Off the Grid by John Hunt

Author:John Hunt [Hunt, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Published: 2019-10-31T07:00:00+00:00

-12-

Jodie arrived in Kauffmann’s Vale and pulled into the parking lot of the Ontario Provincial Police station, cruising while looking for a spot. She didn’t find one and decided to make one for herself. She parked her car half on the pavement and half on the grass. She turned off the car and stepped out. An officer was staring at her from the front of the building. A tall man, lean and looking like a runner. She couldn’t see much of his face because of the big Stetson police hat on his head. He must have seen her pulling onto the grass because he had the glass door open as though he was waiting for her to step out of her car.

“You can’t park there.”

“But there is nowhere else to park.”

He crossed his arms and held the door open with his back. He pointed with his chin and said, “Use the lot across the street. Like everyone else.”

Jodie followed the direction of his chin and saw a CTV news van in the lot. A large antenna protruded from the roof like a dark finger pointing into the night sky. Other white news vans were crowded around it. She sighed. The boss said this would be a media heavy investigation. Most times the media impeded investigations. Jodie would have to figure out a way to use them to her advantage like she had with the Francine case. She opened the door to her car to get back in and move her car and the officer said, “Thank you.”

At least he was polite.

. . . . .

After parking across the street, Jodie walked into the police station with her backpack slung over one shoulder. She stopped inside the door. A crowd of people stood in the lobby. An officer behind plastic glass wore a stoic expression as a man yelled at her, demanding information in relation to the murdered teen and the missing teen. The man yelling at her wore a nice suit and had perfect hair, the kind that looked almost drawn on. His white teeth glowed neon against his tanning-bed skin. Jodie didn’t want to bring attention to herself with that clown harassing the officer behind the glass, but she would have to introduce herself so she could speak to the station commander.

Behind her, “Wasn’t that bad of a walk was it?”

She turned. The officer at the door peered down at her still wearing his hat. It cast a shadow over his eyes.

“You know you don’t have to wear the hat inside. As per regulations. You can take it off.”

He tilted his head back and appraised her. She was used to this reaction. Being a woman in the profession was unusual. Being a black woman in the policing profession was a rarity.

“You the big detective we’ve all been waiting for?”

“Something like that.”

“Good. Gary is going to want to talk to you quick as he can.”

“Nervous is he?”

The officer removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair before putting it back on.

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