group and hunt down a killer.
I just hoped that I was up to the task.
We were about to leave the diner’s parking lot when the front door opened. “Hang on a second,” the sheriff said.
When he joined us, he said, “I know you people, and I consider you all friends, but I don’t want you digging around in this murder yourselves, do you understand me?”
“What gave you the idea that we’d do that?” I asked as innocently as I could muster.
“Like I said, I know you.”
“If we want to dig into this murder, you can’t stop us,” Moose said, clearly irritated by the sheriff’s attempt to stifle our investigation before it even got started.
“Maybe not,” he said as he scratched his chin, “but you have to admit that I could make life pretty unpleasant for all of you.”
“Be reasonable,” I said. “We all know that we’re in this up to our necks. Folks in this town like you, but there are quite a few who aren’t going to give you the time of day when you start asking questions, and you know it. Why not use us instead of banning us from investigating?”
“Because none of you are trained police officers,” he said, his voice getting a little heated.
“Don’t you see, though? That’s an advantage, in this case.”
“Stop trying to appease him, Victoria. He’s not going to budge, and neither am I,” Moose said.
The sheriff thought about it, and the finally said, “You’re not going to let me talk you out of this, are you?”
Moose stood proudly as he shook his head. We came from a long line of dissenters, and he was doing his best to make our ancestors proud.
The sheriff looked around, and then let out a heavy sigh. “If any of you breathes a single word of this to anyone else, our deal’s off. One of you, and I mean one, can do a little nosing around the edges. Stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours. If you find one small speck of something that might be evidence, you are to bring it directly to me. Moose, I assume that you’re the one who will be investigating.”
“No, sir, not me. We already voted, and Victoria’s running this operation.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that, but I didn’t have to. He turned to Greg before I could reply and asked, “Do you feel good letting your wife confront a killer all by herself?”
“She won’t be alone,” Greg said. “If she goes anywhere, I’m going to be right there beside her.”
Moose stepped in at that moment. “Greg, I’m sure that Victoria appreciates your commitment to her, but most of the folks involved in the original deal are old codgers like me. We go way back, and I know where all of the skeletons are buried. I won’t let anything happen to her. You have my word on that,” he said as he stuck out his hand.
To his credit, Greg looked at me before he moved another muscle. “What do you think about that, Victoria?”
“He’s right. It’s got to be the two of us.”
“Why can’t Moose do it alone?” Greg asked.
I looked at my husband as I said, “It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone standing here that Moose has a tendency to shoot first and ask for explanations later.” I turned to my grandfather and added, “Do you disagree with that?”
“What can I say? I believe in getting straight to the point,” Moose said.
“It might be an admirable trait normally,” I said, “but this calls for something more subtle than a brick between the eyes. I won’t do it if you don’t let me ask the questions. Are we agreed?”
He took a moment, and then nodded. “That’s fine.”
The sheriff just shook his head. “I should be locked up for agreeing to this, but I’ve got a hunch that I’m going to need all of the help I can get. Do me a favor and don’t do anything that risks your lives. I couldn’t stand wading through the paperwork if something happened to either one of you.”
He walked back inside, and I turned to the
I just hoped that I was up to the task.
We were about to leave the diner’s parking lot when the front door opened. “Hang on a second,” the sheriff said.
When he joined us, he said, “I know you people, and I consider you all friends, but I don’t want you digging around in this murder yourselves, do you understand me?”
“What gave you the idea that we’d do that?” I asked as innocently as I could muster.
“Like I said, I know you.”
“If we want to dig into this murder, you can’t stop us,” Moose said, clearly irritated by the sheriff’s attempt to stifle our investigation before it even got started.
“Maybe not,” he said as he scratched his chin, “but you have to admit that I could make life pretty unpleasant for all of you.”
“Be reasonable,” I said. “We all know that we’re in this up to our necks. Folks in this town like you, but there are quite a few who aren’t going to give you the time of day when you start asking questions, and you know it. Why not use us instead of banning us from investigating?”
“Because none of you are trained police officers,” he said, his voice getting a little heated.
“Don’t you see, though? That’s an advantage, in this case.”
“Stop trying to appease him, Victoria. He’s not going to budge, and neither am I,” Moose said.
The sheriff thought about it, and the finally said, “You’re not going to let me talk you out of this, are you?”
Moose stood proudly as he shook his head. We came from a long line of dissenters, and he was doing his best to make our ancestors proud.
The sheriff looked around, and then let out a heavy sigh. “If any of you breathes a single word of this to anyone else, our deal’s off. One of you, and I mean one, can do a little nosing around the edges. Stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours. If you find one small speck of something that might be evidence, you are to bring it directly to me. Moose, I assume that you’re the one who will be investigating.”
“No, sir, not me. We already voted, and Victoria’s running this operation.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that, but I didn’t have to. He turned to Greg before I could reply and asked, “Do you feel good letting your wife confront a killer all by herself?”
“She won’t be alone,” Greg said. “If she goes anywhere, I’m going to be right there beside her.”
Moose stepped in at that moment. “Greg, I’m sure that Victoria appreciates your commitment to her, but most of the folks involved in the original deal are old codgers like me. We go way back, and I know where all of the skeletons are buried. I won’t let anything happen to her. You have my word on that,” he said as he stuck out his hand.
To his credit, Greg looked at me before he moved another muscle. “What do you think about that, Victoria?”
“He’s right. It’s got to be the two of us.”
“Why can’t Moose do it alone?” Greg asked.
I looked at my husband as I said, “It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone standing here that Moose has a tendency to shoot first and ask for explanations later.” I turned to my grandfather and added, “Do you disagree with that?”
“What can I say? I believe in getting straight to the point,” Moose said.
“It might be an admirable trait normally,” I said, “but this calls for something more subtle than a brick between the eyes. I won’t do it if you don’t let me ask the questions. Are we agreed?”
He took a moment, and then nodded. “That’s fine.”
The sheriff just shook his head. “I should be locked up for agreeing to this, but I’ve got a hunch that I’m going to need all of the help I can get. Do me a favor and don’t do anything that risks your lives. I couldn’t stand wading through the paperwork if something happened to either one of you.”
He walked back inside, and I turned to the
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