The Suicide of Sophie Rae by Cherie Fruehan

Author:Cherie Fruehan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Essential RockStar

25

Making Plans

Sean pushed through the station doors like a kid rushing in to buy their favorite candy at the five and dime after a long day at school.

“Where’s the fire, Detective”?

Hearing Joann’s voice, he looked to his right to see the tiny woman standing atop what appeared to be an overturned apple crate, feeding papers into the copier. The light from each pass of the machine reflected onto her face, like the rotating beacon of a lighthouse, illuminating the pressed powder dusted across her nose and cheeks, giving her the eerie quality of a camp counselor telling ghost stories with a flashlight propped under her chin.

“What are you doing standing on that box?” he said, puzzled at the sight.

“Well, sweetie, I’ll be damned if I didn’t shrink two inches overnight,” she said, exasperated. “I couldn’t reach the copy button.”

As Sean scanned the room, he could see chuckling detectives and officers with file folders in hand, raised to hide their faces, concealing their guilty looks. He knew someone must have wedged some shims underneath the cabinet, making it higher than usual. Kids at heart, they loved playing pranks on the woman they thought of as their mother hen. It was their way to ease the stresses of a difficult job.

“Whad’ya know,” he said, matter-of-factly. “Just like that, huh? Well when you hop off that thing, can you meet me in my office? I’ve got an update on the Sophie case.”

“Sure, honey, be there in a minute. There’s a mountain of papers on your desk. Some new procedures to catch up on, too. That new portable DNA contraption was delivered this week, and there are protocols to learn and follow. Oh! I also left that Bible I called you about on your desk.”

“Okay, thanks. I’ll just grab the whole pile and take it with me and go through it at home. I have to take a road trip this afternoon. Where’s Bags? I thought I might see if he’d like to ride along.”

“He’s on traffic duty today, hon. We’ve got lights out in all directions on Main due to an accident. He’ll probably be out until dusk. It’s going to take the city guys a while to get it fixed.”

“Ah, okay. Maybe next time. See you in my office.”

“Righty-oh!” she said as another flash illuminated her face.

Sean entered his office and was welcomed with a desktop piled with paperwork. “Fuck,” he whispered to himself, looking at the overabundance of reading he had to catch up on. He knew it was no one’s fault but his own for letting things get away from him—he was just preoccupied. Most of the work he had to do was as easy as compiling case summary notes and reading up on new procedures. Even though it wouldn’t take him much time, he knew he was going to push it off, yet again, because he had more important things to do. This case was his top priority, and he wasn’t going to rest until he found what he was looking for, whatever that was.

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