The December Hunt (Work in Progress)

Part 2 - The House Always Wins (v. 1.4)

The sheriff finished off his coffee as his lieutenant pulled into the parking lot of Northshore Methodist Church. The coffee was cold and bitter. Through the windshield, the sheriff looked out into the front lot. Some of the wedding guests were still on location: some crying, some praying, most just sitting on the benches or in the dirt, downtrodden and worn out. One of the men who was neither crying nor praying caught the sheriff's eye, the father of the bride, whom the sheriff recognized. He had a bandage wrapped tightly around his left foot, which was already showing signs of blood seeping through.

One of the local officers at the scene spotted the sheriff and his lieutenant pulling into the lot. He adjusted his uniform and said something into his walkie-talkie, then walked over to the passenger-side door of the cruiser. The sheriff rolled down his window. The officer began to speak.

"Afternoon sheriff. What brings you to this part of -"

"Bring me Rick." The sheriff interrupted.

The officer hesitated, then looked over to the sheriff's lieutenant in the driver's seat, who gave a quiet nod. The officer put one hand on the roof of the cruiser and his other hand on his hip, took a deep sigh, and spun around. He walked back over to the church and approached the father of the bride. He said something to Rick that the sheriff didn't quite catch, but the sheriff presumed that the message had gotten across. The officer helped Rick to stand up, and they began walking towards the cruiser, with Rick leaning on the officer and hopping on his right foot

The sheriff looked over to his lieutenant on the left. "Lieutenant, when did you quit smoking again?"

"Four days ago, sir" the lieutenant replied.

"Well, that's not too long ago. Go take a smoke break. Leave the keys." The sheriff reached into his left coat pocket and pulled out a pack of Marlboros and a lighter, placing them on the dash. The lieutenant collected them and left the cruiser, nodding to Rick as they walked past each other. Without looking at the sheriff, Rick and the officer circled the front of the car and opened the driver's side door. Rick sat down inside, grunting from the strain on his back, and pulled the door closed. The sheriff rolled up the windows, and the officer joined the lieutenant by the church. Rick sat in silence.

The sheriff reached into his right coat pocket and pulled out a small, flat tin case. Flipping it open, he revealed a set of cigarillos and took one out. He offered it to Rick.

"Cigar?" The sheriff asked.

"No thank you, sir. I quit last year." Rick answered. The sheriff placed the cigarillo back in the case and flipped it closed.

Five minutes passed. Through the window, the sheriff saw the lieutenant scuff out his first cigarette and light a second one. Although this area of town normally had songbirds chirping during this time of day, the gunshots from the incident earlier had scattered them all away. The sheriff decided to break the silence.

"Rick, what I'm about to say is not going to leave this car. If it does, I will deny everything in court. You will lose your badge. You will lose your retirement fund. And trust me when I say you want to stay out of the courts and away from any lawyers regarding this." The sheriff watched Rick for a reaction. Rick stared ahead through the windshield and was silent. The sheriff continued speaking.

"The precinct will not involve itself with this case. Governor's orders. This case will be ruled a double-murder suicide. There will be no trial, no jury, and no appeal. The witnesses here will be told that the criminal was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. This was on track to be a closed case before you even stepped into this car."

Rick said nothing.

The sheriff handed Rick a business card. Rick took it in his hand and read it.

Nicholas Bransk
Casino Manager
Red Star Casino House

The sheriff continued. "Let me make two things clear, Rick. One, I am not happy about this situation. And two, if you decide to pursue...corrective measures...I will not stop you."

Rick held up the card and, for the first time during the conversation, looked at the sheriff.

"Sheriff, what is this?"

"A resource," The sheriff replied, "in the event that you need manpower. I cannot offer any of my officers; my hands are tied. However, I know Nicholas from before I even joined the academy, before I went on the straight and narrow."

Rick took another look at the card and put it in his pocket. "I understand," he said.

The sheriff looked out the window to his lieutenant and signaled for him to come over. The lieutenant stomped out what was his third cigarette and walked over to the cruiser. The sheriff rolled down his window and spoke.

"Lieutenant, please help Rick out of the driver's seat. His foot is injured, and he's had a rough day."

"Absolutely, sir." The lieutenant opened the door for Rick and helped him to his feet. The lieutenant got into the car, closed the door, and started the car. Rick watched the cruiser as the sheriff ad his lieutenant drove off to the main road, then turned back to the church and limped over to the ambulance. He still had to ride with his daughter's body to the morgue.