It appeared to me that every drug house was the same run down piece of shit everywhere. I figured when you’re dealing you don’t have time to take care of your house.
I found Deputy Luker speaking with the Sheriff in his office when I got back to the jail.
“That was fast. Any luck?” Luker asked.
“Nope, looks like he cleared out. I looked in the windows, and the place was empty. I’m not sure he even lived there,” I said.
“Not bad work for the day. Two drug busts and you’re working the Lambert case. Nice work, gentlemen,” Sheriff Lassiter told us.
I traded vehicles with Luker, and the two of us headed back home to Onyx. It was late in the day when I pulled up in front of the El Dorado and parked. I found baby Noah sitting in his carrier sucking on his pacifier.
“I’ve been babysitting Noah,” Amber said as she rushed me for a hug. I hauled her up into my muscular arms and gave her kisses to make her giggle.
Dave gave me a hug and a kiss and told me all about their afternoon with Noah. He seemed very content to have a baby in his care. Georgia, too, was in a good mood, just finding out her daughter was alive was probably a relief.
“If you will take Noah and Amber home, I will stop and pick up some diapers and formula at the AG. We’ve all had dinner, and if you want chili and cornbread, I’ll get you an order to go.”
“That sounds great, handsome, but remember you get to sleep with me tonight after I’ve eaten chili,” I said with a laugh.
“Remember, I had chili for dinner as well so I can match you on that score,” Dave said as he punched my arm.
That evening was domestic bliss. This is what I had always wanted for Dave and me. Dave taught me how to change a diaper and how to feed Noah. I knew it was a pipe dream and that having the two kids with us wouldn’t last for long. Child Protection would put Noah back with his mother, and, hopefully, Natalie would find her way home to reunite with her daughter, but tonight it was just the four of us.
The next day, Deputy Luker and I executed the search warrants on Jessica’s trailer, Cleet’s house, and Sonny’s house. It was hard to tell in Jessica’s trailer if anything was missing since it was trashed. The same was true of Cleet’s place, except for two foil packets of heroin. Sonny’s house was abandoned, no clothes, no food left in the fridge, no nothing. Again, I wasn’t sure he had lived there. He may have been staying with Cleetus for all I knew, but there was no sign of him having been there either.
Finishing my week of on-the-job training with Deputy Lukas on Friday left me feeling good about my choice of a career in law enforcement. Two successful drug arrests and progress on a case that the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation had given up on and return to Sheriff Lassiter. I worked patrol on Saturday and Sunday.
The next days were a combination of making phone calls and checking leads. I interviewed both Jessica and Cleet. Cleet told me that his public defender had advised him to plead guilty to a lesser charge of misdemeanor possession so he wouldn’t go to prison. He’d probably get sixty days in jail and twenty-four months’ probation. In exchange, he would roll on Jessica for selling him the dope. Things weren’t going to go as good for her if he did. As for Jessica, her lips were sealed. She wasn’t about to give up anybody or anything, and I thought I knew why.
I also had an interesting conversation with Danny Phillips, my first arrest on the auto theft and possession of marijuana. They say you always remember your first and I sure remembered Danny. His partner in crime, Javier Ortiz, wasn’t giving out any information, but Danny was talking like he had ADD.
He told me that he and Javier were muling for a dude named Walt Eply to bring some pot and black tar from Wheeling, out west, to Salt Lake. This Eply guy had specifically instructed Danny to come to Onyx and meet up with a Jessica Lambert, the wife of Eply’s buddy, Jared Lambert. I had a solid lead that Jessica had taken possession of 100 grams of heroin, COD.
“She had that kind of cash,” I asked Danny.
“Yup, she pulled it out from where her baby was sleeping. He’s a cute little shit. Jared was always bragging about his baby boy,” Danny said. “Javier and I drove straight to her trailer when we got into town. She flipped us the cash, and we left in a hurry.”
“Did she say anything about her husband being murdered?” I asked.
“Murdered? No shit?” Danny asked. “No, she didn’t say anything really, just handed me the money when I gave her the dope.”
“Yes, Jared Lambert was murdered here last July, and this Eply didn’t say anything either?” I asked.
“No, Eply said that Jared was shacking up with his old lady after Jared had jumped bail in Wheeling. Jared had been hooking up with this chick, Kalie. No. Emily. No.”
“Natalie,” I said.
“Yeah, that’s it, Natalie,” Danny confirmed. “Anyways, Jared and that chick got busted with a few grams of tar, but he skipped town, leaving her twisting in the wind. I heard that this Natalie chick turned state’s evidence on Lambert so she could get a reduced sentence. Jared was pissed, wanted to kill the bitch. Eply was pissed too. He told me that she had hidden like a hundred grand from a big sale and neither Eply nor Lambert could find it.”
“Why are you telling me all of this now? You know it will hurt you in court,” I asked.
“It won’t hurt me any more than what I got hanging over my head now. What, maybe ten to fifteen, Wyoming State Prison? By the time I get out, this shit won’t matter to anybody,” Danny said matter-of-factly.
“What about Eply? Won’t he come after you for money from the sale you made to Jessica Lambert?” I asked.
“Nah, Eply probably already has that money. I don’t like to travel with cash. I slipped it off to a courier,”
“Was that courier named Sonny Horton by any chance?” I asked.
“You’re a fucking genius, man,” Danny said sarcastically.
I had to thank Danny Phillips for his information. It told me almost everything I needed to know, but I still needed Sonny Horton to roll on Jessica. I did my report to the prosecutor on the information that Danny had given me and gave the Ohio County Sheriff’s office a heads up on Sonny Horton and Walter Eply. The Deputy that I had spoken to about Natalie a couple of weeks prior told me they already had informants working on Eply.
Thanksgiving Day came, and the café was closed for the holiday. Grandma Betty had invited all of us to dinner. Karl and his girlfriend, Sandy, would be there. Of course, Georgia would be helping her mother in the kitchen. Dave and I would be bringing the green bean casserole and baby Noah, and we would also be keeping Amber out of the kitchen. Grandma Betty had also made arrangements for Deputy Luker to stop by while he was on patrol. I had worked the graveyard shift, and Dave had let me sleep in until late in the afternoon before we headed up the street for turkey dinner.
All of the adults were aware that Natalie had been released from jail the prior day, so when Grandma Betty asked Dave to say a blessing on the food he fondly asked God to watch over his sister and bring her home safely when she was ready. That set a somber mood for a while, that was until Noah started to make a fuss about needing to be fed. That brought us all out of our funk. I fed Noah, while Dave fixed a plate of food for Amber, and then, for himself. He finished his food and then took Noah from me so I could eat.
Josh ate sparingly telling us that Deputy Brayden Parks had invited him to come by for dessert after he got off duty. Parks was the guy that Josh was flirting with back in booking. It sounded like Josh had made good on finding out the guy’s name and getting an invite to the Park’s house for Thanksgiving evening. I sent Dave into the living room with Noah and Amber while Grandma Betty and I did dishes and cleaned up. Georgia deserved a day off her feet, watching football, and Grandma Betty had gossip to pass along.
While I was washing dishes, Grandma Betty was drying and putting away.
“How’s your case coming along on Amber’s dead day?” Grandma said with a big smile.
&nbs
p; “Grandma Betty, that’s no way to talk about the guy,” I said, pretending to chastise her for her unchristian like talk.
“Oh posh, the guy was a no-good-bum, an addict. If God needed to send anybody to hell it would be him,” she said. “My friend Claire. You remember her. She’s got the diabetes and has to give herself shots. I don’t think I could give myself a shot.”
“Yes, I remember you telling me that she had diabetes. How’s she doing on the insulin?” I asked empathetically.
“Oh, she’s fine. She just complains a lot, probably outlive us all,” Grandma Betty said as she chuckled. “Anyway, Claire told me that she heard over at the hair salon, you know, Reva’s, that Mae Horton got beat up real bad. Said she’s got two black eyes and bruises on her face.”
“I don’t remember seeing a police report on anything. Does she still here in Onyx?” I asked.
“Sure, she lives over on Beacon Road in the old Stewart place. You know Reva always does such a good job on my hair, and she only charges me $25 for a set and comb-out. But Lord, that woman has problems.”
I was getting a kick out of the way Grandma just talked on and on about folks. “So, does she know who beat her up?” I asked.
“Who?” Grandma Betty asked.
“Mrs. Horton! You said she had two black eyes. Does she know who did it?”
“Sure, it was that no good son of hers. He was probably on the narcotics. From what Reva says he’s a no good S-O-B,” Grandma Betty whispered the initials as if she would go straight to hell if God heard her curse.
“Why didn’t she report it to the Sheriff’s office? That’s what we're here for, you know, to help people,” I said.
“No, not Mae, she’d be too embarrassed to let anybody know that her son is dealing drugs,” Grandma Betty said.
“Grandma Great, can we have pie yet?” Amber interrupted us when she came into the kitchen.
“You bet, honey, now you go sit with Grandma Georgia, and Nick will be in with the plates in a few minutes,” Grandma Betty said. “Nick, will you do the honors while I finish up this big turkey roaster.”
“Pumpkin, pumpkin, chocolate, apple, chocolate, pumpkin” I repeated to myself. “What kind do you want Grandma Betty?”
“Pumpkin with extra whipped cream, please,” she said with a hearty smile.
Amber was becoming such a good little helper. After we were finished with our pie, she carried our plates into the kitchen.
“Thank you, Amber, that was very grown up of you,” I said in compliment.
“You’re welcome, daddy,” she said. I took Noah from Dave and had Amber sit beside me.
Karl looked over at me with that big toothy grin. “Daddy?”
“She’s been calling him D-A-D-D-Y since he came back from POST,” Georgia answered her oldest son. Dave was just as happy as a clam sitting by my other side.
“Hey, I know what that spells. It’s daddy!” Amber said.
That set the whole group laughing. We would have to find another way to communicate so that prying ears didn’t hear what they weren’t supposed to.
Grandma Betty called Amber over to sit on her lap. “Tell Grandma Great why you call Nick your daddy.”
Suddenly, Amber got self-conscious as all eyes were on her. Her face reddened, and she pushed herself into Grandma Betty’s ample bosom. “Because.”
“Because why, Amber,” Grandma Betty asked again.
“Because I want him to be my really truly daddy,” she said and started to cry.
Handing Noah to Dave, I reached out and took Amber up in my arms. “Don’t cry, Amber. That is the nicest thing I could ever hear you say. I love you very much and if you want to call me daddy, you just go right ahead,” I told her as I cuddled her. Her cries softened and finally stopped. She looked up at me, smiled and kissed me on my cheek. “I love you, too, Daddy.”
That brought the whole day to a happy close. I got Amber into her coat and gloves, and Dave prepared Noah for the short trip home. I had to go back on patrol at Midnight. It would be a quiet night except for a DUI or a domestic. Holidays and alcohol always bring out the best in people until they have too much.
This was my least favorite shift because I couldn’t sleep with Dave. I missed having his warm body cuddled up next to me, spooning me in his arms. By the time I got home in the mornings, he was already at work in the café. I was beginning to want Georgia to find another cook so that Dave could stay home and be with Noah and Amber. It remained to be seen what would become of Noah. I only had temporary custody until Jessica was out of jail or she decided she didn’t want me to be his guardian any longer.
And what about Amber. Her mother was released from jail the day before, and we hadn’t heard diddly-squat from her. No phone call. Nothing. Amber had told the family that she thought of me as her daddy. I felt like I was her daddy. We had bonded.
I drove up Beacon Road past Mrs. Horton’s place. The front porch light was on, and it illuminated an automobile parked next to the house. It was a dark-colored Chevy Impala just like the one I had seen last July after the shooting. I would have to come back in the morning and interview Mrs. Horton.
The early morning hours were quiet until about 4:30 a.m. I noticed a surprising number of cars headed south on Highway 30. Then I remembered it was Black Friday and these early risers were most likely headed to Salt Lake City to hunt for Christmas bargains. I cruised along with the traffic to remind them of the speed limit. It was only a two-hour drive to the big city so these shoppers would arrive in plenty of time to help strip the shelves of their goodies.
My shift was coming to an end, and it was after 8:00 a.m. when I parked in front of Mrs. Horton’s. Now that I could clearly see the vehicle parked there, I ran the tags. No surprise there, the car was registered to Mae Horton. The lights were on, and I rapped my knuckles against the door.
“Good morning Mrs. Horton. I’m Deputy Sloan. Can I ask you a couple of questions?” I said when she opened the door. She looked bad. True, it was only 8:00 a.m. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, and her hair was up in curlers, but her black eyes had gone the way of purple bruises as they had begun to fade. She still showed contusions on her cheeks and around her throat.
“Have I done something wrong Officer?” she asked in a soft cowering voice.
“No, ma’am, I just wanted to ask you a few questions about your son,” I answered.
She invited me inside where it was warm, but didn’t ask me to sit. That was fine. I didn’t intend on staying long.
“When was the last time you saw or spoke to Sonny?” I asked.
She lowered her head as if ashamed, “Last week.”
“Is that when he hit you?” I asked.
“Oh, this,” she said, moving her wrinkled fingers to her eyes, “I fell down the stairs, Sonny didn’t hit me. I’m too old to be going up and down those stairs to the basement.” Mae tried to smile, but her lip was still a little swollen.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, not wanting to upset her. “You know, if he does it again, you can call me, and I can arrest him.”
“No, Deputy Sloan. It’s just that Sonny gets out of his head sometimes when he can’t get a fix. I really did fall. I was trying to help him pack some things,” she said.
“Was he planning on leaving?” I asked.
She hesitated for a few minutes, then, continued, “Yes, he left on Monday. He was strung out and wouldn’t listen to me. He needs help officer.”
“I understand Mrs. Horton. You want what’s best for Sonny. Did he say where he was headed?” I asked.
“Willing? He was mumbling something about going to Willing,” she said, searching for meaning.
“Did he maybe mean Wheeling?” I asked.
“Maybe, I don’t know for sure,” she said shaking her head.
“Well, thank you for your time this morning and if you can think of anything, anything at all, you give a call,” I said and handed her one of my cards. “Oh, there’s one more thing. Do you know what kind of
car Sonny is driving?”
“He has been driving mine, but a couple of weeks ago, some guy dropped a car off here for him. It was new and, uh, it was black, and the windows were all dark. I don’t know what kind it was.”
“Was it big or small? Was it an SUV, truck, maybe, or a sedan?”
“It was definitely a car and not a truck or an SUV, but I don’t know Deputy Sloan. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. I just want Sonny to be the same sweet boy he used to be,” she said as a tear slid down her bruised cheek, a bruise put there by that sweet boy of hers. I wasn’t so sentimental about Sonny.
“Thanks again for your help and I’ll see you around town,” I said, as I left her there to think about what her son’s plans.
Chapter 8
Child Protective Services had finally found time to meet with Dave and me at the trailer. It worked out quite well. Dave had the place polished to perfection. We had Amber with us that afternoon, and Noah was completely adorable. I showed the two women the paper that Jessica had handwritten and signed granting me temporary custody of Noah until such time that her legal problems had been resolved. By the time CPS got around to checking on the report Deputy Luker had filed regarding child endangerment, it had been over two weeks.
The folks from CPS were very helpful and understanding but told us that we would have to file a petition for guardianship with the magistrate to have Noah continue to live with us. However, they told us that we could also qualify as foster parents, but that would require a parenting course and regular inspections of our home. Both of those options were fine with Dave and me. The two women did an impromptu inspection of the house, and we filled out the paperwork to become foster parents for Noah until we could get a judge to grant us temporary guardianship. We wanted all of our bases covered.
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