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Silence fell in the room with the question lingering in the air.
Sheriff Walter Tubb watched as his friend leaned back into his seat, a crease forming between his eyebrows as he considered an answer.
Tubb drew a hand across the bandages at his abdomen, the pain well controlled now from the shooting. Beau Arlen looked better now then from the last time Tubb had seen him. Beau had just arrived from Texas, setting up his new residence with the meager possessions he had brought with him. The shadows behind his eyes matching the dark smudges under them. Beau's entire life had fallen apart in rapid succession. Tubb had honestly been surprised when his phone rang and found Beau on the other end asking for suggestions on the best place to put in. His voice was devoid of the charm and humor of the man he had met only a few short years prior. He remembered being somewhat impressed at the man's quick intellect and good instincts and they had kept in touch.
When Tubb had found out what happened back in Houston and the rapid consequences of the fallout afterward, he'd welcomed his now "retired" friend. Tubb had shown him around town and helped him get set up. Beau insisted over and over that he was only in Montana now for his daughter but maybe he'd be able to find some peace here as well.
That was six months ago now and he did look a little better. Tubb studied his face while Beau continued to sit silently considering and occasionally biting at the corner of his mouth in a nervous gesture Tubb didn't think he knew about. Hopefully, spending six months out in the rivers fishing under the big open sky had brought him some clarity. Beau needed this, Tubb could sense it.
Beau shifted slightly in his chair, sliding down to rest his chin on his right hand. His index finger propped along his cheek bone while his middle finger and thumb curled together like a coaster for his chin. Beau's eyes lifted to meet his own and Tubb could still see the gears turning through permutations of doubt and regret.
Finally, he spoke in a deep, smooth and distinctive Texas drawl. "So what all are we talkin' about here?"
Tubb schooled his features behind a grimace. While the pain medication was doing its job at this point, Beau didn't need to know that yet. He needed every advantage he could get. He had set the line out with success. "It'd just be temporary until I'm back on my feet. We're a small department and they're all good cops. Just... not many of them have the... Well, let's just call it experience in navigating the politics."
Beau snorted, "Well, that's not really my strong suit either, Walt. I didn't really run a department."
"No, but you were a Sergeant in a big city," Tubb replied, sensing that doubt was winning over interest. Patience and caution, he reminded himself. "Look, it'll be mostly administrative work. Keep the lights on. Make executive decisions. My Deputies can handle everything else. You can navigate the..." he paused thinking about his own rough year. " Let's call it, interpersonal and interjurisdictional waters necessary. And if you want to take on a case here or there... " Tubb trailed off and shrugged.
Beau smirked and looked away again."You sure there's not going to be some hurt for bringing in some outsider to take over?"
Tubb continued hoping to convince his friend to agree. Beau did need this to get back up on his feet and Tubb was growing more and more confident as their conversion continued. Beau was one of the best cops he had the pleasure to meet and Beau needed to relearn that about himself.
"Just turn the Texas charm on and it'll be smooth sailing. Just be yourself. Most of the Deputies will be on board especially with this coming from me. We have a good, smooth team running... mostly."
"Mostly?" Beau's right eyebrow arched and the corner of his mouth twitched up in a grin.
Tubb sighed. "Mostly. The biggest hurdle you'd have is Jenny Hoyt. One of the best I've ever worked with but she's a bit of a rogue." He heard Beau sigh and he rushed to clarify. "In a good way. Fantastic instincts, good head on her shoulders but she can be a bit headstrong. We'll call it an overdeveloped sense of ... fairness."
Beau blinked at that and shifted forward. "'Fairness'?"
Tubb hid his grin realizing he'd inadvertently placed a challenge in front of his friend that he had no idea would be the bait on the hook to finally reel him in. Beau, himself, wasn't above bending certain regulations to achieve certain outcomes and Tubb arched his own eyebrow in return.
He shrugged then with a feigned non-chalantness. "She's only been with us for a little bit but she's the only one you'll need to work to earn trust from." Don't blow this, he thought.
"Hoyt? Huh, the name sounds familiar," Beau's eyes turned inwards. "Where've I heard that before?"
Tubb paused. How much does he answer here without overstepping? Jenny's trust was something he wasn't about to betray. He cleared his throat.
"She helped to shut down that trafficking ring a while back. The two girls from Colorado that went missing here?"
Beau nodded and dropped his hand back to his lap. "I'd read that it was a P.I. or am I missing something?" He paused and Tubb watched him pull the information from memory. "Wasn't there a body?"
Tubb frowned. 'Sorry Jenny', he thought. "Yeah, a couple ... one was her husband."
Beau's eyes shot over, a spark of anger kindling as his brows furrowed. "What are you trying to get me into, Tubb?"
He quickly raised a hand in placation. "Hey, calm down. You're the one asking the questions. Deputy Hoyt is a great cop. But yeah, there's some baggage and you'll need to work if you're going to get her on board. Hell, she may only be mad that I couldn't offer this 'temporary'," he paused and then said it again, "... temporary position to her and that'll be the only thing you actually need to get past." Tubb searched Beau's face again. "She's good people, Beau, and not the only one with baggage."
Beau pursed his lips and huffed a breath through his nose. Tubb wasn't sure if it was annoyance or frustration but he could see the tide shifting. Beau shifted again sitting up slightly straighter, shoulders squaring up and Tubb silently rejoiced. As the seconds passed, more and more, Tubb was sure that Beau needed this job probably more than anything right now.
"If I do this, when would I need to start?"
Tubb stifled his grin again, "As soon as possible. I'd need a day or so to file the paperwork and inform the office but you'd need to be there once that all clears."
Silence fell between the two men again for several minutes before Beau slowly nodded.
Taking a deep breath he answered, "Okay... okay."
Tubb let out a sigh of relief. His friend was taking another step forward. Hell, maybe Jenny might take her own step forward with this too. "Good. I'm glad."
Beau's smile in return was small but reached his eyes and dampened the swirl of doubt still lingering there. "So what else should I know about? Who shot you and why?"
Tubb nodded. "Let's start with the Bhullars..."
end.