“You have a beautiful place, Ms Lewis,” I said breaking the brief silence.
“First, Michael, I don’t like formalities,” Meg said. “Call me Meg, please.”
I looked at her and smiled. “Ok, Meg, the same with me. Call me Michael, not chief.” It was an awkward come back because she has yet to call me chief.
“Yes…I like it here. So…did Corinna give you my number?” She asked.
“You know Corinna?” I asked with a very inquisitive look on my face.
Meg looked out towards the front yard and inhaled, then exhaled. “That Corinna. She’s such a secretive person sometimes,” Meg said. “We’re friends. She helps me on foundation work and we go to lunch a couple of times a month. She actually told me about you and how she actually loves coming to work now.” Meg stopped and laughed. “She thought she was going to get fired when Ben left because of some ‘lunch bought out of budget’ bullshit!”
Corinna had pre-made that sticky note…the little sneak, I thought.
“I guess the former chief spent money out of the budget to buy buffet lunches and one of the city councilman, Myron Nash, got wind of it,” I chuckled as I looked toward the street.
Meg looked also and waved to a man walking very slowly in front of her house. The man raised his arm as if in pain and waved back.
“That’s Jim May,” Meg said. “He suffers from Pneumoconiosis, or, Black Lung Disease in case you’re not familiar with the term. I told you I was a very busy person and Jim May is just one of the reasons. I represent and help him in many ways. He stops by sometimes to chat. To explain, I’m chairperson of a cause that I started last year called, “Meg’s Miners.” We’re a support group that help our local coal miners in need. You’ll hear more about it I’m sure.
“Looks pretty frail,” I commented as I watched Jim walk.
“He’s doing okay,” Meg replied thinking about how bad his health is. “Oh…back to Corinna. I told her not to worry about her job. I’m friends with Myron and he always has his nose where it shouldn’t be.”
I quickly thought before I blurted out something out of character about Councilman Nash. MY GOSH…SHE’S FRIENDS WITH THE ENEMY! I have to play it cool…be sensitive here I kept telling myself. Friends with Nash. Friends with Corinna. Friends with lots of people, I bet.
“So what other work do you do?” I asked.
“I’m the local Rep for the National Leukemia Research Foundation,” Meg explained. “I know you are aware that my husband died of Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a terrible blood disease where research for a cure continues. Well…I’m going to do my part to see research continues in this area.”
I adjusted my position in the rocker. “Admirable…Meg. I certainly respect what you’re doing. Must be tough to hold down a job and do these causes too.”
“Oh, I’m fortunate that I don’t have to work, Michael,” a cocksure Meg said as she got up from the swing and walked to the porch railing. “Not that I wanted it to happen this way, but Donald and I had a Life Insurance Policy and a small inheritance from his parents. Plus, we sold our office supply store to help offset some of the medical expenses when he fell ill. I’m not rich by any means, Michael, but I did successfully invest what was left over.” As she walked back to the swing, she looked at me and said, “If I could set the clock back, have my daughter and husband back on this earth, I would. Things would be different than before.”
I stared at her before looking back to the road and thought about that last statement. “Things would be different than before”. What things, I thought.
“What thi…” She interrupted me before I got the words out.
“Enough about that right now,” Meg, said as she as clasped her hands together. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did this police chief business come along?”
About that time the 715 horn sounded with three blasts causing us to just look at each other and smile. We waited.
Little did she know my mind kept drifting from what we were talking about to my male ego telling me not to stare at her body. I’m just hoping the effect she was having on my mind was not visible in my eyes.
I snapped back to the topic. “Well, I guess I should tell you a little about how I got here.” I said knowing I could SCORE and WIN by gaining her trust right at this moment. “I retired last year after thirty years at the Meckling County Sheriff’s Office. My last ten years was spent in Homicide with the final five as a Lieutenant over a group of detectives. I knew what I wanted to do when I retired…that is…to have my own department.”
Meg got up again and walked to the porch railing…her back to me. Naturally, I stared at her perfect shape.
I continued. “A friend mentioned an opening for Police Chief in Gillisville. So, liked what I saw, applied, interviewed, and here I am.”
She turned around and asked, “So you and your wife pulled up stakes and you came to Gillisville?” Meg knew how to ask the right questions the right way.
“Not exactly,” I said squirming a little in the rocker. “My wife and I divorced five years ago. I struggled with it for awhile, but nothing I could do.”
“Police work claims another one,” Meg said with a smile and a little delighted that he may be unattached…
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