Colton
Entering the station put a zip in Colton’s step. Unless he was called to see the sheriff. Then it sucked.
Today sucked.
He reminded himself his big sins were impure thoughts, and not leaving his body camera on when they were eating. Uncle Ted had already dealt with the second, and he wouldn’t comment on the first. So why did Colton stew over it?
Zach was only four years younger than him. He wasn’t a baby or a kid. Christ on a skateboard, the guy probably had more years under his belt than Colton. Not much happened in his county.
Colton opened the door, and the familiar smells calmed his nerves a bit.
“Morning, Ms. Angie.” He nodded at the older woman who buzzed him through with a smile.
“You and that cousin of yours must’ve done something last night.” She raised a brow over her tortoiseshell half-glasses. “Been a month of Sundays since the boss beat me to the office.”
Usually, the cause of trouble was Greg—him being the sheriff’s son and all. This time, it was arguably Colton’s doing. “Not sure we did something so much as uncovered something.”
“Same thing,” she said, returning to her computer. “He coming today?”
Wasn’t that something. His and Greg’s reputation was more myth and less factual. “He stopped at the Cenex to get gas and a box of bear claws.”
“Like I said, you two must’ve done something,” she smiled without looking up. “Wouldn’t need to butter up the boss if you hadn’t.”
This was why Colton usually brought things in for no reason—do it only when there’s trouble and people talk. “Man knows his audience.”
She chuckled and shook her head. “Sheriff left instructions for you two. Wait in roll call, and he’ll let you know when he’s ready for you,” she said it with a touch of sympathy. Thirty years working for Uncle Ted and Grandpa Jerry before him gave her plenty of insight on how things worked.
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”
He grabbed coffee on the way to the small room. There were only four of them full-time, so it was rare they had a real roll call. Mostly the office used it when they deputized locals to help with searches or do traffic control at big events.
After setting his coffee on a table, he pulled out his laptop and opened the draft report Greg had sent him first thing. He knew he owed his cousin big now. Lost his paycheckandhad to spend half the night writing the report. Colton would have done it, but the sheriff assigned it to Greg. Man had his reasons for sure. He always did. No way either of them would defy him.
He spent the next ten minutes cleaning up and adding to the report. Maybe that was why Greg got the job; he needed the practice.
“Colton.”
He jumped and turned toward his uncle. “Sheriff. Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in. I was working on the report.”
An eyebrow went up. “You were?” Ted spun the screen around.
“Yes, sir. I mean, sort of. Greg asked me to review it to make sure the bits he hadn’t seen were accurate.”
“Don’t lie to me.” Ted’s deep laugh filled the small room. “You’re making his report read proper. Lord love you, boy. Since you were kids, you’ve had each other’s backs. Make sure you explain what you changed and why.”
Heat crept up his neck.Shee-ityou couldn’t pull anything over on Uncle Ted. “Yes, sir.”
“Speaking of my illiterate son, when he arrives with the bear claws, tell him to leave them here and wait while I speak to Stephen Ulmstead and Frank Jenkins. Seems they want to file a formal complaint against you.” His eyes twinkled. “Follow my lead and remind your cousin to stay quiet and let you do the talking.”
Now he understood Ms. Angie’s reaction. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry for causing trouble, Uncle Ted. I swear I didn’t mean to do anything wrong.”
“Nothing to be sorry about.” Ted stepped closer and clamped thick fingers on Colton’s shoulder. “I reviewed your body camera. You acted properly. Like I said, answer when I ask something, but otherwise let me deal with them.” He winked and let go of Colton. “That way you can enjoy the show.”
“‘Show’?”
“Their complaint is quite entertaining. Clearly these two dumbasses don’t know we all wear body cameras.” He turned the laptop back toward Colton. “Finish that up, and have Greg submit it before I call you. Bring five copies with you.”
Colton stared as his uncle walked out of the room. He quietly finished reviewing the report, double-checked his work, and saved the document.
