Winds of Change

As she finished her statement, the door to John's office opened.

"You had better heed what we're telling you, John."

"Steve, I know what I'm doing."

'What are you doing?"

"My job, you know, protect and serve?"

"John, you have to stop arresting the city police officers... "

"Steve, do you want me to look the other way when they break the law?"

"Well, no."

"Then let me do my job."

"Fine. I just hope it doesn't get you killed."

"It won't if I can help it," John retorted.

The rest of the commissioners exit the Sheriff's office and walked through the outer office silently. Rudy scrambles into John's office making a beeline to his bed in the corner.

"Why aren't you two out on patrol?" John said looking first at Moose then Bobbie.

"I'm just leaving," Moose said as he stepped past John.

"And I have something to show you. It's from Doc Bajek."

"Then come in here," said John turning and going back into his office.

Chapter 8

As Bobbie and John seated themselves, Bobbie dropped the disk on John's desk between them. John looked quizzically at Bobbie.

"She was just here and gave this to me to give to you. She said it shows the town hoodlums breaking into her office and something about some pictures."

"Oh good. Do me a favor, you know how I am with computers, print out the pictures, copy the video to a new disk and give it to me, store the original in our safe."

"How many copies of the pictures?" asked Bobbie.

"Two please."

"Coming up," Bobbie said getting up and going back to her desk out in the main room.

John leaned back in his chair sighing deeply. He placed his hands on his face and scrubbed vigorously. That's when he felt his cheeks. John laughed as he found he had forgotten to shave, no wonder Carol thought he had a rough night.

"Well aren't these interesting," Bobbie exclaimed as she set the printouts on John's desk along with a disk.

"Can you read that stuff?"

"No, not me," Bobbie laughed.

"Okay, then forget you ever saw these," John told her.

"What is it?"

"Don't know... yet. Just forget them, you never saw them," John told her again.

"I haven't. You will tell me when you find out what they are though?"

"I will. Now back on patrol."

"Yes Sheriff," Bobbie chuckled and left.

Picking up the printouts of the disk, John gazed intently at the symbols in front of him. There are only a few, which he recognized from high school trig. When he went to college, there was no need for higher math when your major was criminal science.

"Sheriff, call for you on line two. It's Doctor Bajek," Carol called from the outer office.

"Thank you, Carol," John yelled while pushing the button for line two on his phone and picking up the receiver. "Sheriff Abernathy."

"John are you free tonight, I have someone I think you should meet?"

"I can and will be. Where and when?"

"How about your ranch around eight?" asked Sue.

"That will be good, I'll have drinks and dinner for three ready."

"I won't be staying, but I'm sure my friend would appreciate a nice meal and drinks. And I hate to impose, but could you drive her home please."

"Of course Susan, dinner for two then," John replied. "See you at eight."

"See you at eight."

The line went dead and John set the receiver down in the cradle. Turning John looked out his window. Bright sunshine had replaced the rain of yesterday. The sky was clear and blue. Smiling John swung around and went back to looking over the printouts of the disk. Sometime later, he picked up the disk Bobbie had made of the security camera footage and slipped it in his computer. As the video started, John wasn't surprised at what he saw. Pushing the eject button, John takes the disk and puts it in his desk drawer.

At six, John left the office, Rudy in his wake. Carol helped him lock up. She set the alarm as they left. At their cars, they say goodnight and go their separate ways. As John pulled away, he saw in his rearview mirror the blue lights of a city squad light up behind Carol. Making a U-turn, John turned his lights on and pulled up behind the city squad. Carol pulled over and stopped, the city car pulled over behind her. John pulled up alongside the city squad, close enough so the officer can't open his door. Exiting his vehicle, John goes to Carol's car.

"Carol," John said after she rolled down her window, "go home. I'll take care of this."

"Yes John," Carol replied rolling up her window and slowly pulling away.

John stepped in front of the city squad as Carol drove off.

"Sheriff, you're stopping me from performing my duties," the cop yelled.

"If you say so, but I think what I'm really doing is stopping you from harassing the only member of my staff you think you can."

The cop put the squad in gear and moved slowly forward. John pulled his Colt and aimed at the officers head. The car stopped.

"Now I'm telling you, if I hear of any of my people being harassed by you or your partners in crime, I will have your hides. Do you understand?"

The cop remained mute. John pulled a folding knife from his belt, opened it and pushed it into the tire of the squad.

"Do you understand?" he yelled again.

"Yes, but now I'm going to have to arrest you for the destruction of city property?"

"Prove it."

John holstered his Colt and folded his knife. Turning, he walked back to the driver's side of his car. Getting in he looked over at the officer and nodded, putting his car in gear he drove away. Three blocks away another city squad pulled in behind John's squad. Laughing John calmly kept driving. Once across the city limits, a second city squad joined the first.

John kept driving. None of the city squads attempted to stop him. John drives to his ranch. When he turned in his driveway, he stopped. As the two squad cars pull in behind him four sets of lights flashed into being. Four county squad cars were waiting for John. Climbing from his car, John walked to the second squad in line, pushed the door that was starting to open, closed.

"Stay in the car Harv, I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Of course, haven't you got that through your thick head yet? You are an ass. You harass any of my people and I will personally beat you to a pulp. Do you understand?"

"You can't threaten me like that, I have witnesses."

"You have one, to my five. Now shut up, back out of here and stay off my property, I shoot trespassers."

"You can't do this!"

"I can, Harvey. Go read the county ordinances. I am the man in Barnes County, not you, not the city council and when it comes to enforcing the law, not even the county commissioners have a say in what and how I do my job."

"You have no authority over me or my people!" Harvey shouted.

"Wanna bet? Now get out of here and leave Carol alone or you pay. You got that?"

"Fuck you, Abernathy... "

"Wrong answer," John said reaching in the open window, grabbing Harvey by the collar and pulling him out.

When Harvey hit the ground, John kicked him in the gut, then stood over him waiting. The cop in the first squad started to get out, but Jimmy was there, his foot planted on the door, to keep it closed. Gasping for breath, Harvey rolled to his back looking up at John.

"That was a warning Harv, it will leave no marks. Next time I take you in a small room, somewhere secluded, and beat you with a phonebook. A county phonebook," John said softly. "Do you understand? Nod if you do, otherwise you get another foot in the gut."

Harvey nodded, groaning as he rolled to his side and climbed to his feet. Standing he looked John in the eye. John saw contempt, hatred, and loathing. John just smiled reaching past Harvey, who jumped when John moved, to open the car door.

"Now get in and leave."

Nodding Harvey climbed into his car backed out and sped away. His other officer did the same.

"If only the guys weren't such assholes," Jimmy said standing next to John watching the cars speed down the road.

"If only," John said laughing, "but we have what we have until we don't."

"All right Sheriff we'll be going," Jimmy said.

"Thanks, guys," John said to the four men standing in front of him.

"You do know Sheriff, Bobby is going to be pissed she wasn't invited to this shindig."

"I know."

"So you don't mind if we tell her?"

"Not at all, I think it will be good for her."

Jimmy laughed as he climbed into his squad. John got into his and pulled it up to the house as the four deputies pull out onto the road.

Chapter 9

Standing in the kitchen, John was just finishing tossing the salad when the doorbell sounded. Rudy, rushed to the front door to see who would have the nerve to ring the bell at this time of night. Laughing at the dog, John calmly walked to the front door. Opening the door, John was surprised by the very pretty petite redhead standing beside Susan.

"Come in ladies," John said holding the door open wide. "Rudy, go lay down."

Rudy turned, seeing his master had things well in hand and went back into the living room. Susan and her friend came in. John closed the door.

"Down the hall and to the right, ladies," John told them.

Susan and the redhead move down the hall and turn right into the living room.

"May I take your coats?" asked John.

"Thank you, but I'll be leaving in a minute. John, I would like for you to meet my dear friend and colleague, Doctor Michelle Wilfinger, Michelle, Sheriff John Abernathy."

"John, please, if I may call you Michelle?"

"Of course," Michelle answered her voice a soft contralto and a smile on her pretty face.

John smiled as he took her coat and hung it on the coat rack in the corner.

"Well, now that introductions have been made, I must go. You two have a nice time. John, you can tell me what those damned equations are tomorrow."

"Sure, no problem, if Michelle can dope them out for us. I do hope Michelle is comfortable enough to stay here alone?"

"I told her all about you and if you do something she doesn't like, I will box your ears, mister."

"Of course," John replied.

"I'll be fine John," Michelle whispered.

"Good," John said, smiling.

John walked Susan to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You will," said Sue. Just before she stepped out the door, she leaned in and kissed John's cheek.

John, taken aback at what Susan just did, was speechless. Standing in the doorway, he watched as she climbed in her car and drove away. Closing the door, his mind still a bit dazed, John returned to the living room to find Michelle exactly where he left her.

"He won't bite will he?" she asked pointing at Rudy.

Rudy was lying down in his corner of the room, on the blanket placed there for him, casually watching Michelle.

"No, he won't bite, unless you pull a gun and try to shoot me," John laughed at the startled look on Michelle's face.

She immediately started to laugh as John did. Having broken the tension in the air, John goes to the kitchen, Michelle following.

"Would you like a drink before we eat?"

"Yes, please, scotch over ice if you have some."

"I do."

John turned to the fridge, grabbed three cubes from the bin, while at the same time fetching a glass from the shelf in the cupboard next to the fridge. Popping the cubes in the glass, John set the glass on the counter, pulling the scotch bottle off the top of the fridge, he poured two fingers into Michelle's glass. Picking it up, he handed it to her.

"You're not drinking?"

"Yes," John told her turning to the fridge once more and pulling a bottle of some imported amber beer out that he had bought on the way home, "I am."

John then led her back to the living room. They both sit on the couch sipping their drinks and talking.

"So you live here alone?"

"Yes, well not really, there is Rudy," John said, "and the horses."

At the mention of his name, Rudy was sitting, waiting patiently expecting John to call him over. John shakes his head no and Rudy lies back down.

"You have horses?"

"I do. Do you ride?"

"I do."

"Well, then I'll have to invite you out for a ride."

"That would be wonderful. It's been a long time since I have ridden."

"Then we'll get together on a weekend. Call me."

"I will. He's well trained," said Michelle nodding toward Rudy.

"He is. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"No, of course not," Michelle said.

"What are you a doctor of?"

"Physics," she giggled at his question.

"Ah... "

"Yes, I'm a Professor of Physics at the University."

"I see, good to know," John said reaching for a file folder lying on the table between them. "Would you have a look at these?" he asked handing the file to Michelle.

"I will, that's the reason I'm here," she said taking the folder from John and opening it.

John watched her eyes move as she read the symbols on the paper.

"Interesting," she murmured as she read.

Chapter 10

After dinner, John and Michelle sit on the couch, drinks at hand. Michelle spent half an hour before dinner going over the pictures of the disk and now she was once more reading them.

"Do you know what they mean?"

"Some, not all," she said softly. "I will have to go to my lab, my reference books are there, in the morning. Do you mind if I take these with me?"

"No, that's your set," John told her.

"Good."

"What part do you understand?"

"Well... it's hard to explain without knowing the missing pieces. Let's just say that parts of these equations deal with temporal mass and moving through that mass. How it's done I don't know, at least until I check the rest of the equations."

"Temporal, that's what you science types call time, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Does time have mass?"

"Not to my knowledge, yet these equations suggest it does, in some manner, have mass or at least inertia."

"Hmmm... " John sighed.

"I just don't know. There have been theory's postulated... Henderson did a paper... when was that? I don't recall. God this is going to keep me up all night."

"Then perhaps I should take you home?"

"What? Oh, uh, if you wish," Michelle said softly.

"You don't want to leave yet? Okay, why don't you put those papers away and we'll talk about anything but those."

"Yes, I would like that," Michelle said pushing the papers into her purse.

"May I ask you another question and please don't take offense?"

"Uh, sure, why not."

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long have you been alone?"

"Oh," Michelle whispered, eyes wide, a host of emotions flashing across her face. "Five years," she croaked.

"That's a long time not to have anyone to talk to."

"It is. I was so glad to have Susan, though she has a family and can't spend much time... "

"She is a busy lady," John said softly.

"She is. I threw myself into my work, but lately, it just doesn't fill the void... may I ask you a question?"

"You may."

"How long have you been alone?"

"A lot longer than you dear Michelle, a lot longer than you," chuckled John, dropping his eyes to the floor.

"So, here we are two lonely people... "

"Yes, here we are."

Slowly, John leaned forward, all the while watching Michelle's eyes. As their lips touch, both close their eyes. The kiss was soft, gentle, and sensual. Michelle's lungs explode as her passion forces her breath from her. John sighed in pleasure as their lips continue to press against each other.

Pulling up in front of the University, John looked over at Michelle. She smiled at him as the car rolled to a halt.

"That was the best night's sleep I have had in ages, thank you," Michelle told John.

"Then I'm glad I could help," John chuckled. "Call me when you want to go horseback riding."

"I sure will," said Michelle sliding out of the car. "I'll let you know what I find later today.

"That will be fine and the Barnes County Sheriff's Department thanks you."

"Good-bye Sheriff," Michelle giggled shutting the car door and hurrying away.

John sighed to himself as he watched her pretty figure walk away from him. When she disappeared into the building, John put his car in gear and drove away. Two minutes later, he parked his car in front of county lockup.

John was sitting at his desk when the phone rings for the first time. Carol picked it up on the first ring. She listened intently, writing as she does. Just from her demeanor, John knew what it was. Getting to his feet, John put on his coat and stepped out into the main room. Standing in front of Carol's desk, he waited until she finished.

"Highway 21 just south of the Henson's place," Carol told him.

"Another young woman?"

"Yes. I'll call Susan and Bobbie."

"Thank you, Carol."

"Call in when you get there."

"I will."

Chapter 11

John stood at the top of the embankment looking down at the crumpled body in the ditch. He can see her face, serene in the morning light. She was about twenty-five and she was someone's daughter. Shoulders slumped, John took the three paces down into the ditch. Squatting beside the body, John checked for a wallet. Finding none, he carefully rolled the body on to its back. The first thing John noticed was how pretty she is, even in death, she was beautiful. The next thing he noticed was the ligature marks on her neck. Someone had strangled her to death from behind, from what he can tell. The Medical Examiner would rule on the time of death and by what method, but for now, strangulation, murder, was what John was going with.

Her purse lay there on the ground. Picking it up, John looked inside for her ID. He found her wallet. Gently, he pulled it from the purse. Careful not to disturb any fingerprints that might be on the surface, John opened the wallet by the edges. The driver's license was behind the clear plastic window. Her name was Denise, Denise Jenson. She was from North Carolina. In the wallet was a University ID. Shaking his head, John slipped the wallet back into the purse and climbed the three paces back to the top of the embankment.

Bobbie pulled up behind John's car. John waved her over as she got out. They both stood staring down into the ditch. As they lose themselves in their thoughts, an ambulance pulled up. Turning, John saw that it was the county Medical Examiner. Doctor Bajek stepped out of the passenger's side.

"Over here Susan," John shouted.

Susan nodded and hurried over to where John and Bobby stood. Looking down into the ditch, she moaned with displeasure.

"Sorry Doc," John said softly.

"Not an accident I would assume by your demeanor?" Susan asked.

"No, afraid not, ligature marks on the throat would indicate otherwise, but I'll wait for your official report before I release anything to the press."

"You're usually right in matters like these. Well," Susan said, pulling on rubber gloves, "I guess I'll have a look at her."

Hefting her bag of supplies and tools, Susan carefully takes the three steps down into the ditch. Taking a small plastic sheet from her bag, she spread it next to the body.

"Oh, Sue, I rolled her over. She was face down when I found her," John told Susan.

"Okay, won't make much difference though, will it," she replied straightening the fingers of her gloves.

"Probably not," John replied.

Susan knelt on the plastic sheet and started with the victim's purse. Pulling the wallet from the purse, she opened it taking the driver's license and University ID out. She then puts them in an evidence bag. The wallet goes in another one. Each item she pulled from the purse goes in its own evidence bag. The last thing she pulled from the purse was a small 380-auto. Looking at the slide, she read the manufacturer's name.

"I've got a Smith and Wesson 380 Ladies Auto here," she said loudly, as she drops it in an evidence bag of its own.