She Never Came Home

Chapter 16

"OK, listen up," Sergeant Boyett announced at roll call the morning of December 30th. "I'm sure most of you have seen the news stories about the young woman who was found dead off of the Mercy Road exit. There has been a lot of unrest as a result....single female drivers feeling unsafe on the freeways. The Captain has asked us to be pro-active – "

"Pro-what?" an officer interrupted. "In favor of action?" The other assembled officers laughed, but the Sergeant cut them short by replying, "Exactly. He wants the department to assure the public that we're watching out for all motorists, and also to offer safety tips to young, vulnerable female drivers."

"What does he expect us to do?" one CHP asked after a few minutes of silence.

"He's arranged for a news crew from Channel 7 to do a ride-along with a CHP officer. We need someone willing to talk on-camera while on duty and reassure the public that we're diligent and on the job. And, of course, also give some basic safety tips in case of a flat tire or other break-down..."

"Sounds like a job for Hot Pencil Pete," one of the officers suggested, just slightly sarcastically. Peter Gregg was known for writing more than his share of traffic citations, hence his "Hot Pencil" nickname, and some of his fellow officers had heard him brag about pulling over young women and "counseling" them on the perils of driving alone.

"Sure, I'll be happy to do it," Peter said with a shrug. "Anything to help the department."

Later that day his fellow officers were hooting and yelling at him when he walked into the break room to get a cup of coffee. He was confused for a moment and then looked up at the TV monitor. His "ride-along" segment was airing on the local news channel. He was embarrassed for a split second, but then got engaged by seeing his own face on television.

"If your car breaks down on the highway and you don't have a cell phone, or your phone isn't working," he was saying on the big screen, "stay in your car. If someone stops to offer assistance, ask them to use their phone to call for help. It's important to remain in your vehicle with the doors locked, even if you have to spend the night in your car... If you get into someone else's car you could get robbed or raped or even murdered."

The gathered officers applauded after the news segment finished, but they continued to rib Peter.

"I don't think the close-ups caught your best profile," one officer joked.

"Where was the make-up artist?" CHP Officer Stacey Harris teased Pete, reaching up to his injured cheek. "Couldn't they had put some powder on those scratches?"

"It wasn't some big Hollywood movie or music video," Pete said as he jerked away from her hand. "I was just doing what the Captain asked..."

"I was just teasing," Stacey called as Pete stalked away.

🙘 🙘 🙘

"Sgt. Boyett?" a young woman asked the veteran police officer as he began his shift on December 31st. He looked up from his desk and waited for her to continue.

"I, um, I'm Amy, I work the overnight shift answering the non-emergency phones..."

"What can I do for you, Amy?"

"I just thought you should know about all these calls I got..." She extended her hand and set down half a dozen pink "While You Were Out" message slips on his desk. Boyett barely glanced at them.

"Why bring them to me? Shouldn't you give them to your shift supervisor?"

"I know, maybe I'm out of line, but, um, I just thought since they were all calling about Peter Gregg and that thing he did on the news last night that maybe I should call it to your attention..."

Sgt. Boyett was suddenly interested in what Amy was saying. He rifled through the various message slips; some of them simply requested a return phone call, while others mentioned that they'd had lengthy encounters with CHP Peter Gregg during a traffic stop.

"No, you're not out of line, I appreciate you letting me know about these calls," he told the nervous young woman.

After she left the room Sgt. Boyett stared at the pink slips of paper he'd spread out on his desk. Something just didn't set right. He'd thought that, after the Channel 7 broadcast that maybe they'd get a couple of phone calls asking for more safety tips, or thanking them for the helpful information. But each one of these phone messages mentioned Peter Gregg by name. He'd been a cop long enough to know that even eyeball witnesses often had difficulty recalling the hair color or clothing of a suspect when they'd witnessed a crime, making them unreliable. But these callers not only recognized CHP Gregg, they'd all mentioned him by name when they'd phoned after seeing him on a four-minute news story. He had a nagging, uneasy feeling in his gut – and his gut had always been a reliable "barometer" during all his years on the force. He walked over to the coffee station and poured a mug full of strong, black brew.

"Heather?" he called out to his administrative assistant. "Grab your notepad and come into my office...I'm going to need your help."