“I’ll have him arrested along with the rest of his department first thing in the morning.”He would, too, just so he could get to the bottom of things.“And if he gives me any shit, I’ll make sure that he’s put in prison with the rest of the convicts.Which is what he’ll be by the time I’m finished with him.”
After leaving to go to his hotel, Rocky had a lot to think about.Even if only half of what Hailey had told him was true and he had no reason to doubt her, then there was no way that they’d be able to make a good arrest anytime soon.There was just too much wrong with the scene that he’d never be able to make an arrest without getting himself into trouble.And he didn’t need anymore trouble with this case.It was about as fucked up as anything that he’d ever worked on before.
Making notes on what he was going to say to McGee, he decided not to go to bed but headed into the police station.He was there before McGee, which is the way that he wanted it, and waited in his office for him to show up.It would be just like the man to not come in today and skip his happy little ass right out to the crime scene.It didn’t matter; he’d get him some way, and that would be just the beginning of the end of the man.He wasn’t going to fool around with him anymore.
At just after eight in the morning, McGee showed up.He knew that he’d ignore whatever was going on in his stationhouse, but he was ready for him.As soon as he came into his office, he was surprised to see him there.Standing up, he was asked what was going on.He told him point-blank that he was going to be arrested for tampering with a crime scene.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”But he could tell that he had some idea what wasgoing on.“I’ve been working with you all this time, and now you think I’m holding something back from you?”
“I never said you were holding anything back from me.”He flushed, and he could see that he was thinking hard on what to say now.“You’re under arrest by the federal government for tampering with a crime scene and being just plain in the way of my investigation.There is more, but I’m tired, and I want to go back to my hotel and get some sleep.”
“You can’t arrest me.I’m the chief of police.”He said that he had been.That he was firing him.“You can’t do that.I’m chief of police here, and there is no way that the people of this stupid town are going to put up with this about their leader.”
“Leader?”He nodded and tried to smile.But it wasn’t coming off as anything but a desperate cry for help.“I’ve heard from no less than a dozen people about how they wished they had not voted you in.And that’s just a few people that I’ve been approached by in the last couple of days.They want you gone as much as I do.”
After getting one of the officers to take him to the cells in the jailhouse, he decided to clean house.As many as a dozen officers were called in to ask about their part in the crime scene at theSheep.Most were there, but only did what they were told.Calling in some favors, he had the entire place shut down until the FBI could come in and take care of things.The first thing that he was going to do was make sure that McGee knew that he was in big trouble.The rest of them admitted that they were only following orders from their boss, and that was all it took for him to have the entire department arrested and put into the rest of the cells in the small town.As soon as their replacements showed up, he was ready to call it a day.But he still had to report to his bosses on what had happened at the restaurant.Things weren’t going to go easy on any of them, and he was happy to know that things were being taken care of.As soon as he was back at his hotel, feeling dirty from what he’d had to do, Rocky took a long, hot shower and got into bed.
He didn’t think he was going to be able to sleep; his mind was working on what had happened, but almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was thinking of things that he’d had to do.He didn’t even put in a call to be woken up; he was going to sleep until he was rested and then perhaps take a couple of naps during the day.Smiling to himself, he knew that tomorrow was going to be a shit storm of things going on and couldn’t wait.Closing his eyes, he decided to turn off his mind and get some sleep.He was happy that he’d never had any trouble sleeping before, and today was no different.Rocky was asleep in no time.
Chapter 5
“You can sleep in any room that you wish.If not, there are plenty to choose from.”Gleason wanted to ask her if she wanted the master but knew she’d not take it.She wouldn’t take it because he’d been sleeping in it.As soon as he put her in the room down the hall from his own, he went to bed himself.Tomorrow was going to be a long day, and he was looking forward to it.
If McGee were arrested, then things would look better for Hailey.She’d be able to go to her job and work, and no one would know the difference.He knew that she was going by her real name, and that was fine.Hailey Sheppard was the woman he was having fun getting to know.
Gleason knew that they were working together to keep her safe.He also knew that she wasn’t going to date him after this because he had money.She’d mentioned several times that he was out of her league and didn’t think they’d suit, but he knew better.He thought of his brothers and the wives that they had.He wanted to get to know Hailey, and now that she was living with him, he thought it would be the perfect opportunity to do so.
When he got up the next morning, he wondered what had gone down at the police station.Calling Rosie to let her know what was going on that he knew, she told him that she’d been called in by the FBI to come and help them run the office until another replacement could be found.
“I guess they arrested all of the department.And have some junior agents there running the place until they can find replacements.I’m going to be telling them where the paperwork is and what the duties are that they’re to do during the day.I guess nothing has been done there since I left office.”He told her about the crosswalk and how no one had been there in weeks.“That figures.I’ll tell them right away that someone needs to be there.That road is busy at that time of the day, and we don’t need anyone getting hurt or killed there when there is no reason for it.”
“I agree.”He asked her what she was going to do about the pizza place.“I mean, will you take over the job of chief of police again?”
“No, I don’t want it.I’ve enjoyed being able to stay at home and do things on my own.Working at the Pizza Parlor gives me something to do and gets me out of the house.I love our home, but I need some outside work so that I don’t go crazy.”He said that he understood that.“I knew that you would.You and the others have worked hard all your life, and just because you have a lot of money doesn’t mean that you’re going to give up working.”
“I also wanted to tell you that Hailey is staying with me.Nothing is going on between us, but she’s going to be safer here.”She asked why not let her stay at a hotel.“Because I like her.I don’t love her or anything like that, but she’s fun to be around, and I like her.”
“You said that twice.”He felt his cheeks heat up and didn’t know what to say.“I hope the best for the two of you.No matter how it turns out.You deserve someone in your life, and I hope you find her someday.”
“I do too, but don’t go looking into things with Hailey.We barely know one another right now, and while she’s living here with me, I’m going to try and get to know her.”She asked if she was afraid of McGee.“Yes.And with good reason.”
He told her about the article in the newspaper about how she was afraid that he was going to pin things on her.Rosie said she was going to find it now and read it over.He waited until she found it and read it to him.
“He’s off his rocker if you ask me.I knew there was something fishy about the man.Why do you think that he’s in on the hit in the first place?”He said that he’d never thought about that.“I think about things like that all the time.It’s good to think outside the box on occasion.By doing that, I’m usually right.It’s something that I’ve been doing all my life.”
“I’m glad that I’m on your side.”They both laughed.“I don’t know what’s going to happen between Hailey and me, and I’m not going to be looking for anything to go any further than it is right now, but I like her.She’s funny and smart.”
“All good qualities in a wife.”He laughed and told her that they hadn’t gone that far as yet.“You’ll see that I’m right.And even if it’s just a fling, it’ll be nice for the two of you.You both deserve a little happiness.”
“Thanks.But it could end badly, too.I’m not counting on anything at the moment.I just want to get things going with her so that she’s safe.”She told him he was a good man.“Thank you.I just want her to have justice for what’s been happening to her.There is no reason whatsoever that she should be blamed for what was going on out there at theSheep.I’m just glad that she was able to have a friend there who was able to make sure that she was safe for as long as she had been.It’s a shame that the man had died too.”
“I heard about that.Also, his body had been moved.”He told her that all the bodies had been moved in one way or another.“Figures.I guess he’s going to blame that on her as well.I hope that he gets prison for the rest of his life.It’s no less than he deserves.”
They talked for a few more minutes and then hung up.He was exhausted from having been up so long, so he decided to take himself a little nap on the couch.Just as he was dozing off, he thought about Hailey and wondered if she was going to be his wife.It would be something that he might look forward to if not for the other things that were going on right now.He decided to take his nap and fell asleep without any trouble.
Waking up an hour later, he was happy to see that Hailey had done the same thing.She was lying down on the other couch, sleeping, and he was happy that she was getting rest.It must have been hard on her to be worrying about what McGee was going to do to her all the time.He knew that he would be as well.
Going to the kitchen to see what was for dinner, he was surprised to find that it was nearly ten in the evening.It had been dark out, but he’d not put that to it being so late.He wondered if he would be able to sleep tonight and found that he wouldn’t have any trouble.Still tired from the stress of the last two weeks, he decided to let Hailey sleep where she was and go up to bed himself.After covering her up, he went to his bedroom and stripped down.Getting into bed, he was surprised that he was still tired.He wasn’t going to look a gifted horse in the face, or something like that, and set his alarm and went to sleep.He knew that he wasn’t going to be able to sleep well, but was sleeping in no time.
