Page 5 of Wild Card
Sheriff Hale’s blunt tone told me he wasn’t asking. Still, I’d requested the night off weeks ago.
“I’m about to go off duty,” I said. “My nephew’s playing in the game tonight, remember?”
“You’ll just have to catch the highlights, then. We’re shorthanded.”
My jaw clenched. We’d been shorthanded when I put in the request. Hale had assured me he had it covered.
Things had changed since whispers started up around town that maybe Sheriff Hale should have competition in the spring election, though. Especially when my name had topped the short list of potential candidates.
Didn’t matter that I hadn’taskedto be on that dang list. After what happened in Phoenix, I damned sure didn’t want to be responsible for the whole department. I couldn’t even do right by my partner, so how could I do right by four deputies?
“I was on shift all day,” I said tightly. “You couldn’t have mentioned this change in plans sooner?”
“Sorry, princess. We’re all going to have to pull our weight from now on.”
My eyes met his. The bastard was smirking.
I strode into his office. “Come again?”
Sheriff Hale stood to face me, but my six feet three inches towered over his five-nine frame. My size came in handy on thejob. People thought twice about fucking with me. But I didn’t ordinarily use it to intimidate.
Hale was a small man—in body, yes, but also in spirit. I could make an exception for him.
I stepped up to him, close enough he had to tip his chin to look me in the eye. Hale scowled, annoyed by the reminder he wasn’t the big man he wanted to be.
“You heard me,” he muttered.
“I always do my job, Sheriff,” I said in a low voice. “I uphold the law, unlike some men in this town.”
He averted his gaze. “I don’t know what you mean.”
But he knew.
He knew that I’d witnessed him let his son off with warnings and happily use his status to receive special favors all over the county.
Truth was, he was afraid of me. Afraid I would tell people what I knew. Afraid I would take his job.
He was just a scared little man on a power trip.
I looked at him for a long minute, letting him squirm, until my radio crackled to life.
“Deputy 2, can I get your 10-20?”
I recognized Deputy Eric Sing’s voice.
I left the sheriff’s office, reaching for my radio to reply. “Deputy 1, en route to Riverton High.”
As pissed as I was at the sheriff, I wouldn’t leave Eric to cover the crowd alone. I went out to the lot and got back into my cruiser. I’d hoped to be going home. Instead, I started the engine and headed toward the high school.
When I arrived, Eric was already stationed at the entrance to the parking lot. I slowed the car and lowered my window.
“You good here?” I asked. “Sheriff Hale didn’t specify our positions. If you’d rather work the stadium, you’ve got seniority.”
Eric had joined the sheriff’s office about the time I graduated from high school, but he was nearing retirement now.
He shook his head. “I thought you had the night off to watch your nephew play?”
“I did,” I said shortly.
