Halfway to the Truth by Anthony Mays Read Free Book Online

might even want to stay.”
    “That’s a good suggestion. I’ll bring it up with him later in the week.”
    “It’s been nice talking to you Miss Simpson. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around town and I’ll make a special visit with you before I leave.”
    “Alright dearie, I’m holding you to your word.” She leaned away from the vehicle and waved goodbye as the window closed and Reese pulled away from the curb.
     
    Before going to the news office the next morning, Reese had made up her mind to take her licking from the Chief and drove to the police station. She wanted to make it right between them and was prepared to apologize for her lapse in good judgment. When she got there, he was sitting at his desk looking over some recent wanted posters. He looked up when he heard the familiar click of her heels.
    “What happened to you?” she gasped looking at his face.
    “Good to see you too,” he said, noting the sincerity of concern in her voice.
    “Your eye! It’s all black and blue!”
    “Have a seat and I’ll tell you all about it,” he suggested laying down the posters. “In a way, it’s kind of your fault,” he added folding his hands in front of him. “One more thing that I can add to your rap sheet.”
    She took a seat next to the desk feeling as though she were about to be grilled, cuffed, and hauled off to a cell. “Well, let’s hear it she invited. What have I done now?”
    He started. “That drug dealer I brought in the day before you left? Well, I was so mad at you for getting in my way that I let down my guard. Before I put him into the holding cell, I unlocked his cuffs and he cold cocked me. That’s never happened to me before and I assure you it never will again.”
    “What did you do to him?” she said, observing the shiner.
    “Well let’s just say he’ll be needing some dental work after he’s transferred to county.”
    “Does it hurt?”
    “Not now, but the following two days I was sucking down ibuprophen like they were candy. It started to feel better this morning. I think icing it down helped a lot.”
    “I’m so sorry Chief,” she sputtered. “I was only thinking of myself and getting a story. I thought about you the whole time I was gone and what you probably were thinking about me. I don’t want to leave New Harmony on bad terms with you. I really, really am sorry for putting you in a bad situation and causing you pain. Can you ever forgive me?”
    The Chief finally saw a side of Reese he had not seen before. She was no longer the defiant young reporter he had known; she was more like a repentant school girl. One who was afraid her parents would be told she purposely tripped the teacher causing her to fall and injure herself.
    “Look, that’s all in the past,” he tried to assure her. “I accept your apology. Most of it was my own stupid fault anyway. I should have been paying attention to what I was doing. How was Savannah?” he said, changing the subject.
    “Savannah was great!” she answered. “I was offered a position on the Savannah Daily as an investigative reporter.”
    Chief Daniels tried to narrow his eyes at her but the lingering swelling and pain in his right eye stopped him short. “Investigator huh? What skills do you have for that?”
    Reese pushed her back into her chair feeling indignant by his remark. The Chief, seeing her bristle, wished he’d have said that another way.
    “Let me rephrase that. Being any type of investigator takes some skills, like reading between the lines and going with your gut. In my experience those things take years to develop. How do you intend to compensate for them?”
    “I know what you’re getting at Chief,” she boldly said. “You’re referring to my lack of experience as a news reporter in the real world. I admit New Harmony hasn’t been anything like the real world because it’s the kind of town that when two dogs get into a fight that’s big news. Even so, I have excellent research skills, a great