The Scottsville Vampire Invasion

Chapter 39

Chapter 39

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I freeze in place as my world dissolves around me.  I just stand there focused on the paper.  I don't pass out or fall to the ground in tears. I just stand there and stare. "You going to pay for that?" the clerk, sitting on a stool behind the counter, asks.

I nod my head, pick up the paper, drop the change on the counter and stagger out of the station. 

The clerk yells, "Hey, you forgot your change."  I ignore him, make it to my car, unfold the paper and read it.

"Sheriff Clark Taylor of the Scottsville Police Department is living a bigger lie then just being outsized for his position.  Clark Taylor is a drug addict who illegally buys prescription pain medication, OxyContin, from a known drug dealer and has been purchasing pills for years.

"It all started two years ago when Brett Source received a call from his sister, Nicole Source, the administrative assistant to Sherriff Taylor, that she had a potential new client for him, who could not only become a major customer but also could also provide protection from law enforcement.  At first, Brett was unaware who the mysterious customer was. All he knew was the person was a high ranking official in town, but as time went along Brett found out who the person was, Nicole's boss, Sheriff Clark Taylor.

"Although Brett never directly interacted with Sheriff Taylor, he would give the drugs to Nicole who would then deliver them to the Sheriff.  Brett found out who his customer was when he discreetly followed Nicole on a drop off.

"This business arrangement went on for more than two years.  Nicole would send text messages to Brett about the amount of pills needed, Brett would respond and she would pick up the pills at his apartment.  Nicole would then bring them to Sheriff Taylor, who would reimburse her.  Later she would hand that that money over to her brother.   Many of these transactions took place during business hours, so the Sheriff was using a Scottsville resource as his personal drug mule.

 It should be noted that during the time that Sheriff Taylor has been providing business to Brett, there have been more than thirty arrests for possession and distribution of illegal substances.  Brett Source, who has openly distributed drugs out of his apartment, has never been charged with any offenses.

  "This hypocrisy should be appalling to all of the citizens of Scottsville, but it gets worse.  The relationship of Nicole and Sheriff Taylor goes beyond her being his administrative assistant and drug carrier.  Sheriff Taylor and Nicole have been involved in an affair which is inappropriate for a boss and a subordinate, but it is made even worse since Sheriff Taylor is married with two children.  The writer of this paper has photographs of the two entering and exiting her apartment.  This also took place during working hours.

For the last decade, Clark Taylor has been Sheriff of Scottsville and has been voted into office by the citizens of this town.  The only reason Sheriff Taylor has been put into this position of power is his time as the quarterback of Scottsville High, where he led the team to the State Championship.  Clark Taylor has never been qualified for this job and with his disgraceful behavior he should be immediately removed from office and should never be forgiven."

I drop the paper on my lap and stare out past the town and into the mountains.  The whole time I've been involved with the drugs and Nicole I knew this could happen, but somehow I never thought it would.  I was an idiot to think Glen wouldn't release this.  Why wouldn't he?  Now I'm done.  I've not only lost my job and let the town down, I also just let the prime suspect of the investigation go free. 

It's all my fault.  All of it.  The drugs, the affair. I've done it.  I knew it was wrong, and I kept doing it anyway.  Now I'm going to have to pay for it.

What will happen?  I'll lose my job.  That's for sure.   Emily will find out about this and leave me.  With this information, she'll end up with the girls, and I'll be lucky to have limited visitation.  I'll have to leave here.  Where will I go?  I won't be able to show up at any town near here.  Everyone will hear about this not just in Scottsville but everywhere in the valley.  Hell, if I even go to look for a job anywhere and someone googles my name, they'll see this article, and they'll never hire me.  I couldn't even coach high school football.  For sure I'll never work in law enforcement.

I could just take off.  Drive away and forget all of this.  There are hotels and motels that run up and down every major interstate.  People live in those things for weeks at a time and just move on.  They're gypsies.  We have a few of those places here.  It's an existence that lives below the rest of society.  I could just float along.   I could get out of here and away from everything that has happened here.

Who the hell am I kidding?  I'm going to live in meth infested dumps for the rest of my life?  No, this is all my fault.  The drugs, the infidelity are all on me, and I've got to at least stand up and take it like a man.  When the girls see what I've done and they've learned the truth about who I really am, the least they should see is that I'm willing to own up to it.  After all I've done, I owe that to them.  I swear if I could ever get out of this, I'd be a better man.  I'd be a better husband and father.  I'll probably never get to do that, but if I had a chance I would.