left the room.
"How are you, Raymond?" the suited man asked as he poured coffee into a mug he had taken from the cabinet above the sink. His hair was shaved close to the scalp in the few places along the back of his head where it still grew. He stood only an inch or two shorter than Ray but was broader from his shoulders to his waist. In some ways he resembled a bald pit bull. He turned, reaching out to shake Ray's hand. The skin of his hands was soft. "Is the newspaper business treating you well?"
"It is," Ray answered, withdrawing his hand. "And how are things for you, detective? I imagine things must have been an awkward period of adjustment between you and the sheriff after the election."
The little man grinned and took a seat at the table. He assessed the selection of pastries before choosing a cherry tart from the top of the pile.
"Would you care for one, Raymond?"
"Yes, actually, I would," Ray said, taking a seat across from the detective. "I missed breakfast this morning. I don't expect Billy will be too keen to stop anywhere for me since he seems to be running late."
The detective wiped neon-red cherry filling off his fingers with a napkin. He finished chewing and swallowed before asking "Who is Billy?"
"I guess you all know him around here as William," Ray said, thinking back to the previous day's conversation with the sheriff and how Redmond didn't know who he was talking about. "I'm doing a ride along today with Deputy Merrill for the paper."
The queer little man did a quick, but noticeable, double take at Ray before proceeding with a second bite of his pastry. Ray picked out a bear claw and wrapped it in a paper towel. The other man swallowed and wiped his fingers again before speaking. "I'll be very interested to read about your adventures today with William," the detective said.
At that moment, the sound of scuffling feet and labored breathing drew their attention. A hulking man in a brown deputy's uniform barreled into the break room and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Ray and the detective seated together at the table. He looked at them both, his mouth hanging open for a moment.
"You ready?" he said to Ray. "We're late."
"I was born ready," Ray said, grabbing his camera and the bear claw. "Pleasure seeing you again, detective."
Monday, Part II
They traveled well over speed limit along a winding country road that ran parallel to the main highway connecting Whitlock, the county seat, to the commercially developed towns of Glen Meadows and Watsons Glen. The highway was a more direct route, but the lack of lights and traffic made the back roads seem like a quicker trip.
Billy was squeezed as tightly into the driver's seat of the sleek brown cruiser as he was into his uniform. He drove with a heavy foot. Several miles north of Glen Meadows, the vehicle rounded a sharp curve that fell away to the right. The half of the bear claw in Ray's stomach floated and dropped as Billy maintained speed through the turn. Ray firmly gripped the arm rest.
"Slow down, man," he said.
Although the sun was up, a dense fog blanketed much of the countryside. Headlights offered little help. Every now and then the gray curtain dissipated enough for Ray to get his bearings from the trees and clearings he could spot. He traveled this road frequently, mostly when heading up to the old courthouse in Whitlock to cover the county commissioner meetings for the Citizen-Gazette. Ray had taken over the beat from Walter two years ago when Becky promoted Walter to Business Editor. Ray thoroughly appreciated being able to hand off some of his own lesser responsibilities to Toni, the newest member of the reporting team, especially the Glen Meadows Planning and Zoning Board. The meetings were dreadfully boring sessions during which board members debated such exciting topics as fence heights and impermeable surface restrictions on new residential construction sites.
Billy hadn't said much since finding Ray in the break room. A
"How are you, Raymond?" the suited man asked as he poured coffee into a mug he had taken from the cabinet above the sink. His hair was shaved close to the scalp in the few places along the back of his head where it still grew. He stood only an inch or two shorter than Ray but was broader from his shoulders to his waist. In some ways he resembled a bald pit bull. He turned, reaching out to shake Ray's hand. The skin of his hands was soft. "Is the newspaper business treating you well?"
"It is," Ray answered, withdrawing his hand. "And how are things for you, detective? I imagine things must have been an awkward period of adjustment between you and the sheriff after the election."
The little man grinned and took a seat at the table. He assessed the selection of pastries before choosing a cherry tart from the top of the pile.
"Would you care for one, Raymond?"
"Yes, actually, I would," Ray said, taking a seat across from the detective. "I missed breakfast this morning. I don't expect Billy will be too keen to stop anywhere for me since he seems to be running late."
The detective wiped neon-red cherry filling off his fingers with a napkin. He finished chewing and swallowed before asking "Who is Billy?"
"I guess you all know him around here as William," Ray said, thinking back to the previous day's conversation with the sheriff and how Redmond didn't know who he was talking about. "I'm doing a ride along today with Deputy Merrill for the paper."
The queer little man did a quick, but noticeable, double take at Ray before proceeding with a second bite of his pastry. Ray picked out a bear claw and wrapped it in a paper towel. The other man swallowed and wiped his fingers again before speaking. "I'll be very interested to read about your adventures today with William," the detective said.
At that moment, the sound of scuffling feet and labored breathing drew their attention. A hulking man in a brown deputy's uniform barreled into the break room and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Ray and the detective seated together at the table. He looked at them both, his mouth hanging open for a moment.
"You ready?" he said to Ray. "We're late."
"I was born ready," Ray said, grabbing his camera and the bear claw. "Pleasure seeing you again, detective."
Monday, Part II
They traveled well over speed limit along a winding country road that ran parallel to the main highway connecting Whitlock, the county seat, to the commercially developed towns of Glen Meadows and Watsons Glen. The highway was a more direct route, but the lack of lights and traffic made the back roads seem like a quicker trip.
Billy was squeezed as tightly into the driver's seat of the sleek brown cruiser as he was into his uniform. He drove with a heavy foot. Several miles north of Glen Meadows, the vehicle rounded a sharp curve that fell away to the right. The half of the bear claw in Ray's stomach floated and dropped as Billy maintained speed through the turn. Ray firmly gripped the arm rest.
"Slow down, man," he said.
Although the sun was up, a dense fog blanketed much of the countryside. Headlights offered little help. Every now and then the gray curtain dissipated enough for Ray to get his bearings from the trees and clearings he could spot. He traveled this road frequently, mostly when heading up to the old courthouse in Whitlock to cover the county commissioner meetings for the Citizen-Gazette. Ray had taken over the beat from Walter two years ago when Becky promoted Walter to Business Editor. Ray thoroughly appreciated being able to hand off some of his own lesser responsibilities to Toni, the newest member of the reporting team, especially the Glen Meadows Planning and Zoning Board. The meetings were dreadfully boring sessions during which board members debated such exciting topics as fence heights and impermeable surface restrictions on new residential construction sites.
Billy hadn't said much since finding Ray in the break room. A
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