Trooper Station, Friday

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

Ray and his bandaged hand were at the station. Ray and his bandaged hand were reading the reports on the whole freaky general-slash-Stark deal. Ray and his bandaged hand were not really happy about the way this investigation had gone.

Ray smelled something fishy. His hand, having no nostrils, didn't. He dumped his feet on the table and flipped through the file again.

Hey, it was actual policework, he was not gonna back down on it.

[ open station! ]

Comments

[pieandcoffee.livejournal.com]

"And who was this perpetrator and why do I not have a report on the incident?" Dale asked seriously.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Not here," he repeated, "Not our juridistiction." Unless they covered vegetables now. "I got paperwork, Cooper."

[pieandcoffee.livejournal.com]

"Which can wait until you answer my questions," Dale replied evenly. "What happened, Ray? Details."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

Well, emergency manu-somethingorother. Getting Cooper off the subject. There. Nice, and witho the big words. "I'm kinda interested in details myself." Ray held up the Stark file.

[pieandcoffee.livejournal.com]

Dale's eyes flickered to the report and then back to Ray. "I haven't had a chance to look over the report just yet," Dale admitted. "Can you give me the highlights?"

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"That's the thing. There's no highlights. Day didn't get anything outta him," Ray said, eying Dale with a big ol' frown. "Something's queer."

[pieandcoffee.livejournal.com]

Dale thought about that for a moment and nodded. "I got the end run from one of his employees last week when I went there for an interview," he replied. "You think they're stonewalling us?"

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Definitely." Ray tossed the file back on his desk. "Never seen anybody play that kinda hopscotch unless they were hiding something. I say we bring this guy in pronto."

[pieandcoffee.livejournal.com]

Dale pursed his lips in thought and then nodded in agreement.

"Make it happen," he replied. "If need be get a material witness warrant to bring him in."

He paused for a second before giving Ray a meaningful look.

"Right after you type up an incident report about your hand. Please include the Doctor's report from the hospital."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Oh, will you just trust your cops?" Ray shot back, "I say it's nothing, you can trust me that it's nothing." Shut up, he totally had a point here.

[pieandcoffee.livejournal.com]

"Ray? I trust your instincts and your invetigative abilities," Dale replied. "As an officer of the law I trust you to do your job. However when I became sheriff, your welfare became my responsibility."

He tapped Ray's desk with his index finger twice. "Get the report to me before the end of the day."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

Oh, to hell with it. "There was a problem," Ray snapped, his eyes flicking around to see if any of those damn squirrels were grabbing this. Satisfied with his investigation there, he continued, "With a, uh, carrot." A pause. "A smelly one."

[pieandcoffee.livejournal.com]

Dale took a sip of his coffee and did not smile. A bit. He wanted to smile but he wasn't going to tease Ray if he felt that embarrassed about it.

"Very well. Then I guess a report is unnecessary at this time," Dale said officiously. "Go ahead and work on getting Stark in here for questioning and let me know if you hit any snags."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, um, snags," Ray muttered, ducking his head low and focusing intently on that file. "I'll get right on that. Thanks, Cooper. Um, Sheriff." Lieutenant. Whatever.

[pieandcoffee.livejournal.com]

"Not a problem, Detective," Dale said in his most professional manner and headed back to his office and closed the door before he even thought of cracking a grin.