Page 19 of Barron

Yoanni rubbed her palms over her face and blinked. She needed eyedrops. The computer had sucked all the moisture from her eyes. “That one’s just protocol. It can wait till you come back on Monday. We’ve handled the important stuff. Take a break.”

“Monday? Won’t you need me tomorrow?”

She shook her finger. “That’s overtime, and the captain hasn’t authorized it, yet. But trust me, from now until the robber is picked up, this station is going to be pandemonium.”

“Why?”

“First of all, the perpetrator is still at large. A stream of real and fake witnesses will be calling with all sorts of sightings and wild stories. The captain will digest their information, and then you and I will be responsible for data input. That doesn’t happen in one day.”

“I thought officers were in charge of data.”

Yoanni smirked. “They write the reports, and because the department is seriously understaffed, we get to complete the process for them.”

“Oh.”

“Exactly. More work for us. Go home, Betty.”

“Okay.” Betty stopped resisting. She gathered her unfinished documents into a small pile, slid everything inside her top drawer, and locked it closed. “If you’re sure.” She lifted her bag.

“I’m sure.” Yoanni waved. “Good night.”

“Good night.” Betty nodded. As she reached the doorway leading to the station’s main entrance, she stopped. “Are we still good for Saturday night?”

Yoanni pulled her hair up in a haphazard bun and stuffed a pen through it to hold it in place. She’d forgotten about Betty’s suggestion to go out. “I’ll let you know tomorrow. It depends on the workload the captain has for me. If not, can we shoot for the following weekend?”

Betty nodded. “I don’t see why not. Get some rest, Yoanni. Don’t let him keep you too long.”

She waved her fingers. “I won’t.”

With Betty gone, Yoanni put her papers together, dropped them in the drawer with the new combination lock, and rolled the numbers. She wasn’t taking any chances with things disappearing from her desk ever again, then moved to the captain’s office.

The door was open. She found him scribbling on a pad without lifting his head. She sat down, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence. Damn, she hurt everywhere. Weariness was taking over. It had been an emotional roller coaster kind of day.

A few minutes passed in silence. Finished, he glanced up at her. “I’m requesting a raise for you. You deserve every penny. The council better not deny me.”

“Wow! I didn’t expect that at all. I’m touched.”

“You work like no one I’ve ever known.” He tossed back the pad. “There’s efficiency, and there’s excellence. You’re in the last category. I want you to go home now, because I’m expecting you tomorrow. You know that, right?”

“I figured.” She nodded. “I told Betty as much and warned her we were going to be busy until the perp was picked up or the case disappeared under a pile of bureaucratic red tape.”

“Hmm, I hate to say it, but I agree with you. And as long as we’re understaffed, perps will fall through the cracks. I know the answer, but I have to ask. Are we all caught up?”

“We are. Betty has one pending letter. It’s going to Savannah’s mayor. I told her it could wait and sent her home.”

“Good. Is she working out for you?”

“She’s getting there. One day, she’ll know the ropes and be better than me.”

“No one will ever fit into your shoes, Yoanni. When they made you, they broke the mold. You’re done for the night. Go home.”

“Okay, Captain.” She stood. Crap, she was more than ready. “What time tomorrow?”

He let out a short breath. “Make it nine a.m. For heaven’s sake, it’s Saturday and your day off. I don’t want to see you here before that.”

“You won’t, promise. Good night, sir.”

“Good night, Yoanni.”

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