you’re going in my jail cell until I get straight
answers from you.” He started to pull the man up and figured he’d
walk him the two blocks to the station if he had to. No way was he
letting this man ride in his new truck, knowing he’d probably hurl
in it the second he sat down.
“I ain’t going
nowhere with you. I just came to get some money. I figured you owed
me after what I did.” He flung his arms and Robert let go of him
and watched as he teetered on his feet. Roy reached out and put his
hand on the wall to steady himself.
“What the hell are
you talking about?”
“I took care of you
all that time. You owe me. I looked out for you like you was my own
son.”
Robert wanted to
slam his fist into the man’s face, but chose to grab his shirt
front and start walking very quickly towards the station. Roy tried
to fling his hand away, but Robert was not only in better shape,
but sober.
Robert knew how to
handle drunks and people who were high. You either talked them
down, or you ignored them. Since Roy wasn’t making any sense, he
decided the latter was the best way for him not to kill the man
where he stood.
Roy mumbled the
entire two blocks, which took twice as long to walk as usual since
Robert was practically dragging the man.
When he got there,
he was too pissed to acknowledge his deputy who sat behind the
counter waiting for the call to duty.
“Who’s that?” Larry said, following him to the back. “We booking
him on drunk driving?”
“No.” Robert didn’t
even really acknowledge the kid.
“What are we
booking him on? Do you want me to process him?” The town was small
and usually the only people they had in the cell were the local
drunks, sobering up for the night. But Larry’s enthusiasm for
booking someone new was almost laughable.
“This is Roy…” He
pulled Roy around and looked at him in the face. “What’s your last
name?”
“Mc—McDonald.”
Robert raised his eyebrows, showing that he didn’t believe the
man.
“Roy McDonald?” Roy
laughed when Robert said it.
“Eee-iii-eee-iii-oooo.”
Robert pulled him
up on his toes and growled at him. He ground his back teeth, trying
to talk himself out of punching the man.
“What’s your last
name?” He shook the man.
Roy looked at him
and Robert saw fear in the man’s eyes again.
“Kenny, Roy
Kenny.”
“Larry, book and process Roy Kenny.”
“On what
charges?”
“Public nuisance
and public intoxication. I don’t want him to go anywhere until I
get back in the morning. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, sir,” Larry
said as Robert dumped the man in the cell, then walked
out.
Amelia walked into
the station the next day around lunchtime and saw Robert sitting
behind the desk. He didn’t even look up when the bell chimed over
the door.
“Busy?” She leaned
against the counter and saw his eyes flash as he looked at
her.
“Yes, but never too
busy for you.” He stood up and walked around and kissed her lightly
on the lips. “What brings you here?”
“I heard from Patty
that you’ve got a man locked up in here that you think might have
something to do with your mother’s
disappearance.”
“Man, word does
travel fast around here.”
She noticed that he
looked like he hadn’t slept all night.
“Why didn’t you
call me?”
He stopped and
stared at her for almost a full minute. Then he blinked. “I – I was
so caught up in being angry. I didn’t think to call
you.”
She’d felt a little
hurt when she’d heard Patty telling someone about what was going
on. She’d almost felt betrayed, but now looking at his face, into
his eyes, she could see he was so affected by the whole scenario,
he hadn’t thought about her.
“Robert…” She
didn’t care anymore, she was willing to take the jump even if she
did get burned. “I want to be there for you. I want to be the one
you call
answers from you.” He started to pull the man up and figured he’d
walk him the two blocks to the station if he had to. No way was he
letting this man ride in his new truck, knowing he’d probably hurl
in it the second he sat down.
“I ain’t going
nowhere with you. I just came to get some money. I figured you owed
me after what I did.” He flung his arms and Robert let go of him
and watched as he teetered on his feet. Roy reached out and put his
hand on the wall to steady himself.
“What the hell are
you talking about?”
“I took care of you
all that time. You owe me. I looked out for you like you was my own
son.”
Robert wanted to
slam his fist into the man’s face, but chose to grab his shirt
front and start walking very quickly towards the station. Roy tried
to fling his hand away, but Robert was not only in better shape,
but sober.
Robert knew how to
handle drunks and people who were high. You either talked them
down, or you ignored them. Since Roy wasn’t making any sense, he
decided the latter was the best way for him not to kill the man
where he stood.
Roy mumbled the
entire two blocks, which took twice as long to walk as usual since
Robert was practically dragging the man.
When he got there,
he was too pissed to acknowledge his deputy who sat behind the
counter waiting for the call to duty.
“Who’s that?” Larry said, following him to the back. “We booking
him on drunk driving?”
“No.” Robert didn’t
even really acknowledge the kid.
“What are we
booking him on? Do you want me to process him?” The town was small
and usually the only people they had in the cell were the local
drunks, sobering up for the night. But Larry’s enthusiasm for
booking someone new was almost laughable.
“This is Roy…” He
pulled Roy around and looked at him in the face. “What’s your last
name?”
“Mc—McDonald.”
Robert raised his eyebrows, showing that he didn’t believe the
man.
“Roy McDonald?” Roy
laughed when Robert said it.
“Eee-iii-eee-iii-oooo.”
Robert pulled him
up on his toes and growled at him. He ground his back teeth, trying
to talk himself out of punching the man.
“What’s your last
name?” He shook the man.
Roy looked at him
and Robert saw fear in the man’s eyes again.
“Kenny, Roy
Kenny.”
“Larry, book and process Roy Kenny.”
“On what
charges?”
“Public nuisance
and public intoxication. I don’t want him to go anywhere until I
get back in the morning. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, sir,” Larry
said as Robert dumped the man in the cell, then walked
out.
Amelia walked into
the station the next day around lunchtime and saw Robert sitting
behind the desk. He didn’t even look up when the bell chimed over
the door.
“Busy?” She leaned
against the counter and saw his eyes flash as he looked at
her.
“Yes, but never too
busy for you.” He stood up and walked around and kissed her lightly
on the lips. “What brings you here?”
“I heard from Patty
that you’ve got a man locked up in here that you think might have
something to do with your mother’s
disappearance.”
“Man, word does
travel fast around here.”
She noticed that he
looked like he hadn’t slept all night.
“Why didn’t you
call me?”
He stopped and
stared at her for almost a full minute. Then he blinked. “I – I was
so caught up in being angry. I didn’t think to call
you.”
She’d felt a little
hurt when she’d heard Patty telling someone about what was going
on. She’d almost felt betrayed, but now looking at his face, into
his eyes, she could see he was so affected by the whole scenario,
he hadn’t thought about her.
“Robert…” She
didn’t care anymore, she was willing to take the jump even if she
did get burned. “I want to be there for you. I want to be the one
you call
Similar Books
