“For legit sick or to see Dr. Jackie?”
Norah stifled a snort. “Hope springs eternal. But legit. Dizziness, fever, and vomiting.”
“Ick. Wonderful.” The rest of his day splintered into pieces of covering the community. “Who is here?” He shoved the memos back in his box. Nothing important there.
“You, Chief, Cara. And me. Matt said he could be called if we were desperate. His kids have the crud, too.” Norah’s dry recitation quirked his mouth. Chief tended to growl at her, for what reason he did not know, but he played referee between the two more than anything.
“What about Vogel?”
“She’s still in court.”
Mia Devlin popped into the reception window. “I’m here, too, but I need to get to school before seventh block.” Her puffy jacket was unzipped to reveal a pink sweatshirt with a green Grinch on the front. Her hair was in a sleek ponytail, her eyes wide and innocent.
Tom glanced at the clock. “Why didn’t you call me or come after school?”
“Might be important.”
“What?
She swirled her phone on the counter. “Santa. He’s sitting in the gazebo. Or he was.”
Tom took two steps to the counter and took her phone. Sure enough, Slade’s Santa was standing with an arm around one of the support beams at the gazebo in the city park. “Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“To check the park. I’ll take you to school when we’re done and clear it with your mom. When did you leave school?”
“Lunch period, and I have study hall after.” Mia’s expression was much too innocent.
“So nobody has missed you?”
“Not with my schedule.”
Tom sighed. Another thing to address. Mia could not be left on her own. Trouble multiplied. At least if she was with him, there was a guarantee. One he’d have to explain to her mother and the principal. “Let’s go. Buzz her through.”
The girl swung her pink backpack over her shoulder and followed Norah’s instructions to the door. Tom ignored the dispatcher’s curious look.
Tom returned through the dayroom, took keys to his vehicle from the cupboard, and joined her as she came through the security door. She followed him down the hall, pink high tops neatly matched with black pants and her pink sweatshirt. The rebel changed colors.
Chief Hudson came out of the locker room and stood in the hallway, his hands on his hips. “What’s up?”
“Can you hold the fort? Take calls if need be? Everyone is sick. Cara’s out to the high school on a traffic problem. Mia may have found Santa.”
The chief crossed himself. “Thank you, Jesus,” he intoned in a quiet tone. “All I heard at the VFW last night was griping about Santa being gone. Clear her participation with her mother. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Copy, Chief. We’re out.” He led Mia though the back door to the parking lot. Would they be lucky enough to find Santa still lounging in the park?
“Wow, I’ve never seen the whole station before. Are those jail cells?” Mia’s fingernails were black instead of pink. Teenagers.
“Yes, and you’ll never be in one if I have anything to say about it.”
“My mom will beat you to it.”
He opened the passenger door for her and groaned at the book and papers stacked in the seat. He cleared the mess with a few short motions. “Get in.” He tossed the materials in his holding box in the trunk on his way by.
On the road to the city park, which was about six blocks over, he started the conversation again. “When did you see this picture online, and who’s account is it posted to?”
“I have an aide block in the library at ten forty. With Christmas break coming, not a lot of reshelving to do. I scrolled my social media and found it.”
