Discombobulate

Chapter Seven

Denise let Andy lead the way. She caught a whiff of coffee as she passed Officer Winston. She didn't plan on saying anything about it, but Andy had other plans. 

"Have you been drinking coffee on the job too?" She joked.

"Andy, shut up!" Denise mumbled under her breath. She didn't want to screw up this meeting. She didn't want to get off on the wrong foot.

"The door is shut, but you can open it and go in. Go ahead and find a seat. Unfortunately, you caught me red-handed. Thank goodness for dark-colored pants. I spilled almost a full cup on me this morning."

Denise came to a halt behind Andy. Andy threw the door open to reveal a huge oak table with multiple wheeled chairs around it. A whiteboard sat at the front of the room covered in remnants of expo marker. It hadn't been fully erased. 

The door slammed shut. The two found their seats quietly. Sheriff Winston entered with a file full of papers, a notebook, a pen, and a disposable cup.

"When you called earlier, you didn't talk to me. You spoke with another officer. If you're Andy, that must make you Denise." His eyes landed on Denise.

She nodded to confirm her identity. 

He flipped through a stack of papers. "You'll have to forgive me. I've only been here for about a week. I've been trying to keep up with things. I'm new to all of this." 

"What happened to Sheriff Sullivan?" Denise blurted out. 

Sheriff Winston didn't miss a beat. He uncapped his pen and flipped to an empty page of his notebook. "Sullivan was relieved of his official duties as the county sheriff. Some stuff was happening behind the scenes."

"Shouldn't the sheriff's position have gone to a deputy? Not to mention, since you're the sheriff, don't you have your own building?" She continued. 

"I guess I should be honest. As I said, a lot of things were happening behind the scenes. Currently, the sheriff's building is closed. I'll be here until it reopens."

"I'm not allowed to discuss it any further. I'm sorry that Sheriff Sullivan is no longer in charge of your case. I have jurisdiction over the homicide cases now along with our homicide detective." 

"But..." Denise trailed off.

Sheriff Winston raised an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, of course not! I'm not mad that you're over the case now. I'm kind of relieved that someone else is over it. I don't mean to throw Sullivan under the bus, but..." She paused trying to figure out what to say next. "It's complicated."

"I think I can explain the situation better. Sheriff Sullivan was under the impression that Denise murdered her mom and her sister. The investigation wasn't completed properly. That's not fair to Denise or her dead loved ones." Andy took over talking for her friend.

"I've been out of the loop, but I came back to Brimington when I found out what happened. I've heard the full story from Denise and I know she wouldn't brutally murder her own family. They're all she had left and now they're gone." 

Denise sucked in a deep breath and tried not to cry. She felt like she had already screwed up the meeting with Sheriff Winston. It was a blessing that Andy was there. 

Andy spoke with poised confidence. She never stumbled on an occasional word. She never rushed through her speaking. She knew what she was going to say before she spoke. She composed herself professionally when she spoke about something serious.

Sheriff Winston looked up at the ceiling and mumbled something. He put his pen down and shifted towards them. "Listen, I'm not supposed to be saying anything about this. Can you keep this quiet? I could get in trouble if people find out."