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 💕

 http://violetslentz.home.blog

Pick that bone

     Evie called as Dillon opened the door, “kitchen.”

     He kissed her, “delicious.”

     “How was your day?” 

     He laid a manilla envelope on the table. “Paperwork for your lawyer.” 

     “Thank you. Your attorney should get an e-mail from mine.” She turned, pointing a fork at Dillon, “did you want a hard copy? Instead of electronic?”

     “I prefer a hard copy for myself.”

     “I’m sorry. I’ll make that happen.”

     He started settin’ the table. “One of my little quirks.”

     “Speakin’ of quirks, I have a bone to pick with you, sir.” He looked stunned for a moment. “I found out today that you; sir, have received awards and recommendations for being a rock star sheriff.” He just shrugged. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

    “It’s what I get paid to do.”

     “But you’re good at it. Sounds like, you go above and beyond the parameters of your job.”  

     “I don’t know what you want me to say here.” He spoke gettin’ the salad out of the fridge.

     “What I want you to say?” She asked softly. 

     He hung his head, “that came out wrong. I’m sorry. I feel like bein’ honored for doin’ your job is lip service. The people of Sunshine Valley pay me to do a job.”

    “People see that you care about what you do. You care about Sunshine Valley. Can’t they express that?” He just stared at her for a moment. The timer sounded. He reached over, turnin’ it off. Then got the bread out of the oven. “What you’re sayin’ is that it isn’t lip service, it’s an expression of gratitude?”

     “Other than the pay you receive and the benefits agreed upon at the time of hire, your boss (the people of Sunshine Valley) owe you jack shit nothing. Giving you a shout out for going above and beyond anyone’s expectations isn’t lip service. In my book.” They plated up their food, “so why, sir, did you give me a hard time when I used a word that you didn’t know what it meant. College words I believe you called them.” 

     They sat down at the table. “I hurt your feelin’s, didn’t I?”

     “A little.”

    He reached for her hand. She extended it toward him and he kissed the top of it, “sorry.”

     “Thank you. All is forgiven. Dillon, you’re gonna think and feel what you want too. But for what it’s worth, I see a strong, caring, gentle man. With a big heart.”

     “That’s all yours,” he blushed. “I show you a different side of me.”

     “And I understand that. You show others the unshakable resolve you have. Dedication for upholding the law. I saw how your deputies interacted with you at breakfast. They respect the hell out of you.”

     Dillon just sat there. Could he tell her the truth? Should he tell her the truth? He finally squeezed out. “thanks.”

Rollin’ that apple

    “Dad!” Evie called as she walked through the door, grocery bags in hand. She went to the kitchen and started fixin’ breakfast. 

     “Mornin’ humming bird,” Jack kissed her on the cheek before refillin’ his coffee cup. “That boy joinin’ us?”

     She smiled, “not this mornin’.”

     He sat at the table, “why do you always bring grub?”

     “Just helpin’ out dad. Would you like me to stop?”

     “I got a few dollars you know.”

     “I know. Can’t I spoil my dad?”

     He held up his cup, “rurn me.” Setting it softly back on the table. “What do you remember about Carl and Rose?”

     She looked at her dad quizzically for a moment. “For Dillon’s sake, I despise them. Carl was a smelly drunk. Rose seemed stoned all the time. I don’t know if she really was or if she had just checked out of life.”

     “Found out recently that Dillon got blamed for his maw’s shape.”

     Her heart sank, “are you kidden?” He shook his head sadly. “We both knew they were mean to him.”

     Jack slammed his fist on the table. Causing Evie to jump. “I should’ve fought harder for him.”

     “Dad, if it makes you feel any better, Dillon told me; crappy as it was, he wouldn’t change his childhood.” Jack looked dumbfounded. “Honestly. He said he wouldn’t be the man he is right now.”

     Jack sighed, “he has grown into a respectable man. He’s done great things with the sheriff’s office. Did you know, he got a governors award for how clean he runs that office?”

     “No, he never told me that.”

     “Yelp. He was asked to head up some high-fluten drug task force but he turned it down.”

     “By the governor?” Jack just shrugged. Evie handed him a plate. “Wait a minute, he got pensive when I used a word that he didn’t know. Referrin’ to it as one of my,” she used air quotes, “‘college words.’ And here the man is gettin’ honored left and right for being a rock star sheriff.”

     “The people of Sunshine Valley really don’t like him. But they keep votin’ for him because they know he does right. He will write you a ticket just the same as he would anyone. He has proven to us that he doesn’t play favorites. Unless som’em bad happens, he can be sheriff as long as he wants it. There’s a rumor in the mill that he’s groomin’ Bradley. Sad part is, people think Bradley is a pushover. It’s this old man’s opinion that Bradley won’t win an election.” He sighed. 

That apple kept on rollin’

     After Lilly died, Jack moved closer to town. The house where he and Lilly raised Evie (and half raised Dillon) had too many memories. The little area he moved to was closer to town and people. Widow Blake was one of his neighbors. There was a little park close to the houses. Many of his neighbors would gather there on pretty days. 

     That’s where Dillon found Jack; sittin’ on a bench feeding the birds. 

     Jack didn’t look up from his task as Dillon approached, “join me boy.”

     “Yes sir.” Dillon sat down with a heavy sigh. The birds fluttered a little. But came back to the promise of more bread. 

     “What brangs you my way?”

     Dillon watched him before he answered. Jack had a loaf of bread. He would take a slice out of the bag, tear pieces off, and with the soft flick of his wrist, toss the bread to the ground. “How much do you remember about my mom?”

     “How my Lily loved her.” Jack sighed. “I wish she was here to answer that for you.” He handed Dillon a slice of the bread.

     “Thank you.” He took it following Jack’s lead. The birds spread out a little but soon more birds appeared, fillin’ in the gaps. 

     “When we were yungons,” he stopped. Thinkin’. “Your daddy thought Rose was the purdiest girl in Sunshine Valley. He knew that my old man made shine. He asked me to pinch a bottle so he would have a reason to ask Rose out.” Jack laughed, “I did. He did. But Rose wouldn’t go unless Lily went. And, I was struck on Lily. As they say, the rest is history.” Dillon didn’t respond. When Jack turned his head, Dillon seemed to be mindlessly tossing bread pieces. “Why do you ask?”

     “I don’t ever remember mom being happy. Mostly being in a stupor. Lost. Lifeless.” He wasn’t sure how to continue. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Jack. Jack put his hand on Dillon’s arm. He looked up, locking eyes with the old man. “I am terrified that when Evie and I get married, she will become like mom. I don’t know if I could handle her becomin’ a shell of who she is.”

     “Your mom changed when they came back from the big city. That’s when your daddy started drankin’. The harder he hit the bottle, the more like a ghost she became. At first, she would spend hours cryin’ to Lily about it. They tried to dry him out.” Jack softly shook his head. 

     “What part did I play in that?” Jack gave him a confused look. “Some women get postpartum depression after a child is born.” 

     “Who told you you caused your mom to turn?”

     “I heard it all my life.”

     Jack scoffed, “not true.” He pointed at Dillon. “Your daddy turned her.” Jack smiled, “my Evie has been through a lot. I know. You just keep lovin’ her and she will love you.” He looked down at the birds. “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?”

     “Matthew 6:26-34.” Dillon commented. 

     “God’s got both of you. Trust him. 

Business

     After church on Wednesday night, once a month, church members that wanted too could stay after service for a business meeting. 

  

     Rebecca poured over a copy of the bank statement. There was a deposit of $6,545.00. Rebecca broke the silence, “Pastor, what’s this $6,000.00 deposit for?”

     “I gave Ms Evelyn my wife’s car. She insisted on making a donation to the church for the blue book value of the car.”

     “Can we give the money back?” A murmur filled the sanctuary. 

     “Why?” Widow Blake choaked.

     “You have proof to back this up?” 

     Pastor Sam looked shocked. “Proof?”

     “I mean, you are taking her word for it that this was truly the value of the car? What are we expected to do with that money, supply Narcan to Coal Town?”

     Patty chimed in, “Narcan is free.”

     Pastor Sam lowered his head, “it has been a long time since the church has had an emergency fund. Covid did a number on our finances. I just wanted to leave the money in the bank. We never know when  something devastating is going to happen. It would be a great source of comfort to know that we have some cushion.”

     “$6,000.00 wouldn’t replace anything. Are we sure we didn’t get stiffed?”

     Pastor Sam was getting annoyed. “The car was my gift to her. Free and clear, separate from the church. It was her choice to provide the church with a gift.”

     “Who has almost $7,000.00 just lying around? I really don’t think we need to be accepting tithes or gifts for that matter from non-Christian gains. What if she’s a provider on a porn site? Do we want sin money in coffers?”

     “Sin money,” Bradley jumped to his feet. 

     Simon hung his head in shame. 

     “We don’t know what she does for a livin’. Everyone in this room right now, we know what they do for a livin’. Simon runs a handy man business.” Simon shivered at the mention of his name. “Bradley, you are a deputy. Your wife is an e.r. nurse. Your daughter is a teacher in Perkinsville. Widow Blake was a homemaker. Her husband worked at the mill with Jack. Pastor Sam is a preacher. Sara, you are a clerk at the hippy grocery. Della runs a restaurant and Bill owns a barber shop. I don’t think it’s too much to ask where her money comes from. I, for one, don’t want this church to get investigated over dirty money.”

     Jack stood. He was visibly shaking, “dirty money.”

     “She said at dinner in the park that her and her ex-husband had the big house, nice cars, went on lavish vacations and could afford to fly her parents out to her wedding. Where do you get that kind of money? The kind where you can kick ‘Atlas in the balls’. I just think,” she shrugged. “We need to cover ours. Give the money back.”

     “What if she’d had offered to give that money to you?” Jack asked. “Who wouldn’t want almost $7,000.00? I reckon it would fix a lot of the far damage to your house.” He shuffled out of the sanctuary.

     Widow Blake stood, “I make a motion we keep the money in savings for an emergency fund.”

     Bradley, who was already standing said, “I second that.”

     “All in favor by a show of hands.” Pastor Sam and everyone in the room except Rebecca and Simon raised their hands. “Those against.” Only Rebecca raised her hand. She kicked Simon’s foot. 

     He didn’t move. At first, he rose staring at his wife, “this is what we should have done when this church body wanted Ms Evelyn to be their choir director. We should have taken up for her instead of pushin’ her away.” He followed Jack outside, leaving a shocked Rebecca sitting there.