Chapter Three
M iles parked behind Robinson PD and checked the time on the dash. He sat for a moment just to gather his thoughts for the day ahead, then got out and locked the truck.
As he entered, Dee Roberts sat at the desk in reception and waved to Miles as he walked inside. In the main room, Miles saw Taylor and walked over to him. “Morning.”
“Morning,” Taylor grunted.
Miles poured coffee from the pot and took a sip, wincing when the bitter taste hit his tongue. “Ugh.” Shrugging, Miles took another sip and noticed Taylor watching him.
“That’s been on since six.”
Miles shrugged again. “I’ve had worse.”
TJ came out of his office with a folder in his hand. He had his jacket on and he looked between them before jerking his head toward the briefing room. “Miles, Taylor. Come inside.”
Miles followed with Taylor behind him and shut the door. “TJ?”
TJ opened the folder. “It was a quiet night. We had two noise complaints. One call about a dog loose on Mill Road which has been handled.”
Taylor said, “The owner found it. Dog wasn’t bothered but everyone else was.”
TJ gave him look. “We’ve got a welfare check on Maple. The neighbor has called twice and there was no answer yesterday. Miles, you take it.”
Miles nodded. “Alright.”
“After that, school crossing for ten minutes after eight. Keep traffic moving. People are already complaining.”
Taylor rolled his eyes. “They complain if you blink too long.”
TJ smiled but carried on. “Taylor, I want you on patrol through the shops this morning. Manager at the grocery store called yesterday about kids hanging around at the carts again. Don’t run them off. Just show your face and make it known you’re around.”
Taylor nodded. “Got it.”
TJ closed the folder. “Paperwork stays up to date today. If you take a report, you finish it. Don’t dump it on tomorrow.” TJ looked at Miles as he spoke. “No messing around.”
Sighing, Miles said, “Why do we have all this paperwork?”
“I think you say that every week.” Taylor grinned.
“It’s true though. We spend more time—” Miles stopped when TJ held up a hand and gave him a long suffering look. “Fine.”
“I know, Miles. We all feel the same way, but it’s a necessary evil.” TJ looked at both of them. “Radio checks. If you’re tied up, let me know. Any questions?”
“No,” Miles said.
Taylor shook his head.
TJ opened the door. “Go to work.”
Miles headed for the lockers. He checked his belt out of habit and made sure he had what he needed. Radio, cuffs, gloves, flashlight. Everything where it should be.
Taylor fell into step beside him. “How’s the new house?”
Miles kept walking. “Okay.”
Taylor snorted. “You settled in yet?”
“Slowly,” Miles shrugged. “You know how it is when you move.”
Taylor nodded. “You need more furniture?”
“I’m good for now. I want to get the place how I want it then I’ll look at new furniture.”
TJ’s voice carried from his office. “Miles.”
Miles paused and looked back.
TJ stood in the doorway. “Eat something today.”
Miles groaned. “I do eat.”
Taylor grinned. “Sure you do. Shit.”
Miles shook his head and walked outside.
He knew they only did it because they cared, but it could be annoying at times.
Getting into the cruiser, he started the engine and drove toward the school.
The crossing was routine. Parents lined up, some paying attention to their kids and others paying attention to their phone.
People didn’t look where they were going until someone told them to.
Miles stood with the stop sign and watched the road. He stopped traffic, waved kids across, nodded at a couple of parents he recognized. Half the town had kids or grandkids.
A boy tried to dart back across the road. Miles stepped forward, palm out. “Stop.”
The boy froze, eyes wide. “I forgot my hat,” the boy blurted.
“You’ll survive,” Miles said.
A woman hurried over and grabbed the strap of the kid’s backpack. “Sorry. He does that.”
“He’ll get hit if he keeps doing it,” Miles told her.
Her face tightened. “I know.”
She pulled the boy back to the curb and Miles watched until they were clear, then went back to traffic. When the last of the cars cleared, Miles got in his cruiser and headed toward Maple.
The welfare check address was a small house with a neat garden and a swing on the porch. The curtains were drawn as Miles walked up the path and knocked on the door. After waiting a minute or so, Miles knocked again.
When there was still no response, Miles stood still and listened. He couldn’t hear a TV or any footsteps. He moved to the side window and looked inside. He couldn’t see much past the curtains, but he didn’t see anyone on the floor, and he didn’t see any movement.
Going around the back, Miles saw the yard was empty, and checking the back door, he found it locked. He went back to the front and knocked again. “Robinson PD,” he called. “Just need to know you’re okay.”
There was a pause then a curtain shifted. The front door opened a crack and an older woman stared out at him, hair stuck up, and her eyes narrowed. “What?” she snapped.
Miles kept his voice even. “Morning. We got a call for a welfare check. Neighbor was concerned.”
“I was sleeping.”
“It’s ten,” Miles said.
“And I’m retired,” she snapped back. “I can sleep whenever I want.”
Miles stopped himself from smiling and nodded. “You okay?”
“Yes.”
“Do you need anything?”
“No.”
“Alright,” Miles said. “That’s all I needed.”
She stared at him for another second, then shut the door. Miles walked back to his cruiser, logged the check, and moved on. Dispatch called him ten minutes later.
“Unit Twelve, suspicious vehicle, County 9 near the old mill. Caller reports it’s been there an hour.”
Miles answered. “Unit Twelve. On my way.”
County 9 was quiet. The old mill sat behind a fence, half-collapsed now, and nobody went there unless they had a reason, which was usually teenagers who wanted some privacy. A white van was parked on the shoulder with its engine off.
Miles parked behind it at an angle and approached from the driver’s side, peering inside to see a man slumped in the driver’s seat. He tapped the window and the man inside jerked awake and stared at him.
“I wasn’t doing anything,” the man blurted as soon as his window was down.
“You’re parked on the side of the road near a closed mill,” Miles responded. “People call that in.”
The man swallowed. “I was only resting.”
Miles kept his tone professional. “You okay to drive?”
“I’m fine.”
Miles didn’t take that at face value. He watched the man’s hands then watched his eyes. “License,” Miles asked.
The man fumbled for his wallet and handed it over. Miles checked and saw a local address. There were no warrants either and he couldn’t smell any alcohol or drugs.
Handing the license back, Miles said, “Don’t park here. If you need a minute, pull into a lot. Somewhere safe.”
The man nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.”
Miles stepped back. “Off you go.”
The driver nodded, turned the engine on and drove away. Miles watched it disappear, then got back in his cruiser and logged the contact.
The rest of the shift was small calls. A busted taillight. A report for a bike a kid insisted had been stolen when it had probably been left at a friend’s house. Miles didn’t mind those calls as they helped the day pass faster.
Another call about kids hanging around the shopping carts had Miles talking to them in the parking lot. One of them mouthed off but stopped abruptly when Miles stared at him. They moved off toward the diner and the main street.
Miles noted the details. Time, location, names if he had them. He didn’t love paperwork, but he liked having his facts straight because he never knew when he would need them.
Near the end of the day, he took a minor collision report on the highway. When he got there he found two cars, with an angry man and a woman close to tears.
Miles separated them, got statements, took photos, and kept his voice calm until they both calmed down. It wasn’t exciting work, but it was important in case anything came up later.
When he got back to the station, the front was quiet. Dee sat at reception with her reading glasses on, looking at her monitor. She looked up as Miles walked in and smiled.
Miles went to his desk and began the boring job of completing paperwork then double checking it, because he knew if he did it wrong TJ would make him redo it. Once he’d checked it over, he put it in the completed pile and logged out of his computer.
Taylor was still at his desk, typing with his shoulders hunched. “Don’t stay too late,” Miles told him.
Taylor didn’t look up. “I won’t.”
Grabbing his things, Miles walked out. “Night,” Miles said to Dee as he walked past.
Dee looked up. “Night, Deputy.”
Miles stepped outside into the cold, headed to his truck and drove home.