51: The Series

51: The Beginning Chapter 1

Lindsay got into her car and thought about what she was doing. She was not even close to ready to go back to that department after what had happened, much less to be in charge of it. As Lindsay started to drive, she thought about the many things she wanted to do that first day. One of the first things was to look through the personnel files so she knew who was working there. She had heard that several had been fired after they had voiced their disapproval of her having been fired.

The first thing was to talk to Esther. Esther had been the receptionist and day dispatcher for so long that no one could remember her not being there. She was the one who truly ran that sheriff’s department. Ester knew everyone there and everything that happened, no matter what time of the day or night. It did not matter what it was if you needed answers to a question; Esther was the woman to ask. Lindsay found herself smiling and looking forward to seeing Esther today. She would have coffee made and a smile on her face.

She turned at the street corner to go to the department. As she parked her car, she took a deep breath to prepare herself to walk through the door. She knew Esther would be there to tell her the truth about what was going on. When Lindsay walked in, she saw someone she did not recognize in Esther’s place behind the counter. The young woman in dispatch was nothing like Esther. This woman was tall and thin, with long, dark hair shaved on each side of her head and many tattoos. What made her even more noticeable was the fact that even though she was very tall, she also wore six-inch heels.

“Hi, I’m Lindsay Gold. I am taking over as interim sheriff,” Lindsay said, then waited to see what the reply would be. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

“It is so nice to meet you. My name is Cat,” the tall brunette replied. “I hope that you can fix a few things around here.”

“Fix things? That didn’t take long,” Lindsay said. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but why are you here instead of Esther? She always works the day shift.”

Cat got a strange look on her face before laughing. “First, don’t worry about saying anything to bother or offend me because I doubt that is even possible. Second, Esther sort of doesn’t work here anymore. She started falling asleep at work a lot, and the last time the old sheriff walked in, and she was asleep, he decided it was probably best she retired.”

Lindsay replied, “I can understand that. She had been here, what, sixty-plus years? I only wish I had known. I was looking forward to her smiling face this morning.”

Cat instantly put a huge smile on her face. “Does this help? I know it isn’t the same, but you should at least get a smile from someone.”

“Thanks. That actually does help.” Lindsay looked around for a second and realized that many of the offices had been moved and that there had been some remodeling. “Would you mind giving me a quick tour? Things have changed since the last time I was here.”

“I would love to,” Cat said as she continued to smile.

The tour was quick. One significant change was the removal of some storage space and the addition of more desks in the area where the deputies did their reports and paperwork. The office the sheriff used had had the most work done. It had been completely remodeled. One wall was now glass. It had new, dark red paint and taxidermy animals on the walls.

“Those animals have to go,” Lindsay said.

Cat replied with one question. “Would you like them in the dumpster or the closet?”

With that, Lindsay no longer had any doubt that Cat was going to be a very important person to her in this department. They had just met, and Cat did not question her decision; she simply asked for clarification.

“Let’s just put them in the closet for now. We don’t know who those things belong to yet. Someone might want them back.”

Cat immediately walked over to one large deer head on the wall and began to lift it off.

“Cat, before you start that, would you do me a huge favor? I want to look through the personnel files of the current department employees so that I know who works here. Is that something you can help me with?”

Lindsay watched Cat’s reaction carefully.

“I can get those for you right now. I’m guessing that you also want mine,” Cat answered.

“Yes, please.”

Lindsay sat down at the sheriff’s desk and watched Cat walk out of the room. She was both in awe and completely terrified by Cat. In her heels, Cat was well over six feet tall. Lindsay was not short, but she felt it next to Cat. She also had a feeling that there was a lot more to Cat than what she saw. Cat came back moments later with a stack of files.

“If you have any questions about anything, please feel free to ask,” Cat said with that same big smile.

Lindsay looked at her and said, “I do have one. Do Big Bob and Little Bob still work here?”

Cat laughed, “They still work here. They are some of the few that the old sheriff didn’t fire after he fired you. Why did the sheriff fire you, anyway? I have heard all kinds of rumors.”

“That is a story for another day,” Lindsay replied. “Thank you for the files and the info on Big Bob and Little Bob.”

“You’re welcome, and just yell if you need anything. God knows the old sheriff did,” Cat turned and walked to the counter at the front of the office.

Lindsay decided to start with Cat’s file. She had a feeling it would be interesting and full of surprises.

She was not disappointed. It turned out Cat’s full name was Ekaterina Dyatlov. She was born in Russia and became a citizen at the age of two after her family immigrated to the United States. She had been an honor student throughout high school as well as a star athlete. She had bachelor’s degrees in biology, criminal justice, and forensic science, with a master’s degree in forensics. Lindsay was thrilled. The woman was intelligent and willing to learn.

Lindsay paused to look out at the counter where Cat was going through paperwork and realized this woman was working there because she wanted to, not because she had to. That was just the kind of person she liked.

She went back to Cat’s personnel file and continued reading. Cat was also trained in martial arts and had been a competitive gymnast. That was impressive. That showed commitment and dedication. She then got to the line that listed hobbies and other interests. Those included being an alternative model and a dominatrix. Now, it was beginning to make sense as to why she did not work for a larger department doing bigger and better things. Listing those hobbies and activities on an application or résumé would make people question the applicant's fitness.

Honestly, it did not matter. Cat seemed to be very good at her job. She also seemed to enjoy her work. If she was happy and did her job well, she was more likely to stay with the department. Lindsay also realized that if Cat intimidated her, she would also intimidate people who walked into the office to complain about nothing. That was a very good thing. She should be able to defuse situations before they go too far. As far as she was concerned, Cat was one to keep in the department.

The next file Lindsay picked up was for a new officer by the name of Andy Baxter. Andy was twenty-three and had been with the department for only a few weeks. He also had a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a class-A peace officer certification. Deputy Baxter could work anywhere in the state. That made Lindsay question why he would work in a little county in the middle of nowhere. He had no family or friends in the area, which made her question it more.

“Hey, Cat!” Lindsay yelled.

“Yes, ma’am,” Cat immediately replied as she walked to the office door.

“Are there any investigations or reports by Andy Baxter? If there are, I would like to look at them.”

“I will pull everything he has done since he was hired,” Cat replied with that same big smile.

“Thank you,” said Lindsay.

Lindsay had to smile. If this were normal for Cat, it would make things much more comfortable for everyone as Lindsay settled in as interim sheriff. Happy, intelligent, efficient, and according to her file, could kick just about anyone’s butt without even taking off her heels. Cat had returned to Lindsay’s new office with a few folders. It was no big surprise that those were the only reports and cases Andy had worked on.

“Thank you, Cat.”

All Cat did was smile, wink, and walk out of the room. That was a little odd, but Lindsay did not pay that much attention to it. She had grown up in the surrounding area, so being called “sweetie,” “honey,” and “sugar” and being winked at was just part of it. It was the Ozarks, after all.

She began reading Andy Baxter’s reports. They were perfect. There were no mistakes in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. They were detailed, yet only listed what needed to be in the report. He had done all the investigating he needed to do, and anything further, he had turned over to the detective. So why was he working for this department? This meant she would need to meet with Big Bob and Little Bob. They oversaw most of the officers and would have the answers.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, even though it was open. Lindsay looked up to see Big Bob and Little Bob.

“You two must have known I needed to talk to you,” Lindsay said. “Come in and sit down. But please close the door behind you.”

Big Bob came in first and plopped down in a chair. Big Bob was just that, big. He was not fat, but he was a huge man. Little Bob followed him in and closed the door before politely sitting. Little Bob was not a small man; he was average but looked almost diminutive when he was with Big Bob. So did everyone else who stood near Big Bob.

“Cat called me as soon as you pulled in front of the office this morning. Then I called Little Bob because I figured you would have some questions for us,” Big Bob said.

Lindsay leaned back in her chair. That made it evident that Cat was the one running the office. However, that also meant that Cat already knew who would have the answers to her questions. That was what Lindsay needed right now.

“I do have questions about one of the deputies. His name is Andy Baxter.” Lindsay looked from Big Bob to Little Bob.

“What would you like to know?” asked Little Bob.

“My big question is, why is he working here, for this department? With his training and qualifications, he could work anywhere in the state,” Lindsay said with confusion in her voice.

Both Bobs started laughing.

“Is my question that funny?” Lindsay asked, feeling a little angry at their laughter.

“No, Lindsay,” Big Bob started. “That is a good question. We’re sorry for laughing, but it’s obvious you haven’t met this kid yet. He has a few quirks that make things difficult for him once in a while.”

“Quirks? Could you be a little more specific?” she asked.

“He has a problem with women,” Little Bob said, trying to choke back a chuckle.

“What kind of problem? Like a new girlfriend every night? Like angry women showing up here to yell at him? What kind of problem?” she questioned.

Big Bob and Little Bob looked at each other and burst out laughing again. This time, they could barely breathe. A little frustrated, Lindsay yelled for Cat once again. When she arrived at the door and closed it behind her, she looked at the Bobs laughing beyond control.

Lindsay asked, “Cat, can you please tell me what Andy Baxter’s woman problem is?”

“Oh, now I understand the laughter,” Cat said. “Andy Baxter’s woman problem is he is terrified of every woman over the age of twelve. I hadn’t thought about it, but now I’m wondering how he is even going to talk to you. This could be interesting if he can’t even talk to his boss.”

Lindsay sat for a moment as the laughter from Big Bob and Little Bob died down.

“Thank you, Cat. I’m sorry to bother you again,” Lindsay said.

Cat replied with a smile, “No problem. I’m here whenever you need me.”

“All right, you two,” Lindsay said, looking at both Bobs, “What do we do about this? I mean, it is a little funny, but this could be a real problem for everyone. Has this ever caused a problem as far as his ability to do his job? If he can’t talk to women, that takes out about half the county he can work with. That isn’t counting the fact that he may not even be able to speak to me. Can he talk to Cat?”

Big Bob put his hand up and explained, “So far, this hasn’t caused any problems. As far as we can tell, he only has that problem when he is face-to-face with a woman. If possible, he takes the report over the phone, and he does fine with Cat on the radio. When he does have to talk to Cat or any other woman face-to-face, he looks down at the notebook he always has with him. When he does those things, he’s OK.”

Lindsay looked at Big Bob and asked, “What happens when I meet with him for the first time?”

Big Bob and Little Bob just looked at each other and then back at Lindsay.

“You plan on meeting with him?” asked Little Bob.

“I plan on meeting with all of the department employees so I can find out who they are from them, not their personnel files or second-hand information. How they all respond to me will give me a lot of insight,” Lindsay told him.

“That does make sense. Most people who take over as sheriff want to come in and change everything, or they change nothing. You sound like you want to change what needs changing,” Big Bob answered.

“I follow the adage, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ I want to find out if there is anything that is broken and then fix that one thing. I don’t believe in blanket firing or hiring or changing all department policies and procedures before finding out if what is in place still works.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Little Bob said.

“OK, gentlemen,” Lindsay said as she looked at the two men before her. “Can you tell me what the general feeling is in this department about me taking over? Also, what about the people out in the county? How do they feel about everything that has taken place with the old sheriff quitting and me taking over for now?”

Little Bob replied, “In the department, most of the people who were on your side when you were fired shortly after you if they spoke up or they quit. As for the rest of the county, there are so many questions about everything that happened in the past few days, I’m not sure how anyone feels right now.”

“Most of the people who work here aren’t sure about anything right now, and I think most of the citizens of this county feel the same way after what’s happened,” Big Bob chimed in. “I’m not even sure what happened with the sheriff. What did the Commissioners tell you about it?”

Lindsay took a deep breath and let it out slowly, “All they told me was he was attacked by something. Whatever it was, it ripped the door and light bar off his patrol car. Then he quit. They also said that they had asked several others to take the job, and they all refused.”

“That is more than what I was told,” Little Bob said. “I did hear that the sheriff said you were right. You want to talk about that?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, and I’m sure he was just ranting after he had the crap scared out of him,” Lindsay answered.

“If you say so,” Big Bob smirked.

“All right, back to the people who work for this department. Tell me what your opinions about our lovely day dispatcher are. So far, I am impressed. I must admit I was a little disappointed Esther wasn’t here anymore, but I think Cat might be better,” Lindsay said as she looked at both Bobs.

The Bobs looked at each other for a moment as if they were trying to figure out who was going to speak first.

Little Bob started. “She is brilliant, well educated, and can handle anything that walks through that door. She also scares the ever-living crap out of me.”

Lindsay was slightly concerned about that answer but looked at Big Bob, waiting for his response. Big Bob was nodding his head in agreement.

“Is there anything that you would like to add to what he just said?” Lindsay asked Big Bob.

“I did see her almost beat a guy to death while sparring with him at the gym. She didn’t even break a sweat. I agree with everything Little Bob said,” Big Bob answered.

“OK, I can live with that if she is as good at her job as I think. Big Bob, Little Bob, I still have a stack of files to go through. Is there anyone else I should pay attention to?” Lindsay asked.

Big Bob sat shaking his head no.

Little Bob answered, “Not that I can think of. Don’t worry so much. You know we have your back as much as we can. I just wish you would tell us more about what happened to you. Then maybe we could understand what is going on here.”

“I would tell you if I could explain it or remember it. I’m not even sure what happened,” Lindsay said. “You two are two of the best deputies I know. Will you keep me informed of anything you happen to hear about the mood out in the county?”

“Of course, we will, sweetheart,” said Big Bob as he and Little Bob stood to leave.

“You know, you shouldn’t call me sweetheart,” said Lindsay.

Big Bob smiled, “That wasn’t for you. That was for him,” as he pointed at Little Bob.

After the two Bobs left her office, Lindsay went back to reading files. Most of the people who had been hired were former military members who had been stationed at the local military base. That was not a surprise to her at all. Her husband was, in fact, former military and currently a government employee working on the base. All the deputies seemed to have proper training and experience, and the same was true for the jailers and office staff. Thankfully, there were a few she knew and had worked with before and had faith in their abilities. She just could not stop thinking about the issue with Deputy Andy Baxter.

What would she do with a deputy who could not talk to women? Hopefully, she could help him get over it. The big question was how she would do that when she was a woman, and he would not be able to talk to her.