have a minute?” I asked when I phoned him. I wanted to spring my evidence on him in person, but in order to do that, I had to know where he was first.
“Just about that,” he said. “What’s going on?”
“The thing is, I can’t do it over the phone. Are you in your office?”
“I will be for the next ten or fifteen minutes,” he said. “Is that enough time?”
“It should be plenty,” I said. I was glad that Grace had come up with the idea of marking down the times on the video where the scenes we wanted to show the chief were located. It would save us a great deal of time.
“Then get over here fast,” he said, and then he hung up on me.
“That went well,” Grace said after I hung up.
“He’s clearly agitated about something,” I said as I grabbed the zip drive. “Maybe we’ll be able to cheer him up a little with what we just found.”
“I’m guessing that it’s a coin toss about which way it goes,” Grace replied as she closed her computer and slid it into her briefcase.
“How can he be that unhappy about acquiring new evidence that he didn’t have to dig up himself?”
“Suzanne, you know him better than I do. Sure, he’s mellowed some over the years, but he’s still not what you’d call a guy who likes warm and fuzzy hugs.”
I laughed out loud at the thought of trying to corner Chief Martin and hug him. “True, but this has got to be better than that.”
“I don’t know, I think you’re a pretty good hugger myself,” Grace said with a smile.
“Right back at you. We don’t have much time, so don’t forget that list of times you made.”
“It’s right here,” she said as she patted her pocket.
As we headed out the door, I said, “This is going to have to be quick, so let’s not allow ourselves to get sidetracked, okay?”
“Are you saying that for your benefit, or mine?” Grace asked as we got into my Jeep.
“Both, actually,” I admitted.
We made it to the police station in three minutes, just another advantage of living in a small town. Everything was always close by. The station was bustling, and as we approached the front, I told the uniformed officer behind the desk that we were there to see the chief.
“He’s tied up right now, but feel free to take a seat and wait.” The man barely looked up from his paperwork as he spoke to us.
“Actually, we’re here at his request,” I said, refusing to budge an inch from my choice real estate right in front of him.
At least he looked up at us. “And you are?”
“You’re new, aren’t you?” Grace asked. “I’m Grace, and this is Suzanne.”
He nodded, and then picked up the phone. “Chief, a Grace and a Suzanne say they’re here to see you. Okay. Got it.”
“You’ve got two minutes,” he said as he started to stand to lead us back.
“You don’t have to show us the way. We’ve been here before,” I said.
Grace paused on the other side of the desk and added, “By the way, we’re not ‘a’ anything. Like I said before, I’m Grace, and this is Suzanne.” She didn’t move, nor did she smile.
“Sorry. I get it,” he said.
Grace smiled brightly. “Good. I’m glad we got that settled.”
I appreciated Grace standing up for us as much as anyone would, but we were on a tight timeframe. “Come on, Grace.”
“Bye,” she said to him as we headed to the chief’s office.
“Was that really necessary?” I asked her softly.
“He needed a lesson in manners, and who am I to disregard his education?”
I smiled. “Who indeed.”
My smile faded when we got to the chief’s office. He was on the phone, clearly agitated, and he pointed us to the two chairs across from his desk and motioned for us to sit down. I hoped that didn’t trigger another lesson from Grace, but I wasn’t going to hold my breath.
When Chief Martin finally got off the phone, he snapped, “I have thirty seconds before I have to leave. I’m being called
“Just about that,” he said. “What’s going on?”
“The thing is, I can’t do it over the phone. Are you in your office?”
“I will be for the next ten or fifteen minutes,” he said. “Is that enough time?”
“It should be plenty,” I said. I was glad that Grace had come up with the idea of marking down the times on the video where the scenes we wanted to show the chief were located. It would save us a great deal of time.
“Then get over here fast,” he said, and then he hung up on me.
“That went well,” Grace said after I hung up.
“He’s clearly agitated about something,” I said as I grabbed the zip drive. “Maybe we’ll be able to cheer him up a little with what we just found.”
“I’m guessing that it’s a coin toss about which way it goes,” Grace replied as she closed her computer and slid it into her briefcase.
“How can he be that unhappy about acquiring new evidence that he didn’t have to dig up himself?”
“Suzanne, you know him better than I do. Sure, he’s mellowed some over the years, but he’s still not what you’d call a guy who likes warm and fuzzy hugs.”
I laughed out loud at the thought of trying to corner Chief Martin and hug him. “True, but this has got to be better than that.”
“I don’t know, I think you’re a pretty good hugger myself,” Grace said with a smile.
“Right back at you. We don’t have much time, so don’t forget that list of times you made.”
“It’s right here,” she said as she patted her pocket.
As we headed out the door, I said, “This is going to have to be quick, so let’s not allow ourselves to get sidetracked, okay?”
“Are you saying that for your benefit, or mine?” Grace asked as we got into my Jeep.
“Both, actually,” I admitted.
We made it to the police station in three minutes, just another advantage of living in a small town. Everything was always close by. The station was bustling, and as we approached the front, I told the uniformed officer behind the desk that we were there to see the chief.
“He’s tied up right now, but feel free to take a seat and wait.” The man barely looked up from his paperwork as he spoke to us.
“Actually, we’re here at his request,” I said, refusing to budge an inch from my choice real estate right in front of him.
At least he looked up at us. “And you are?”
“You’re new, aren’t you?” Grace asked. “I’m Grace, and this is Suzanne.”
He nodded, and then picked up the phone. “Chief, a Grace and a Suzanne say they’re here to see you. Okay. Got it.”
“You’ve got two minutes,” he said as he started to stand to lead us back.
“You don’t have to show us the way. We’ve been here before,” I said.
Grace paused on the other side of the desk and added, “By the way, we’re not ‘a’ anything. Like I said before, I’m Grace, and this is Suzanne.” She didn’t move, nor did she smile.
“Sorry. I get it,” he said.
Grace smiled brightly. “Good. I’m glad we got that settled.”
I appreciated Grace standing up for us as much as anyone would, but we were on a tight timeframe. “Come on, Grace.”
“Bye,” she said to him as we headed to the chief’s office.
“Was that really necessary?” I asked her softly.
“He needed a lesson in manners, and who am I to disregard his education?”
I smiled. “Who indeed.”
My smile faded when we got to the chief’s office. He was on the phone, clearly agitated, and he pointed us to the two chairs across from his desk and motioned for us to sit down. I hoped that didn’t trigger another lesson from Grace, but I wasn’t going to hold my breath.
When Chief Martin finally got off the phone, he snapped, “I have thirty seconds before I have to leave. I’m being called
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