Page 13 of New Hope

Chapter Five

FORD

“I’m sure he learned his lesson, but perhaps a simple warning would have been enough,” Mike suggested gently.

I watched quietly from my desk as the scene unfolded. I’d only been on the job a few days but so far, Mike’s original description of Ben Cropper had been spot on. The younger officer was a good kid. Blond and blue-eyed with a baby face, he looked like the all-American boy. He was intelligent, friendly and jumped at any opportunity to help others, but he followed the letter of the law like it was going out of style.

Ben shook his head adamantly. “Warnings don’t hold the same weight as a citation. Mr. Ballinger broke the law. He needed to learn a lesson. It’s like they always say, ‘Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.’ ”

Mike frowned at him. “They also say you shouldn’t shit where you eat. Look, Ben, all I’m saying is that we have to live in this town and see these people every day. Having a friendly relationship with them will go a long way towards maintaining peace. Besides, he was only jaywalking, he didn’t murder anyone.”

Ben’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah, okay. I see your point.”

Mike squeezed the officer’s shoulder. “You’re doing a great job, kid. No one doubts your dedication to the job but try and ease up a bit. We have to choose our battles. That way they pay attention to us when it comes to more serious matters.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry I got so worked up.”

“Happens to the best of us. Why don’t you go ahead and take your break? Ford and I can handle things until you get back.”

Ben nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Mike.”

“No problem.” Mike waited until Ben had grabbed his keys off his desk and left the room before he turned to me. “Wow!” he mouthed.

I huffed out a quiet laugh. “Poor guy’s going to end up with an ulcer if he isn’t careful.”

Mike walked behind his desk and plopped down in his chair. He leaned back and ran his hands over his face wearily. “It’ll take time. He’ll learn. I know he will. I only hope my patience doesn’t wear out before he figures it all out.”

“Eh, I’ve seen worse.” Mike peered at me through his fingers, his expression dubious. I chuckled. “I have. We had this kid at my old precinct. He was a lot like Ben, only this guy had a giant chip on his shoulder. He came from a long line of NYPD officers and felt like he had something to prove. So, one day, a woman walked into the precinct carrying a large bag. Most of us knew her, but like I said, he was new. Anyway, the woman bypassed the usual security channels and started making her way inside the bullpen. The kid must have pegged her as some sort of threat or something, because the next thing I knew, he’d drawn his firearm and was screaming at her to get on the ground. The woman was so startled, she dropped the bag she’d been carrying, spilling food all over the floor. You should have seen the look on our captain’s face when he ran out of his office to see what all the commotion was about and found his wife sobbing on the ground, her hands in the air, and a gun pointed in her face.”

“Ho-ly shit!” Mike whispered.

I winced at the memory. “Yeah, it wasn’t pretty. I’ve never heard such a spectacular dressing down as the one the captain gave that kid. Even I learned some new words that day. Needless to say, he was stuck on desk duty for quite a long time.”

He laughed. “I imagine so. Wow! Ben seems like a walk in the park compared to that guy. At least he hasn’t pulled a gun on anyone…yet.”

“Definitely. Like I said, that guy had started out with a chip on his shoulder. That’s a bad combination when paired with a gun. Ben’s a tad overzealous—” Mike snorted. “Correction. A lot overzealous, but he’s basically harmless. He’ll learn to relax the more experience he gets.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right,” he conceded.

Layla popped her head in the door then. “Hey, guys. I’m getting ready to order in some lunch from Macabee’s. You want anything?”

“Yeah. I could go for a sandwich,” Mike answered.

Realizing the time, I slid my chair back and stood, my back popping as I stretched. “Thanks, but I’m getting ready to head out on patrol. I’ll grab something while I’m out, if I get hungry.” I smoothed down the front of my newly issued police uniform and picked the matching black hat up off my desk.

I’d always worn my uniform with pride, but that had dimmed somewhat over the last couple of years as more and more stories about police brutality began hitting the news. Thankfully, I hadn’t witnessed any such acts within my own department, but over time, I began hearing a lot of negative comments from my fellow officers.

The growing tensions between private citizens and those who wore a badge had begun to take its toll and I could feel the pressure mounting. It made me nervous. Not only for my own safety, but for Ellie’s as well. It was one of the biggest reasons I’d decided to move us to a new place, and with every passing day, my confidence in that decision had grown.

For me, moving from New York City to New Hope was like stepping out of an action movie’s high-speed chase scene and onto the set of The Andy Griffith Show. Life moved at a slower place in the sleepy little town, the air was cleaner, and the people were friendlier. I imagined it was as close to Mayberry as you could get in real life. I liked the people I worked with, Ellie seemed to be adjusting well to her new school, and I’d finished unpacking all our things. We were finally starting to settle into our new life in Rhode Island and it felt good.

I headed out to the eastern edge of town first, scanning the various churches and businesses I saw along the way. Road names and landmarks that made up the coastal town were already becoming familiar. A few people waved as I drove past and I waved back, a movement that seemed awkward at first, but that I was becoming more accustomed to with each passing day.

Businesses slowly gave way to family homes, and I slowed my car, driving along at a leisurely pace as I checked for any problems. Mike had told me that patrolling the town was more about keeping a visible presence than anything else, and he was right. In the past three days I’d only had to give out two traffic tickets and I’d helped an older gentleman get his car door opened after he’d accidentally locked his keys inside it when he went into the bank.

The sky overhead was a perfect shade of blue and I put the windows down, breathing in the fresh, clean air and luxuriating in the quiet setting. I had to admit, I did not miss the smell of exhaust fumes and the constant noise of the city, with people shouting, car horns blaring, and sirens going off at all hours of the day. I’d once sworn that I could never live in a place like this, that I would be completely bored without all the frantic activity of the city. So, I was surprised to discover how much I actually loved it.

On the other side of town, I drove through the parking lot of the high school and back behind the building where the sports fields were located. One of the physical education teachers had taken their class out to the ball field and they were playing a quick game of baseball. I watched for a few minutes before moving on.

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