me on an abbreviation. I decided to work the error into the story. Thank you 💕

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