Perfect Night (Mason Creek)

I nodded. My call to Emma would have to wait.

“Sheriff,” I said when I walked in my boss’s office.

He sat behind the desk wearing a constipated look. “Close the door.”

I did as he asked and stood there more certain now what he was about to say.

“I got a call from my wife this morning. Can you guess what she wanted to talk to me about?”

Even though I could, I waited for him to tell me.

“My wife wanted to know if Emma’s broken her engagement and was now seeing you. According to her, there is a story in MC Scoop about Hattie and Hazel seeing Emma jogging over the weekend near your house wearing an LAPD shirt. Emma claimed the shirt stood for Love All People something or other.” I couldn’t help but chuckle. She’d thought quickly on her feet. The laugh earned me a glare. “Am I really to believe that’s a coincidence?”

I folded my arms over my chest. “With all due respect Sheriff, the answer has nothing to do with my job.”

“We talked about this—” he began.

“We have, and my friendship with Emma isn’t really anyone’s business. I won’t apologize for it or change it because some people in this town have nothing better to do than gossip.”

“Emma is engaged. I might not like the guy, but she is engaged. I bet your parents wouldn’t appreciate word that you’re having an improper relationship to be talked about during Sunday church service.”

“My parents trust I wouldn’t do anything to embarrass them. I hope in time you’ll trust me enough to give me that benefit of the doubt as well.”

He sighed. “The other thing my wife called me about is a vacation. She seems to believe now that I have you here, I could take much needed time off.”

“What about—” I was about to mention Stanley, the chief deputy sheriff who retired.

“He was a good cop, but not a good leader.”

“But he was the chief deputy sheriff not just a deputy.”

He shook his head. “Sometimes I wonder if you grew up here. Politics. He would have been Sheriff but even he knew his limitations. When the mayor approached me about running for Sheriff, he suggested that Stanley be promoted to chief deputy sheriff so he wouldn’t run against me.”

I was surprised he’d admitted that when he was so annoyed with me moments before.

“So I need to know if I can trust you to handle things if I take, let’s say, a week off. The misses wants to go to her sister’s cabin up on Lake McDonald for a little fishing and relaxing.”

“Relaxing for her. Fishing for you?” I asked with an arch of my brow.

“Fishing is relaxing. Can I trust you?”

“You hired me.”

He eyed me but I said nothing else. “Don’t make me regret it. You can go.”

I left and went to my office. My call to Emma went to voicemail. I didn’t leave a message. After I checked the log of the previous night’s events, I headed out.

My first stop was Mason Creek Dental. I passed by Twisted Sister Ice Cream Shack on the way. Hattie and Hazel were there like I always remembered growing up. They waved and I waved back despite being annoyed they did what they always did; spread rumors faster than social media.

I took a left on Laurel Lane and parked at the dentist’s office. Tim was busy, so I spoke to the office manager to see if they had external security cameras. It was a long shot considering the type of business. But their location on Highland Place made a good vantage point to see anyone in town heading to the bar. I hadn’t spotted any cameras as I walked in, but I asked anyway. They didn’t. I lucked out that I wasn’t asked any probing questions about why I was looking for cameras. So I left.

My next stop was the jewelry store. When I entered, I recognized Ryder. He was a few years older than me.

“Ryder,” I said in greeting.

“Aiden Faulkner. I didn’t think you’d be back,” he said, as we traded hand slaps.

“Any more than I expected to see you. I thought I would be talking to your parents.”

“They retired.”

I nodded. “I noticed you have external security.”

“We do.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have access to footage going back over a week ago?”

“We might. Why?”

Though I knew Ryder, my investigation was secret. But I didn’t have to completely lie to him. “There is a county BOLO on a missing girl. I thought I would check footage to see if I spotted any unusual activity in town.”

“Is it someone from town?”

I shook my head. “But a family is in desperate need of leads. I’m just checking around.”

“Well, I’m sure I can get you a copy. Can I email it to you?”

“Sure.” I pulled out my official card and handed it to him. “It was good to see you. We should grab a beer sometime.”