The New Girl

Chapter 7

Forty minutes after he had left the Smith's, Donner pulled down the rutted dirt driveway that lead to Garrett Toliver's trailer, Ethan's dad. Donner noted that Ethan's truck was no where in sight as he walked to the front door. It was 12:15am on a Monday night, the kid should be at home. Donner didn't have any children but if he did they wouldn't be out roaming the streets at 12:15am on a school night. He thought to himself as he knocked on the dented trailer door.

Twenty seconds later Garrett Toliver swung the door open. Before he could say anything first Donner spoke. “I'm sorry to bother you so late at night Mr. Toliver but is your son here? I need to speak to him.” “Of course my sons here. What's this about?” His stale beer breath hit Donner right in the face. “Sir, your sons truck is not parked in the driveway and neither is it anywhere in sight. So if you know where he is it is in his best interests to let me know where that might be.”

Garrett gave Donner a if looks could kill look and paused to light a ciggerette. Donner stood his ground, patiently waiting for Toliver's next words. There were time's in his 16 years on the job that he would have loved to pummel people like Garrett Toliver. But no matter how bad it got, he held his temper at bay, because he knew sooner or later people like Toliver would hang themselves.

Garrett took a deep drag from his ciggerette and blow it out. “Hell, he's probably with that tramp of a girlfriend of his. I done told him time and time that she was nothing but trouble. Will he listen, hell no.” Toliver took another drag from his ciggerette, this one making him hack like an old car that wouldn't start on a cold winter day. “Mr. Toliver, if you do see him tonight let him know that I do need to speak with him and to not leave town.” Before Toliver could stop coughing and answer, Donner had made his way to his car and got in. “Damn holier then thou cop.” Garrett said to no one but the cold wind coming in from the North.

As Donner pulled his car around and headed back down the rutted dirt road he got on his radio and told Connie, the police dispatcher, that he was headed to the Shilling's house. “I'm sorry to hear that.” Connie had said and he knew exactly what she meant. Trent Shilling was not a man to piss off to say the least. Clyde Butts had told Donner all about the Shilling's his first week on the job.

The Shilling's had moved here 15 years ago, just after their precious daughter, Heather, was born. Within 10 years they had bought every house and business on the island. However, there were still a few houses and businesses that they hadn't been able to buy. This had pissed Trent off to no extent. To this day, he and his attorneys, were still looking for loopholes that could make it possible to own them too. No wonder they walked around like they owned the town, they practically did.

Whenever someone got three months behind on their mortgage, Trent Shilling swooped in and bought the place out from under them. Wasn't a damn thing they could do about it either. Donner had spent his off time researching Trent Shilling and he had found some interesting thing's, just not enough yet to bring him down. However, Trent's darling daughter, Heather, just might bring their kingdom down for him. If she was as bad as Melody Smith told him she was, he just might not have to wait very long for it to happen either.

He had promised his ex-wife that he would not contact her or their daughter but with how thing's were looking he just might have to brake that promise for the good of everyone in this town. He shook his head of memories that were trying to find their way in as he parked his car in front of the Shilling's mansion. He got out of the car, ran his hand thru his dark wavy hair and made his way a long the stone walkway to the door. He pressed the lighted button that would inform the Shilling's that someone was at their front door and waited.

Donner glanced at his watch, 1:05am now. It had been a long day and it wasn't looking like he would get home anytime soon. He really didn't mind working overtime, he had nothing to go home to anyhow. Trent Shilling opened the door pissed off, just as Donner knew he would be and just like he did Toliver he gave him no time to speak first. “Mr. Shilling is your daughter here? I need to speak to her about a matter that happened earlier tonight.”