I’ll call the cops, although that’ll be a waste of time.”
He looked so dejected Lucky knew she’d been right—he’d been planning on following her home.
Chapter Ten
Molly Smith worked her shift in robot mode. She guided traffic around the mess of cars on George Street. A car with Florida plates and no winter tires slid off the road into a ditch. A fight broke out at the Bishop and Nun, apparently over a girl who decided that she’d found someone more to her liking. She answered a call of a theft from, of all places, her parents’ store. An expensive pair of ski goggles, allegedly snatched in the middle of the day in the middle of a crowed shop.
She’d seen Lorraine LeBlanc wandering down Front Street, her face white and her gaze blank. Smith hadn’t spoken to her since Christmas Eve so she pulled up to ask how the girl was doing. Lorraine had tugged at the straps of her big bag and basically told Smith to take up sex and traveling.
She had not been called to report to the Chief Constable. Her fellow officers continued to speak to her without sneers or smothered laughter or looks of pity.
Shortly before six o’clock, she headed back to the station ready to close out her shift. Jim Denton smiled at her as she unzipped her jacket and pulled off her gloves. “Plans for tonight, Molly?”
Plans? Other than finding a redirection for her life?
“Nothing. Uh, has the CC left?”
“Long ago. Meeting at city council. Must be as boring as all hell.”
“You got that right.” Barb rounded the corner. “Hi, Molly. I saw your mom and dad at the fundraiser for the environmental coalition the other night. I talked to your dad for a while. He’ll never say so, of course, but he’s so proud of you.” Barb smiled at Denton. “Remember what it was like to be young, Jim? When our parents cared about what we did?”
“I was never that young,” he said. “My kids would rather die than admit their old man’s a cop.”
Barb laughed. Everyone knew that Jim Denton’s two children doted on their dad.
Smith searched around for a mouse hole to crawl into. Finding nothing suitable, she said to Barb, “Anything of importance happening? Say between the Chief and Sergeant Winters?”
“Steam was almost pouring from the top of John’s head, he was in such a fever to speak to the boss. You know I wouldn’t tell you anything they talked about, Molly, but it doesn’t matter as they shut the door. See you tomorrow, guys.”
Tomorrow . Would she still be working here tomorrow?
“Are you okay, Molly?” Denton said, as the door closed behind Barb. “You don’t look too well.”
“Just the cold. It always makes my face red.”
“I’d say you’re the opposite, very pale.”
Dawn Solway came in, stomping snow off her boots. “One more shift, should I live so long, and I’m outa here. Hawaii here I come.”
Molly Smith had never been to tropical climes. She liked the winter too much. At this moment, however, Hawaii was looking like a promising destination. Although Outer Mongolia might be even better.
“Going by yourself, Dawn?” Denton asked.
Solway winked. “Top secret. I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” They could hear her laughing as she headed down the corridor.
“Someone’s in a good mood,” Denton said. “Unlike the thundercloud standing in front of me.”
Smith walked around the desk to stand beside the dispatcher. She leaned over and whispered, “Jim, if you hear anything about, well about me, in the next couple of days, I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know.”
“What are you going on about, Molly? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“I’d like a heads up, that’s all.” She straightened. “Now I’m going to get drunk.”
“Molly, wait.”
Waving over her shoulder she went to the constable’s office to close off her shift. They couldn’t fire her outright; she could take her case to the Union. She didn’t know if she’d do that—it would all be
He looked so dejected Lucky knew she’d been right—he’d been planning on following her home.
Chapter Ten
Molly Smith worked her shift in robot mode. She guided traffic around the mess of cars on George Street. A car with Florida plates and no winter tires slid off the road into a ditch. A fight broke out at the Bishop and Nun, apparently over a girl who decided that she’d found someone more to her liking. She answered a call of a theft from, of all places, her parents’ store. An expensive pair of ski goggles, allegedly snatched in the middle of the day in the middle of a crowed shop.
She’d seen Lorraine LeBlanc wandering down Front Street, her face white and her gaze blank. Smith hadn’t spoken to her since Christmas Eve so she pulled up to ask how the girl was doing. Lorraine had tugged at the straps of her big bag and basically told Smith to take up sex and traveling.
She had not been called to report to the Chief Constable. Her fellow officers continued to speak to her without sneers or smothered laughter or looks of pity.
Shortly before six o’clock, she headed back to the station ready to close out her shift. Jim Denton smiled at her as she unzipped her jacket and pulled off her gloves. “Plans for tonight, Molly?”
Plans? Other than finding a redirection for her life?
“Nothing. Uh, has the CC left?”
“Long ago. Meeting at city council. Must be as boring as all hell.”
“You got that right.” Barb rounded the corner. “Hi, Molly. I saw your mom and dad at the fundraiser for the environmental coalition the other night. I talked to your dad for a while. He’ll never say so, of course, but he’s so proud of you.” Barb smiled at Denton. “Remember what it was like to be young, Jim? When our parents cared about what we did?”
“I was never that young,” he said. “My kids would rather die than admit their old man’s a cop.”
Barb laughed. Everyone knew that Jim Denton’s two children doted on their dad.
Smith searched around for a mouse hole to crawl into. Finding nothing suitable, she said to Barb, “Anything of importance happening? Say between the Chief and Sergeant Winters?”
“Steam was almost pouring from the top of John’s head, he was in such a fever to speak to the boss. You know I wouldn’t tell you anything they talked about, Molly, but it doesn’t matter as they shut the door. See you tomorrow, guys.”
Tomorrow . Would she still be working here tomorrow?
“Are you okay, Molly?” Denton said, as the door closed behind Barb. “You don’t look too well.”
“Just the cold. It always makes my face red.”
“I’d say you’re the opposite, very pale.”
Dawn Solway came in, stomping snow off her boots. “One more shift, should I live so long, and I’m outa here. Hawaii here I come.”
Molly Smith had never been to tropical climes. She liked the winter too much. At this moment, however, Hawaii was looking like a promising destination. Although Outer Mongolia might be even better.
“Going by yourself, Dawn?” Denton asked.
Solway winked. “Top secret. I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” They could hear her laughing as she headed down the corridor.
“Someone’s in a good mood,” Denton said. “Unlike the thundercloud standing in front of me.”
Smith walked around the desk to stand beside the dispatcher. She leaned over and whispered, “Jim, if you hear anything about, well about me, in the next couple of days, I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know.”
“What are you going on about, Molly? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“I’d like a heads up, that’s all.” She straightened. “Now I’m going to get drunk.”
“Molly, wait.”
Waving over her shoulder she went to the constable’s office to close off her shift. They couldn’t fire her outright; she could take her case to the Union. She didn’t know if she’d do that—it would all be
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