Osborne. I need someone who has some history here. And given how well you know Ray, it may be that between the two of us we can smooth some feathers and keep this issue from escalating.”
“I have an idea,” said Osborne. “We could offer a plea bargain of sorts. Make Ray guide them fishing for a day to make up for the drive-by scattering. They, in turn, have to listen to his jokes. Payback for their lack of basic human kindness.”
Lew gave him the dim eye. “And one sure recipe for disaster.”
Osborne shrugged. If the daughter was as arrogant as the father, Ray just may have the potential to drive her out of her mind. He grinned at the thought.
On hearing a loud knocking on the closed door of her office, Lew sighed and got to her feet.
Patience Schumacher was one of those unfortunate women who inherited her father’s looks. If Osborne’s estimate was even close, she stood a good six foot two. But where the old man had been a star basketball player in his youth—long, tall and lanky—Patience was long, tall and just plain big. Big-boned and big-breasted, with legs the diameter of an oak all wrapped in a charcoal grey business suit. The tailoring was good but optical fashion illusions can only go so far
Her hair, a tweedy mix of brown and grey, was cut so close to her skull that Osborne wondered if she trimmed it herself with an electric razor. Squirrel cheeks emphasized the massiveness of her Schumacher head and intense brown eyes darted around the room like a rodent searching for acorns.
Her cheeks were flushed with emotion and her voice was low, husky and loud as she pumped Lew’s hand saying, “Good morning, Officer,” then turned on her heel to stride across the room towards Osborne with a hand extended. She threw a black fur coat over the chair beside him and said, “Sheriff, so good of you to see us this morning.” The husky voice came with a purr both ingratiating and seductive. Osborne wondered if she spoke to women that way.
Clearing his throat, he stood up from behind the conference table and placing both hands on the back of his chair, he said, “Sorry, I’m just a deputy and Chief Ferris there,” he nodded towards Lew, “runs the Loon Lake Police Department.”
“Oh.” Patience swung back around to face Lew. “I just assumed …” She had dropped the purr. “Of course, I should have known. But you look so familiar,” she said looking back at Osborne. She paused a beat then said, “Oh, now I remember. You’re Dr. Paul Osborne. You used to be our family’s summer dentist years ago—right?”
“Yes, but I am retired from my practice and assist Chief Ferris when there are forensic matters such as dental records that require analysis.”
“Dr. Osborne helps in other ways too when my department is shorthanded,” said Lew, interrupting in a brisk tone as she beckoned for Patience to take one of the two chairs in front of her desk. “I’m Chief Lewellyn Ferris, and I am a police officer, not the county sheriff. Because it is located within the Loon Lake Township, your property is under our jurisdiction. So, please, have a seat.”
“Excuse me? Am I in the right place?” asked an unfamiliar male voice. A man Osborne had never seen before stood waiting in the doorway.
“Charles, sweetheart, please, come in, come in,” said Patience, turning towards him. The purr again. “My husband. We drove two cars,” she said, looking back at Lew as if an explanation was needed for their separate arrivals. “Hurry, sweetie. Remember, I have to be at the college in half an hour.” She pointed to the other chair in front of Lew’s desk. “Here, hon, I saved you a place.”
Osborne was struck by the woman’s voice—quite the opposite of her father’s, which could fill a room with booming commands. While Patience’s purr tempered her masculine appearance it didn’t soften the visual impact. Was it her voice that had attracted her husband? Or the money? Osborne’s daughters often
“I have an idea,” said Osborne. “We could offer a plea bargain of sorts. Make Ray guide them fishing for a day to make up for the drive-by scattering. They, in turn, have to listen to his jokes. Payback for their lack of basic human kindness.”
Lew gave him the dim eye. “And one sure recipe for disaster.”
Osborne shrugged. If the daughter was as arrogant as the father, Ray just may have the potential to drive her out of her mind. He grinned at the thought.
On hearing a loud knocking on the closed door of her office, Lew sighed and got to her feet.
Patience Schumacher was one of those unfortunate women who inherited her father’s looks. If Osborne’s estimate was even close, she stood a good six foot two. But where the old man had been a star basketball player in his youth—long, tall and lanky—Patience was long, tall and just plain big. Big-boned and big-breasted, with legs the diameter of an oak all wrapped in a charcoal grey business suit. The tailoring was good but optical fashion illusions can only go so far
Her hair, a tweedy mix of brown and grey, was cut so close to her skull that Osborne wondered if she trimmed it herself with an electric razor. Squirrel cheeks emphasized the massiveness of her Schumacher head and intense brown eyes darted around the room like a rodent searching for acorns.
Her cheeks were flushed with emotion and her voice was low, husky and loud as she pumped Lew’s hand saying, “Good morning, Officer,” then turned on her heel to stride across the room towards Osborne with a hand extended. She threw a black fur coat over the chair beside him and said, “Sheriff, so good of you to see us this morning.” The husky voice came with a purr both ingratiating and seductive. Osborne wondered if she spoke to women that way.
Clearing his throat, he stood up from behind the conference table and placing both hands on the back of his chair, he said, “Sorry, I’m just a deputy and Chief Ferris there,” he nodded towards Lew, “runs the Loon Lake Police Department.”
“Oh.” Patience swung back around to face Lew. “I just assumed …” She had dropped the purr. “Of course, I should have known. But you look so familiar,” she said looking back at Osborne. She paused a beat then said, “Oh, now I remember. You’re Dr. Paul Osborne. You used to be our family’s summer dentist years ago—right?”
“Yes, but I am retired from my practice and assist Chief Ferris when there are forensic matters such as dental records that require analysis.”
“Dr. Osborne helps in other ways too when my department is shorthanded,” said Lew, interrupting in a brisk tone as she beckoned for Patience to take one of the two chairs in front of her desk. “I’m Chief Lewellyn Ferris, and I am a police officer, not the county sheriff. Because it is located within the Loon Lake Township, your property is under our jurisdiction. So, please, have a seat.”
“Excuse me? Am I in the right place?” asked an unfamiliar male voice. A man Osborne had never seen before stood waiting in the doorway.
“Charles, sweetheart, please, come in, come in,” said Patience, turning towards him. The purr again. “My husband. We drove two cars,” she said, looking back at Lew as if an explanation was needed for their separate arrivals. “Hurry, sweetie. Remember, I have to be at the college in half an hour.” She pointed to the other chair in front of Lew’s desk. “Here, hon, I saved you a place.”
Osborne was struck by the woman’s voice—quite the opposite of her father’s, which could fill a room with booming commands. While Patience’s purr tempered her masculine appearance it didn’t soften the visual impact. Was it her voice that had attracted her husband? Or the money? Osborne’s daughters often
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