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“That is so thoughtful of you, honey. I’ll bring some food, too. So they’ll let you off work to do this?”
Aaron nodded. “Unless some huge emergency arises, I’m sure I can.”
He didn’t mention why, but he knew how appreciative both police forces were for Dani’s help, and getting off work a couple of hours early to help her out shouldn’t be an issue.
Sean eyed his brother curiously, but said nothing. They all knew how shattered Aaron had been by his wife’s swift exit from his life. This was the first time Aaron had even mentioned another woman, even in passing. Maybe he was finally healing, after all.
“How did you meet her?” Shirley asked.
“Through the PD. She found something a tourist had lost and dropped it off at the station. I just happened to be there and took her call.”
“How old is she?” B.J. asked.
Aaron grinned. “Too old for you, bub.”
“But not too old for you?” Wiley asked.
“Stuff it,” Aaron said.
Shirley gave Wiley a look, and that ended what might have been a brotherly round of teasing. Aaron wasn’t at the point of even talking about his divorce, let alone another woman.
They finished their meal, and then Aaron sent Shirley out of the kitchen to relax.
“You cooked. We’ll clean up,” he said.
“Yes, we’ve got this,” B.J. said.
Sean poked B.J. on the arm. “You just want to eat that last pork chop,” he said.
Wiley laughed. “B.J. always eats the last whatever. He’s still a growing boy.”
“I’m not a kid,” B.J. snapped. “I don’t know if I ever was…if any of us ever were. We grew up fast so we could take care of Mama, and we’re still taking care of her. Besides, one pork chop would just junk up the fridge.”
They were still laughing when Shirley walked out the back door and sat down in the porch swing.
There were clouds gathering. It looked like it might rain tonight. If it did, the creek would be running high tomorrow; then she smiled at the thought. It had been years since she’d ever worried about such things. Evidently, the mountain was still strong in her blood. She’d fallen right back into its ways as if she’d never left.
Roll Call—Jubilee PD
The sky was still overcast from last night’s rain when Chief Warren walked into the briefing room the next morning. He gave his officers a quick scan, and then moved to the front of the room.
“Good morning, gentlemen. I need to update you on the current situation regarding the Raines shooting. As you know, the bulk of the investigation is happening at county, but since we received evidence pertainingto the crime here, we are working in conjunction with them on this.”
“The fingerprints we hoped would give us a lead weren’t in the system, so county has decided to release the composite drawing of the suspect to the public. We have no reason to believe he’s still in the area, but we can’t be sure, so pick up a copy as you leave. It’s a setback, but it’s not a dead end,” Warren added. “Sheriff Woodley and I have decided that because of the tourist element in Jubilee, the release will go nationwide, which means we’ll have to be prepared for an influx of phone calls. We’ve already set up a phone bank, and our job will be to follow up on every tip within our jurisdiction, no matter how random, understood? Woodley and I will assimilate and deal with the out-of-state calls, and rely on those police departments to check them out. On the local front, tourism is up, and so are the shoplifting complaints. Bullard Campgrounds outside of town is open for business. Our local music star, Reagan Bullard, not only revamped the place, but has hired twenty-four-hour security for the premises, so unless there are big problems, our calls out to that location should lessen. Two cruisers are in for repairs, so we’re pulling from the motor pool for backups.” He paused while a groan of dismay rolled through the room. “Seriously? I didn’t ask you to walk your beat,” he said. Laughter ensued, and then he ended with his usual, “Are there any questions?”
The officers were silent.
Sonny nodded. “Good. So that’s it for now. Stay safe,and have a good day. You are dismissed.” As the officers were getting up, the chief pointed at Aaron. “Officer Pope, I need a word with you before you leave.”
“Yes, sir,” Aaron said, and stayed behind.
“Two things,” Sonny said. “Info from the lab says the library the journal came from was the Library of Congress, in Washington, DC.”
Aaron frowned. “You don’t check stuff out from there. Researchers and the like have to request permission to access it, and then use one of their reading rooms. Nothing ever leaves the premises.”
“Exactly. So how did that man come by it, and why bring it here? And there’s more. Dani Owens needs to be informed about the sketch going public. I feel like she has concerns about her privacy. Do you know what that’s all about?”
Aaron nodded. “Actually, sir, I do. Before she came here, she had a stalker who escalated to an attempt to murder her.” Aaron told him the whole story. “She’s a strong woman on her own in a new place, but the police force let her down back there, and I don’t think she knows who to trust.”
