“No, no. I can be there at noon” her voice cracked. “It's no problem,” Haley said, immediately feeling embarrassed and wondering if he could feel her awkwardness over the phone.
“Uh, okay, I'll...I'll talk to you then. Goodbye,” Beau said.
“Goodbye,” she said as she listened for the click on the other end.
Haley was furious with herself. She stammered and waited for him to hang up first like a flustered teenager. She stomped off to the bathroom.
Haley was well aware of Beau Fullbright, as were all of the women in the department - married and single alike.
“Crap!” She exclaimed, realizing she forgot to ask what he meant by a “possible change in her duties.”
Haley sulked toward the shower feeling more than a little foolish.
“Regardless of what he wants to talk about I've already convinced him I'm an airhead,” she thought as she turned the faucet handle and adjusted the water temperature.
Then it occurred to her: Who was he to talk to her about a change in her duties? Beau Fullbright was a deputy just like her. Unless...maybe Uncle Chet had finally given in and appointed a new desk sergeant to replace Old Man Holmes. Haley knew she could place a quick call and find out, but what if it turned out to be something different? How bad would she look turning to the uncle who hired her to begin with?
So much for the confident professional law enforcement officer. No, she decided it would be best to just wait and see. Surely she couldn't make less of an impression by remaining silent.
***
Chet sat at his desk going over the time logs. It seemed as though the paperwork was never ending. But everything had to legally documented and filed. It was a lesson instilled in him during his career with the Bureau.
He looked up at the picture of his late colleague and his mind started to drift back through the years.
They met when Chet was assigned to the Memphis office right out of the academy. Lonnie had already been in Memphis for a year and he worked with Chet a great deal; teaching him the ins and outs of field work, where to get the best barbecue, and when it was best to catch Elvis heading out of Graceland for a midnight snack or for a recording session.
He smiled to himself. Those were great days — young men with young families and a future filled with promise. Then the smile faded.
That awful day in April had repercussions for both of them. Within six months, Lonnie was shipped to Louisville and Chet was sent to Charlotte.
Still, their wives had formed a bond and over the years the two families shared many vacations. Chet and Lonnie kept in touch, while Lonnie worked on his pet project. That project was one of the reasons he left a lucrative job as a security consultant to a brokerage in Baltimore to become chief investigator for Chet.
But as good as Lonnie was solving crime, he was equally bad at managing his health. A chain-smoker, 25 pounds overweight, and high blood pressure proved to be the perfect combination for the massive heart attack that took his life just a few months earlier.
He was confident Beau would do a good job but he knew dropping by the CID Office wouldn't be the same without his old and trusted friend.
Chet sighed softly. Life went on if you wanted it to or not.
***
At roughly 11:30 that morning, Marcus made his way to the CID Office on the third floor of the courthouse. The office was placed on the third floor because of the available space when the courthouse was renovated in 1961.
In addition to a large — and well-equipped office — most of the third floor was devoted to serving as an evidence locker. The locker was actually a 1,500 square feet room and remained under supervision around the clock, 365 days a year.
On that particular day, Deputy Joe Blocker manned the desk outside the door and maintained the visitor’s log. He was playing a game of computer poker when Marcus walked through the door from the stairwell.
He looked up from a pair of tens.
“Morning Marcus. You here to see Beau?” Joe asked.
“Beau's up here? I just got a call from dispatch to come to the CID Office,” Marcus said.
“Well, I don't know what it would be about but Beau is in the office,” Joe said as he discarded three cards.
Marcus nodded his thanks and walked down the hall toward the office with a half-wood, half-cloudy glass door that had the words “Criminal Investigation Division” printed on it. He paused and then knocked on the door.
“Come in,” he heard Beau call out.
Marcus entered to see Beau rifling through a filing cabinet drawer. Beau laughed when he saw the confused expression on the face of Marcus, who looked around the room for more people.
The office had three desks but only one had computer. Next to that desk was a laser printer and older fax machine sat near the door beside an equally ancient copying machine.
The walls were off white with an empty 4 x 8 corkboard full of push pins on each wall. Gray legal sized filing cabinet made a U shape around the office with space for more in the large room.
“What's going on?” Marcus asked suspiciously.
“Please, close the door and have a seat,” Beau said, gesturing to a 4 x 6 conference table in the middle of the room.
Marcus closed the door, tossed his “Smoky Bear” hat on the table, pulled out one of the padded wooden chairs near the end of the table, and sat down.
“Okay. What's the joke? And why are you here? I thought you were heading home to crash for a while,” Marcus said.
Beau smiled and tossed a silver badge to him. Marcus looked it over curiously. “Assistant investigator?” He asked.
“That was what Chet wanted to talk about this morning.' He appointed me chief investigator and told me to hire a couple of assistant investigators, Beau said as he sat down across from Marcus. He couldn't help but grin.
“Want the job?”
Marcus looked at the badge and back to his friend. He started to slowly smile and nod.
“Yeah, yeah, I want the job,” Marcus laughed.
“Don't you want to know about the pay raise or the perks?” Beau asked.
Marcus shook his head.
“You know I don't care about the money. But what perks?” He asked.
“No more of this,” Beau said as he picked up the hat on the table. “Or this,” as he tugged at the gray shirt of his uniform.
“No more patrol car either,” Marcus said with a full blown grin.
“And one more thing: You get to work side by side with me,” Beau said.
Marcus clicked his tongue.
“Well shit, I knew there was a downside,” he said as Beau tossed the hat at him.
Marcus laughed and then the smile faded. “Seriously...thanks a lot. I appreciate you thinking of me,” he said.
“I remember a time not too many years ago when a friend got me a job,” Beau added with a laugh, “I'll never forgive you. I figure if I'm stuck in this line of work you might as well suffer with me.”
Marcus smiled.
“This will make Chelsea happy. Off of patrol duty — finally,” he said. “You know she'll want to thank you with a big supper.”
“It's not necessary, but completely appreciated,” Beau said.
“So when do we start?” Marcus asked.
“We start working cases Monday. Until then, we need to scrub some of the dust out of here, get a couple of more computers, and get things organized so we can hit the ground running,” Beau said. “And I've already cleared it with Chet. You are now officially off the road so you can help get this place together.”
Marcus smiled again.
“For a Wednesday, this is shaping up to be a pretty good day,” he said. “You have to be beat though. Why don't you go home and get some sleep. The computers can wait one more day and the dust will be here tomorrow.”
“I still have a couple of things to take care of,” Beau said.
“You said there are two assistant investigators. Who's going to take the other slot?”
Marcus asked.
“I'm interviewing someone at noon,” Beau said as he stood and returned to the filing cabinet.
“Oh? Who is it? It's not Smitty is it?” Marcus asked.
“No, it's not Smitty. Give me a little credit,” Beau said.
“Who then?” Marcus asked.
“Haley Garrison. Chet recommended her,” Beau said as he reached farther back into the cabinet drawer.
“Hmmm. Makes sense. She is qualified. Very qualified in fact,” Marcus said.
“I heard. Impressive background but I don't really know her. I mean we've met and we have spoken a few times,” Beau said.
“You'll like her — great personality and wonderful sense of humor. Heck of an athlete in high school too. Tremendous point guard. She graduated with my brother Conner. You know Chet is her uncle don't you?” Marcus asked.
“Not until he told me but that really don't matter as long as she can do the job,” Beau said.
“And she's a beauty too — even you can see that. Maybe she can put a smile on that sour face,” Marcus said as Beau's cheeks turned pink.
“Aw c'mon,” Beau said.
“Do I need to chaperone the interview?” Marcus asked as he rolled his brown eyes.
“Grow up. Besides it will less of an interview and more of an invitation. I'd gladly bring her on board based on the two glowing recommendations I've heard,” Beau said.
“It's a home run hire, that's for sure,” Marcus said.
Beau turned and shifted his weight uncomfortably and had a look of concern on his face.
“I do have a question and I'm not real sure how to ask without sounding like a jerk and I probably should've asked this first,” he said.
“And what else is new? Fire away,” Marcus said with a laugh as he leaned back and propped both feet on the table.
Beau seemed troubled and his red eyes only highlighted his frown.
“It's...well, you have quite a bit of seniority on me. Are you okay with...not being the chief investigator,” he asked.
Marcus laughed.
“Is that what's bothering you? I recommended you for the job a few days after Lonnie's funeral. You're ideal for this. I didn't know if Chet would listen but the man ain't blind. He knows a good thing when he sees it. So to answer your question, I'm more than fine with it. I prefer it. You get to talk to the media while I get to work in the background,” Marcus said.
“But you grew up in a newspaper family. Your mother owns the local paper. If anybody knows how to handle the media, it's you,” Beau said.
“Knowing how and wanting to are two different things. I got enough of the spotlight in college to last me a lifetime. No big boy, you and Chet are now the faces of this department,” Marcus said.
“I ain't real sure about the 'face of the department' stuff but as long as you're okay with everything, I guess I am too,” Beau said.
Marcus blew on the new badge and polished it with his sleeve.
“Oh, I'm fine with it. Just fine,” he said with a big smile.
Before Beau could respond, there was a knock on the door. He walked over and opened the door.
“Deputy Fullbright,” Haley said.
Before he could stop himself, Beau smiled
“Deputy Garrison, please come in,” Beau said as he stepped aside and allowed her to enter. He could not help but notice and enjoy the fruity scent of her shampoo. He liked it so much he had to struggle to concentrate. Marcus noticed the look on Beau's face. It has been a long time since he saw it.
“Marcus?” She asked as she walked in.
He grinned as he stood.
“Hi Haley, good to see you,” Marcus added. “Look, I'm gonna step out and keep Joe company for a bit so you two can talk.”
He picked up his hat and walked toward the door.
“I'll be down the hall if you need me...Chief,” Marcus muttered with a giggle as he headed out causing the color to rise in Beau's face once again.
“Please, have a seat. I'm sorry I can't offer you a cup of coffee or another refreshment,” he said as Haley took the chair vacated by Marcus.
She offered a nervous half smile.
“That's quite alright. I don't mind. But I do have a question. Why am I here? Your call was kind of cryptic,” Haley said.
“I'm sorry Deputy. I wanted to talk to you about something and I thought it would be better face to face,” Beau said as she studied his face. The man was obviously exhausted but there was a warmth in his piercing hazel eyes and dimpled smile that made her feel at ease, even safe.
“Please, call me Haley,” she said.
He chuckled.
“Okay Haley. I suppose it does sound a bit formal. And please, call me Beau,” he said as he sat down across from her.
“Alright Beau. Why did you want to see me face to face?” Haley asked, slightly arching her left eyebrow as she spoke.
Her beauty was distracting so Beau looked down before placing his right hand flat against the smooth table top before slowly looking back up at her.
“This morning, the sheriff appointed me chief investigator. He told me there is a budget allowance for two assistant investigators. I want to offer you one of those positions,” Beau said, studying her face. He saw the surprised look.
“Me?” She asked.
“If it makes you feel any better, I had the same response when Chet asked me to take this job,” Beau said with a half-smile.
“I'm honored but...,” Haley's trailed off as she grasped for words.
“You're highly qualified and come with glowing recommendations from Chet and Marcus,” Beau said.
“It's just that...Uncle Chet, did he order you to hire me?” She asked.
“No. He suggested that you would be a good choice but left it to my discretion. As I said earlier, you have an excellent record along with an impressive resume. There's no question you would be a valuable asset to any department. There is a significant pay raise that goes with it, but the downside is longer and often more irregular hours. Oh, and uh, you'd be working with me and Marcus as well,” he said with a straight face.
Haley laughed.
“Now you're just trying to scare me,” she said.
Beau's serious expression softened and he smiled. She saw genuine amusement in his eyes.
“It is a scary thought,” he said.
“Long hours, odd hours, I don't mind. I'm pretty flexible,” Haley said easily.
Beau hoped his face did not betray his thoughts.
“So, is it something you'd like to try?” He asked.
She absentmindedly twirled her hair with her right index finger and thumb and looked almost through Beau — or so it seemed to him.
“I would love to try it. When do I start?” Haley asked.
Again Beau hoped she couldn't read his mind.
“Great! We'll start actual field work Monday. Until then we'll work on getting this place cleaned up and study some of the open cases,” he said.
“Wow, homework already,” Haley said.
“Did I forget to mention this job will hamper your social life?” Beau asked.
“Yes you did,” she said.
“Sorry. You already said yes and you can't back out now,” he said with a laugh.
Haley decided to follow her instinct and be bold.
“Then I suppose we're stuck together,” she said noticing a twinkle in his eyes.
“It would appear so,” Beau added. “By the way, don't worry about your shift tonight. Your promotion starts now. We'll wrap up things here for the day and you can home. Try to get some sleep and get back on a normal schedule.”
“If you don't mind me saying so, you look kind of beat. You could probably stand a little sleep yourself,” she said.
“I have a few hours left in me. I had some of Chet's coffee earlier,” Beau said.
“Brave man. I'm both impressed and amused,” she said with a dimpled smile of her own.
Before Beau could respond, Marcus knocked while o
pening the door.
“Is the damage done yet?” He asked.
“It is. I'm afraid she's one of us now,” Beau said.
Marcus stepped in and offered a broad grin.
“Good. At least there will somebody intelligent to have conversations with now,” he said.
“Yes, I know. I get tired of talking to myself,” Beau said.
“Real funny man. So, what's our next step?” Marcus asked.
“We need to requisition a couple of computers and inventory the office. We need a list of cameras, crime scene kits, etc. — determine what we have and what we need,” Beau said.
“If you'd like, I can inventory the equipment and have a wish list by the end of the day,” Haley volunteered.
Beau offered a tired smile.
“I was hoping you'd say that,” he said.
“And I can requisition the computers, monitors, printers, and necessary software — I imagine you can offer some advice on that too,” Marcus said to Haley.
“Gladly,” she said.
“We need to talk about weapons. I know Marcus prefers his .357 and I carry a .45 semi auto. How about you?” Beau asked Haley.
She unsnapped her holster and placed a Colt Model 1911 .45 semi-automatic on the table.
“Great minds think alike,” Haley said.
“Back up weapons?” Beau asked.
Haley placed her left foot upon a chair and pulled up her pants leg to reveal an ankle holster.
“Colt Mustang .380,” she said as placed her foot back on the floor.
“Nice choice,” Beau said. “Anything else?”
“Standard issue Taser,” Haley said.
Beau then turned to Marcus who grinned.
He too had an ankle holster. His contained a Smith & Wesson snub nosed .38 Special. Marcus then pulled a pair of brass knuckles from his pocket and tossed on the table. They made a loud clanging sound when bounced on the table top.
Beau and Haley looked to Marcus.
“If they're that close I'll just cold cock'em,” he explained calmly.
“And how about you?” Haley asked Beau, who placed his own Model 1911 on the table next to hers. Like them, he had an ankle holster. He reached into his and produced a Colt Mustang .380.
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