Page 3 of Seizing Mack
“Don’t mind Kent,” Sam told him, now standing. “Likes to pretend he’s the alpha dog, but he’s the only one who thinks so.”
Nick chuckled, feeling some of the tension in his shoulders easing. About fifty, Sam Brown was a big guy. His dark hair was peppered with silver, his dark brown eyes sharp and assessing. Judging by the small creases around his eyes and mouth, the man smiled and laughed often.
Chief Brown indicated he should take a seat, then got right into it.
“What happened is a matter of public record,” Sam told him, “but as far as I’m concerned, it has nothing to do with your role in this department. You’re coming in here as a good cop, and I’ve been singing your praises as such.”
Nick appreciated his candor, but like the chief said, what happened all those years ago was a matter of public record, accessible to anyone who had a mind to do some digging. If someone brought it up or it became a problem, he’d address it.
“I don’t expect any problems. Eve’s finally getting the help she needs and on the advice of counsel, the family is keeping things as quiet and low-key as possible, but I won’t lie. Image is a big thing with the Sandersons and they’ve turned pointing fingers into an art form. Best to be prepared, just in case.”
Nick nodded somberly. He knew all about the wealthy, powerful family and their refusal to acknowledge anything that might taint their ‘pristine’ reputation among the local community. Drug use and mental illness weren’t things they wanted associated with the Sanderson name and they went to great lengths to secure those skeletons in deep, dark closets.
With that out of the way, they went over responsibilities and expectations. Covendale wasn’t exactly a hotbed of criminal activity, but it had its share of problems. Given the recent rise in casual drug use among teenagers and young adults and Nick’s record in dealing with such, he would be specializing in that area. They were a small department, though, so Sam told him that he could expect to work on just about anything that came up. That was fine with Nick. Keeping busy kept him focused and grounded.
Business preliminaries complete, Nick thanked the chief and stood up to go. Sam told him about the barbecue, insisting that it was just a casual thing, no big deal. When Nick agreed, Sam asked where he was staying and Nick told him about Gail’s offer to help him find potential living arrangements.
“I knew you were a smart man,” Sam said on a laugh. “Best just to accept her help with grace, because you’re going to get it anyway.”
Sam introduced him to the two others he’d seen earlier, Joe Hibbs and Cybil Galligan, both of whom seemed like decent folk. Reserved, assessing. Nick pegged them as the kind of people who quietly got the job done and weren’t all about the accolades (unlike Emerson). He liked them instantly.
The rest of the morning was spent filling out paperwork and setting up his accounts in the computer system. Then there was the “welcome to the department” lunch at Lou’s (which he appreciated), and an afternoon of getting acquainted with some of the cases he’d be working on. All in all, it was a good first day and by the time he left, he already felt at home.
Nick grabbed a quick bite to eat, then tried Liz’s number again. When it went to voicemail, he hung up and dialed Gail’s sister. Marianne Keller told him she’d been expecting his call. He explained that he was looking for a place to lease initially. She asked him some general questions about location, price, and preferences, then promised to have a list of potential places for him to check out as soon as possible.
He took advantage of the free time to pick up a few things and drove around a bit more, reacclimating himself to the small town where he’d grown up. Memories flooded back, some good, some not so good. There was the salvage yard where he and his father used to scavenge for parts for the Shelby. The bridge along the river where he and his friends used to hang out after high-school. The scenic overlook where he and Annie had first discovered the wonders of sex. Finally, he drove to the cemetery.
He ran his hands over the smooth marble headstone that marked the grave of his Annie. “Hey, baby,” he spoke quietly. “Sorry it’s been so long.”
Thinking of her still hurt, though time had worn the pain down into more of a dull ache than the ragged, slicing blade it had once been. Annie had been his first love, and he, hers. They’d been so young then, so naïve, believing they had their whole lives ahead of them.
Now he knew better. Nothing was guaranteed. Not today, not tomorrow. All anyone had wasright now, and it was what they chose to do with it that was the important thing.
