“But… if you’re here, who’s sitting at your desk?”
“Fiona,” she said acerbically.
Chase’s face darkened. “The Mayor’s niece?”
Dolores nodded. “She took my place. The Mayor said the precinct needed some livening up. Said he had received lots of complaints about me. About how my grumpy old mug scares people away.”
“He said that, did he?”
“Yes, he did. And then he told Fiona to take a seat and look pretty and he left.”
“Don’t go anywhere,” said Chase.
“Oh, I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’ll fix this.”
“Good luck with that,” she growled without much enthusiasm.
Chase stalked down the corridor and burst into the Chief’s office. “Did you know the Mayor just told Dolores to take a seat in the main office and put his niece in her place?”
“Yeah, he told me,” said the Chief, not looking happy.
“But he can’t do that!”
“He can. He’s the mayor.”
“And you’re chief of police. Just tell him he can’t just kick out Dolores!”
“He can and he did. And he also told me that if I make a fuss, he’s sure he’ll be able to find himself a new chief of police, too.”
Chase had planted his hands on the Chief’s desk and stared at the man. “He said that?”
“He did, and what’s worse—he means it. Ever since we played hooky at that conference he’s got it in for us, Chase. It wouldn’t surprise me if he decided to kick me to the curb. And as for you, it’s a miracle he hasn’t put you in charge of policing traffic on Bay Avenue yet.”
“He wouldn’t do that.”
“Oh, he would. He hates my guts, and now he hates your guts, too. It’s all falling apart, Chase. Thirty years on the job, and it’s all going to pieces. Soon I’ll be forced out, and you’ll be telling road ragers to please calm down.”
There was a knock on the door, and Officer Sarah Flunk stuck her head in. “Chief, Victor Ball says he wants a word.”
“Victor is still here? I thought you sent him on his merry way?”
“I did,” said Chase.
“Um… he says he’s afraid to go home,” said Sarah. “In case he runs into the big monster again. What is he talking about, Chief?”
“Never mind what he’s talking about,” said the Chief with a touch of pique. “Just send him home and tell him not to bother us again with his nonsense.”
“Will do, Chief,” said the officer, and retracted her head and closed the door.
“We can’t just let the Mayor take over,” said Chase. “Dolores has done that job for ages—probably since Hampton Cove was incorporated—and a damn fine job she’s done, too.”
“And so she has, but what do you want me to do? My hands are tied here, Chase.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t have flunked out of that conference,” Chase said now, plunking himself down on a seat.
They’d both recently gone to LA for a police conference, but the subject matter hadn’t appealed neither to Chase or Chief Alec, so they’d decided to play truant. Their absence had been duly noted, and the Mayor had been notified, and he hadn’t liked it. Possibly because the town had paid for the hotel and expenses.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure this conference business is just an excuse,” said the Chief. “He’s been wanting to put his niece in Dolores’s spot for weeks. Next stop: this desk,” he said, patting his own desk.
It was no secret the Mayor had big plans for his favorite niece. Preferably he’d like to see her run the police station as its first woman chief. And this was only the first step.
The door flew open again, and Victor Ball walked in, his mustache bristling. “You can’t send me home, Chief! That monster will be waiting for me, I just know it will!”
“If it was, don’t you think your wife would have called by now?” said the Chief.
“Alice! That thing will have eaten her alive! Oh, you have to send a squad car to take me home. Alice might still be alive if we hurry.”
“Oh, go on home, Victor.”
“But, Chief!”
“Go! Now!”
And Victor went, though without much conviction.
“I’ll talk to the Mayor,” said Chase. “I’ll tell him this is no way to treat a loyal police officer like Dolores.”
“Are you sure? He might decide to kick you off the force right then and there.”
“Let him try.”
The door flew open again, and this time the Chief’s mother burst in.
“I just had the best idea ever!” she announced.
“Ma, can’t you see I’m in a meeting?”
She ignored him and sat down next to Chase. “You’re going to start fining people who let their dogs do their business on the sidewalk. Step one. Then you’re going to announce your candidacy for mayor. Step two. And finally, once you’re mayor of this fine town of ours, you’re going to start campaigning for governor. And then, finally, for president! And I’ll be there every step of the way, don’t you worry, son. I’ll be your campaign manager. I know exactly how it works. I’ve seen it on TV.”
“Ma, how many times do I have to tell you? I don’t want to be mayor. I like being chief. And tell me something, how is fining dog owners going to help me become mayor?”
“Simple math! Thirty percent of the people in this town are cat owners, right?”
“If you say so.”
“Thirty percent are dog owners, and thirty percent got no pets. That means sixty percent of the people have to suffer because thirty percent refuse to pick up after their dogs. So if you go after the dog people hard, those other sixty percent are gonna be so grateful they’re gonna vote you into town hall. See? Math!”
“You left out ten percent of the population,” said Chase.
“Oh, don’t let’s split hairs,” said Vesta.
“Not so simple, Ma,” said Alec. “First off, like Chase already indicated, I’m not so sure about your numbers, and second, most people clean up after their dogs. It’s only a very small minority that doesn’t. And to go after those people all heavy-handed is not the way I like to do things as chief. You know that.”
“Well, you should. People love the Dirty Harry approach, not that namby-pamby community policing business. They want you to go in hard. Bust some heads and rattle some cages. You need to arrest those jaypoopers and you’ll be mayor in no time!”
“I’m not going to arrest people for not picking up after their dogs, Ma.”
“Look, you’re going to run for mayor and I’m going to be your campaign manager. And don’t argue with me, Alec Lip! I’m your mother and a mother knows!” And with these words she stalked out again, leaving the Chief to bang his head against the desk.
“What did I ever do to deserve this, Chase? What?!”
“I’m sure she doesn’t mean it, Chief.”
“Oh, yes, she does. Her campaign has already begun, and with the Mayor gunning for me, this is not going to improve my chances of staying in this chair for much longer.”
“Don’t worry, Chief. I’ll talk to the Mayor and you talk to your mother. We’ll fix this.”
But the Chief was not to be consoled.
Chapter 7
Marge walked into the library feeling like she’d forgotten something. And as she entered and closed the door behind her, she suddenly heard a loud banging sound. She smiled and headed to the staircase that led into the basement. Someone was working hard.
There were racks and racks of books and old files in the basement, and the banging sounds continued as she made her way in their direction. And then, as she reached the back wall, she suddenly remembered what it was she’d forgotten.
“Oh, you guys, I’m so sorry but I completely forgot,” she said as she addressed the two men hard at work there.
They both looked up, startled. Johnny Carew and Jerry Vale were two ex-convicts who’d recently been granted a lighter sentence. Instead of spending the remainder of their time inside, they’d been allowed to do community service instead.