“We got a call you were out here doing a probation search. I was told to let you know that, in this circuit, you have to have a Judge’s approval to do a search.” The Deputy looked uncomfortable giving me the message.
I frowned. “It’s perfectly legal to search a probationer. Plenty of court decisions to back that up.”
The Deputy nodded. “Yes, sir. I know that. But in this circuit, the judge will just drop the case if you don’t check with him first.”
“Him?” I asked.
The Deputy nodded. “Chief Judge Pelfrey.”
“Any idea how the Judge knew I was here?” I asked.
The Deputy shook his head. “No, sir. His office called our dispatch with the address and the message.”
The big man I let leave had made a phone call. That was fast!
I walked out of the trailer and met the Deputy in the yard. He seemed really uncomfortable, and I didn’t intend to make matters worse. “No problem, my friend. I wasn’t searching anyway, just talking to him about an old case.”
I shook hands with the Deputy and then walked back toward my truck. The Deputy hollered back at me as I got ready to get in. “Probably not a good idea to come back out here by yourself. These boys can get crazy.”
I threw up my hand and hollered, “Thanks. Probably good advice.”
He waved back and got in his car.
There was a sudden whooshing sound, followed by the sound of glass breaking. I turned to look at the trailer as Fisher came running back out. His clothes were covered in soot, as were his face and hair. His hair looked as if he had stuck his finger in an electric socket.
Fisher ran a few paces away from the trailer and then bent over to cough. He was having a hard time breathing. Meth labs tend to flash and then something on the inside usually catches fire. It wouldn’t take long for a trailer like this to burn.
The Fannin County Deputy was calling on his radio.
I looked back at the trailer and saw the flames licking out the windows. Soon the entire left side of the trailer was going up in the bright, hot fire.
Fisher looked like he was trying to decide if he should go back for his valuables. I took his elbow and ushered him away from the heat. “Are you okay?” I asked.
Fisher continued to cough, but he nodded. I walked him over to the side of my truck and sat him on the ground. He slumped over and finally got his breath. “Asshole left the cooktop turned on. Everything got too hot. It’s a damned wonder I ain’t dead.”
“Is there anyone else in the trailer?”
He shook his head. “No, my roommate is the one who un-assed when you sent him packing.”
I could see little burn spots all over his clothing. Most of them were ringed in dark purple, an indication that iodine had peppered him. Probably his mixture of red phosphorous and iodine had gotten too hot, I figured. So, the trailer would have been filled with deadly phosphine gas, but meth cooks were like cockroaches. They’d be around when the rest of the world was gone.
I ventured nearer the trailer and called out, “Anyone inside the trailer? Call out if you need help.” I had considered getting my fire extinguisher out of the truck, but the trailer was fully involved, and doubted it would do any good.
It took about fifteen minutes for the first fire truck and a couple of more Deputies to get on the scene.
Once things seemed under control, I pointed out Fisher to the last Deputy to arrive, gave him my contact information, and climbed in my truck. I pulled away from the trailer, giving way to a second fire truck.
I wound my way back to the parkway and pointed south. I rolled down my window and tried to enjoy the moderate temperatures. For late August, the day was great. I almost missed the call because I hadn’t turned up my police radio. I heard someone say on the Gilmer County Sheriff’s frequency, “I just saw that GBI man coming south on the parkway. He’s a little south of Cherry Log. I got a good look at the driver. It’s him for sure.”
I checked my rearview mirror and saw a brown patrol car bearing down on me. There was no point in trying to run, so I waited him out. Sure enough, as soon as he got close he cut on his blue lights. On the plus side, they seemed afraid to do anything outside their home turf. But I had just passed over the county line and any protections I might have had in Fannin were gone in Gilmer County.
I signaled my intentions and started looking for a good place to pull over. I must not have been fast enough because the Deputy activated his siren. I decided to test his reflexes, so I stood up on the brake pedal. My tires smoked a little as I steered onto the shoulder. The patrol car fishtailed and almost hit me, but he got it under control and onto the shoulder behind me. I could see that the Deputy was the Sheriff’s nephew, Rose’s soon-to-be ex’s partner. His face was red as he got out of the car. I watched him in my side mirror. He put his hat on firmly and then dropped his hand to his gun. He pulled the automatic from his holster like he planned to use it and tried to hide the gun behind his leg as he approached my truck.
I eased my pistol out and had it in my right hand pointed at the door panel. He didn’t notice it as he walked up. He gave me a pissed-off look and said, “Let me see your license and insurance. And don’t you ever lock up like that on me or any other officer again!”
I waited. He stood with his automatic in his hand, waiting.
“What are you waiting on?” he asked.
“You to put that pistol back in your holster,” I countered.
“I got no way of knowing if you’re some kind of hunted fugitive, now do I,” he said.
I shrugged. “You just identified me on the radio as a GBI Agent. I think that’s a pretty good indication you already know who I am.”
I held his eyes for a couple of seconds. Not threatening, just inquisitive. Then, I took in his uniform. The shirt tails were out and his equipment looked like it had not been polished since he got it. The brim of his hat was curved, like he threw it into the back seat and didn’t care what it looked like.
He smirked. “More spying on us poor, stupid mountain folks? My Sheriff doesn’t take kindly to you folks out of Atlanta comin’ up here and causin’ trouble. You might want to think about that.”
I ignored him. “You ever shoot anyone?” I asked.
He was surprised by the question. The Deputy shook his head. His eyes were wide.
I made my eyes as dead as possible. “I have,” I said. “I have a gun pointed at your gut right now, and I’ll drop you before you can get that gun up.” I paused for effect. “Now, holster that gun and state your business.”
He looked into my eyes and saw what I wanted him to see: a bad end to a stupid decision. He looked sick.
He looked down, put the gun away, and snapped the holster with shaking hands. He was scared now, but he knew he had to bluff his way through this. I gave him some room.
“You were running pretty fast when you came by me. How about you slow it down.”
I let him have his moment. “Thanks, Deputy. I’ll do that.”
He stood looking at me for a moment. “You’d shoot another law officer?”
I squinted at him. “I would. You act like a crook, you get treated like a crook. Don’t forget that.”
For a moment, I thought he might tear up on me. His eyes were red, but in the end, he turned and went back to his car. I let out my breath, realizing I had been holding it. I put the truck in drive.
When I took this job, I did not imagine I would have been in an armed confrontation with another officer. I was learning a lot up in the mountains. So far, none of it had been good.
CHAPTER 8
USE ALL YOUR
FINGERS WHEN YOU WAVE
I had started back to Ellijay with the idea of taking another look at the Roads and Bridges Department. I didn’t like the Sheriff, and that was probably a lot of the reason why I was focusing on the Roads Department. I figured he wasn’t sitting on that board for his health. And the money the position paid wasn’t enough to make up for any time he
would spend.
I rolled into town and found a parking spot a block off the square. I decided I might as well talk to someone in the Water and Sewage Authority. Their office was in the courthouse.
I locked my truck and made my way to the front steps of the courthouse. As I was jogging up, Deputy (soon-to-be ex) Mitchell and Chief Deputy Givens came out of the building and stood at the top of the steps. I figured out who Givens was by all the awards and insignia pins on the right side of his uniform shirt.
I paused at the top and met them head-on. “How are you gentlemen doing today?”
They seemed to be in ill humor. Both wore brown campaign hats dipped low in the front. Givens was smoking an unfiltered cigarette. He spoke first. “You’re having a busy morning. How much longer are you going to be snooping around here? We’re getting a bit tired of you and your kind coming into our county.”
I smiled. “Chief, last time I checked, your county was in my state. So, is it your chocolate in my peanut butter?”
Mitchell stuck his right hand out and poked me in the chest with his index finger. He said, “I think it’s time—”
I grabbed his finger, bending it back until he went down on his right knee. He was trying to reach around and grab his gun with his left hand, but he was just too big to do that. I kept the pressure up, just in case he could manage to grab his pistol.
I looked at Givens. “You need to put him back on his leash. He could get hurt really badly picking on people out in public.”
Givens looked at Mitchell. “Get hold of yourself, and stop acting like you’re in high school.” Then he turned to me, “Let him go. He won’t do anything else to bother you.”
I held the finger for just another couple of seconds. I looked Givens in the eye. “It’s no bother.”
I let Mitchell’s finger go, and he stood back up. His face was beet red. We just stood there for a few seconds. Eventually, I said, “Gentlemen, if you will excuse me, I have work to do.”
Givens grabbed Mitchell’s left elbow and moved him out of my way. As I walked past, Mitchell said, “This ain’t over.”
I stopped and turned around, but Givens said, “Yes, it is. You get back to work and leave this to me and the Sheriff.”
He grumbled and moved off. Givens took a deep puff of his cigarette and exhaled.
I waited until Mitchell was out of sight and then looked at Givens. “You know, Chief, I haven’t really found anything so far. But with the way you boys act, I am more and more convinced there is something to find. That kid who stopped me up the road put me on edge. Coming at me with his weapon ready. That is a clue an FBI Agent could spot. Y’all are trying to hide something, and you seem to think running me off will make all this go away.”
“Son, I hope you know you’re in deep water. Way over your head.” He exhaled more cigarette smoke. “Young man like yourself can make a lot of enemies when it’s just as easy to make friends. We could treat a man good who don’t try to snoop and sneak around on people.”
I nodded. “Well, thanks for the advice, Chief.”
I went inside, half expecting Mitchell to be waiting on me. I was still surprised the Deputies were being overtly aggressive toward me. It seemed like I had crossed a line, and now there was little doubt I had a target on my back.
There weren’t any signs of the Water and Sewage Authority in the courthouse lobby. After walking around the lobby for a few seconds, I saw a sign reading “WSA” pointing into the basement. After going down the concrete stairs, there was nothing other than a public restroom.
I went back to Shelia Haney’s office. She was in her usual spot. I think she could hear me coming.
“Excuse me, but where is the office of the Water and Sewage Authority?” I asked.
She thought a minute. “There used to be an office in the courthouse,” she said. “I think they moved into office space on the edge of town. I think they rent space.”
“I’m surprised that, in a county this size, you don’t know everybody in that office.”
Shelia shrugged. “You would think.”
“Do you have an address?” I asked.
“I’ll get you one.” She turned and started digging through papers on her desk.
After several minutes, she found what she was looking for. She read off an address, which I copied down and then verified it by reading it back to her. I learned a long time ago that I can think faster than I can hear.
Shelia went back to her work. I waited for her to look up, then I asked, “Is the Water and Sewage Authority a big operation?”
She laughed. “Don’t know about the water side, but there is no sewage service in this county. The Commissioners tried to get the money to build a sewage plant, but they never came up it.”
“I guess they had big plans. Do you happen to have a map of the water system?”
Shelia shook her head. “I don’t. I know at one time they talked about buying water from the City of Ellijay. I’m not sure what the county ended up doing.”
I thanked Shelia and headed out the door. Rose was on her way down the stairs. When she saw me, she said, “Your boss is on the phone upstairs. He needs to talk to you.”
“Which boss?” I asked. “I’m as far down the totem pole as you can get without being underground.”
“Sounded like all of them. It was a conference call,” she said.
I jogged up the stairs and ran into her office with Rose following close behind. The phone was off the hook on her desk. At the moment, I didn’t care who listened in. As soon as I got on the line, I knew I was in trouble.
“This is Will Carver here. I have conferenced in Inspector Locke. The Inspector caught a complaint on you that was called in to headquarters. He isn’t familiar with the investigation you are working.”
“Yes, sir. How can I help y’all?”
Before I could finish, I heard the Inspector speak up. “I just got off the phone with the Gilmer County Sheriff. He says you threatened to shoot one of his Deputies and then roughed up another one and the Chief Deputy at the courthouse.” The Sheriff was pulling out all the stops. I hadn’t been in the courthouse more than twenty minutes.
“Well, sir, the Deputy you’re talking about stopped me after putting out on their radio that I was GBI. He knew exactly who I was. He came up on me with his gun in his hand. He was trying to intimidate me.”
The Inspector cut in again. “You say he pulled you over and threatened you?”
“He was acting in a threatening manner toward me. He wanted me to get the message that they were watching me and could push me around.”
I could hear the doubt in his voice. “A Deputy did that?”
I continued. “And the other one poked me in the chest with his finger. All I did was grab his finger. I didn’t touch the Chief Deputy at all.”
“Bullshit! They say you twisted the Deputy’s arm and knocked him off his feet. What the hell do you think you are doing up there?”
I heard Carver cut in. “He’s doing his job, boss.”
“It seems to me all he’s doing is making it harder for the GBI to work in this county. He needs to use a little judgment and not get into a physical altercation with everybody in that courthouse.”
Carver responded, “Inspector, you may want to get read into what he is investigating before you go too far down this road.”
“I hear it was more than doing his job. The Sheriff said he ran from his Deputies and caused them to crash a car. And what about threatening to shoot one of them? It sounds like your Agent is out of control, Will.”
I started to answer, when suddenly Carver spoke up. His voice was hard and cold. “Inspector, he is reporting directly to me, and I have been instructed to report directly to the Director. Anything he has done, or will do, the Director is fully aware of.”
Suddenly, the line was quiet. I waited. Finally, I spoke up. “Will, I will be sure to send you a detailed email tonight. It’ll include all the particulars about the encounters today.”
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Carver waited until I was finished. “That’s what I expect from you. Inspector, you may want to talk with the Director and figure out how you want to deal with the Sheriff.”
I heard a muffled, “I will.”
Then, Carver turned his attention to me. “Byrd, I want some results on all this soon, or I’m pulling the plug. Whether we like it or not, those people you are looking at are elected officials. Some are constitutional officers.”
“Yes, sir, I understand. But there is something going on up here. They wouldn’t be treating me this way if they were all clean. But there isn’t any smoking gun.”
“Then hurry up and find one. Just remember, you’re starting to make people feel cornered. A cornered animal is dangerous,” I heard Carver say.
“That Deputy approaching me with his gun ready really shook me up. I guess I was on edge when his buddy poked me in the chest,” I tried to explain.
Carver jumped in. “Are you wanting out, cause I would understand if you did.”
I stood up. “Hell no, Will. I’m not a quitter, and I don’t want these folks thinking they ran me off.”
“That’s what I expected from you.” Carver came through loud and clear. “Watch your ass, son. We’ll get help to you as fast as humanly possible. But don’t forget how far out on the fringes you are. Help could take some time getting there.”
“Yes, sir.” The line went dead.
When I looked up, Rose was propped in the corner, waiting for me to get off her phone. She was smiling. I didn’t know what else to tell her. Finally, I smiled at her and said, “You know what really burns my ass?”
She shook her head, looking serious.
I held out my hand at waist level. “A flame about this high.”
She laughed out loud.
“Is your boss in?” I asked.
I heard Mason shout, “Come on back.”
I came back to his crowded office. He was sitting with a cigarette gripped between his teeth. “Where are we with our investigation?”
Mountain Justice Page 11
