Chapter 79: Douggie
*You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending. – C. S. Lewis*
Gina sat behind her desk in the office behind the bullpen of her deputies. She was nursing her third, possibly her fourth, cup of coffee. She always left a little coffee at the bottom of her cup, that way, technically, it was still her first cup. It would get topped off, but never refilled. Her logic had gotten her through more extended shifts than she could count and did not make her feel guilty when she told her doctor she only had one cup of coffee a day.
The large window looking out into the bullpen had holiday cards from local businesses, schools and families surrounding it. A long folding table was set in front and covered with sweets and treats from the community. Gina did not have any delusions of being a better sheriff than her predecessor. But she did have a better relationship with the county.
When the elementary schools had invited her deputies to their holiday parties, she had immediately ordered coloring books, crayons, customized pencils and cruiser shaped stress balls. One of her deputy’s family owns a party store and donated gift bags, penny toys and candy. They set up an assembly line in the breakroom and made just under a thousand give away bags in just a few hours. The appreciation for this thoughtfulness now sat outside her office.
Her favorite treat was the Tres leche cake that a prisoner’s mother had brought. The young man had been caught shoplifting food for his family. For the past three weeks, the department had been sponsoring his family through their Blue Santa program. His mother had used some of the food from the food bank to make them a cake.
At the knock on her door, Gina looked away from her computer screen and looked over her readers to see Douggie propped up against the door frame. He held a tray of cookies in one hand and a bag of her favorite coffee in the other.
“Are you bribing me for something?” She grinned at him. “If you are, I have to remind you that it is illegal to bribe a public official.”
“It’s from Peggy.” He explained about his wife who owned a cottage bakery in Lakeview on the south side of the county. “Your table is full. Breakroom?”
“Yeah. After you give me one of those.” She grabbed a small stack of fast-food napkins from her desk drawer.
“One?” Douggie laughed as he walked into the office. “You better take two.” Placing two cookies on the napkins, he left the green bag of coffee on her desk. “Don’t try to hide, I need to talk to you.”
“I knew it was a bribe!” Gina called out as Douggie left her office laughing.
Her eyes were closed, and she was halfway through her second cookie of ultimate bliss when he returned to the office and sat down in her chair.
“Should I give you two a few more minutes alone?” Douggie asked, holding his own cup of coffee up to blow on the hot liquid.
“Depends on what you need to talk to me about.” She admitted. The sheriff opened her eyes and watched as he pulled a packet of papers out of his inside jacket pocket.
He wore a state police white polo shirt, black slacks and a light jacket. He was casual today, and that told her that he was working low key today. Reaching out, she accepted the packet of papers. Wiping off her fingers before opening the envelope, she had a feeling that she was not going to like what she saw.
The first thing was an arrest warrant for Henry Fargo, Jr.
“This because of his mother?”
Douggie nodded. “We’ve already checked his and his families’ houses. He’s not there.”
Gina turned to her computer and pulled the release information on her former prisoner. “He was released to his parents’ house. You think they know where he is?”
“Hell, yeah I do.” Douggie answered. “So does Shipp. And from what IGYS provided from the incident, Amber is going to be charged under Grace’s Law.”
“Judge Shipp don’t play.” Gina said, setting the warrant aside and picking up the rest of the papers. “What are you and Peggy doing for the holidays?”
“We have dinner with her family tonight for Chanukah. You want some matza ball soup?” He sipped his coffee and finding it cooler, took a larger drink.
“I love that shit.” She said as she skimmed over the papers. “You’re not shitting me with this are you?”
“The matza balls? Hell no, I remember how your eyes glazed over when Peggy said that she made it from scratch.”
“I meant this.” The sheriff motioned to him with the papers.
“I told him to get his house in order.” The state officer replied. “The powers that be decided that he needed a little assistance.”
“And that’s going to be you?”
“Keep reading.”
“You’re kidding me?” Gina asked as she reread the last paragraph.
“Keep reading.” He advised again as he stood up to go check out the other treats. “What kind of sandwiches are these?”
“Cold cut, I think.” She replied. “There’s some chicken salad in the breakroom fridge.”
“Want one?”
“Bring me a plate. If there’s any chips or fruit salad left, I’ll take some of that too.”
Douggie stepped back into the office and grabbed her half empty coffee cup. She mumbled her thanks as she made some notes in her spiral notebook.
When he returned, she had several sticky notes on the papers, both screens on her computer up and her notebook was filled with notes.
“That’s your personal copy, you can mark it up.” He set the plate, her cup of coffee and a bag of sour cream and onion chips on the desk. “You’ll get your official copy once it’s finalized.”
“Now you tell me.” She grumbled as he left to go get his plate.
“Now you see why I came bearing gifts.” Douggie sat back down in the guest chair and settled into his impromptu lunch. “For you and your deputies.”
“This,” she held the papers up, “sucks, you know that, right?”
“I know.” He agreed. “That’s why I’m here to work out the logistics.”
“The patrol is not going to be an issue. That’s just adding a few people to shifts. But with the holidays, that’s going to suck.”
“You’re only taking patrols. The state will take over any open or new investigations. Outside entity will come in and vet all the officers.”
“The whole department?”
“All of them. We found two other wives that were being abused and we have barely started the investigation. One is a fluke. Two is a problem.”
“Three is department wide.”
“Exactly. AG is sending investigators.”
Gina looked at the picture of her late husband that still sat on her desk. AJ had given his life for that department. His flag sat behind her in a case with his badge etched into the glass. He would be rolling over in his grave if he knew that his department was being taken over by the state.
“I know.” Douggie said softly as he realized what she was looking at.
Nodding sadly, she picked up her desk phone and called her shift sergeants. As Tru and Preston read through the papers, Gina and Douggie finished eating their lunches. Afterwards, the four of them worked out what the department would need to do while the entire Morgan City Police Department was suspended pending investigation.
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