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A Cold Snow in Castaway County Chapter 1
“ So here I am tonight talking to you fine folks trying to explain to you why I would be a good man for the job. Now I’m not going to say anything bad about the current Sheriff; I’ve had no problems with Lance Corey myself. I do feel that my past experience in the Boston Police Department and running on you local ambulance squad make me a viable candidate for the job. Although my experience has been in a Police Department rather than a Sheriff’s Department, the same supervision and leadership theories apply to both. And I feel that I can be an effective leader. I am considered to be an honest man and take any law enforcement job with a deep respect and sincerity. Most of you have already received one of my campaign fliers, and they outline the specifics of my training, experience and awards, so I won’t bore you with them now. So, enough blowing my horn, I guess…well…its proper…at this time I will take any questions you may have.”
A rather attractive woman in the third row who Dell recognized as Tish Weldon wife of Joshua Weldon a town selectman for Spoodicook raised her hand. “ Yes Mrs. Weldon?”
“ Mr. Hinton, we all know that you worked on the Boston Police Department but could you explain in what capacity?”
“Yes, of course. I was a Lieutenant in the Detective Bureau, primarily in sex crimes.”
Another hand went up from a man in the last row, that hand attached to an older man that Dell did not recognize. The man queried Dell, “ You left Boston quite a long time ago, I believe I’ve heard at least six years. Didn’t you work for any other police agency after that?”
Dell had agonized over a potential answer to this question because he knew that someone would ask it in some form or other. He had contemplated a variety of answers ranging from ‘cute’ to humorous to just declining to answer the question at all. In all his thinking about it he had never actually selected an answer that suited him. Now, he had to come up with one in front of many of his fellow townsfolk. “ Well, the truth of the matter, sir, is that I was involved in a police shooting in Boston and shortly after that I resigned. I found it difficult to deal with something that personal while continuing to work at the level required by my position. Rather than perform my job in a poor manner while I worked out the personal stuff, I resigned and began working for the rescue squad in my neighborhood there. Once I put that all behind me, I moved to your lovely county out by the lake.”
Thankfully, no one else seemed to be waiting for a more detailed answer, so Dell left it at that. A few other citizens asked some usual questions asked of every candidate for a political office. Finally, a beautiful lady posed a final question.
“Mr. Hinton, I’m Suzi Parks from Channel 4 News. Do you believe that a career as a police officer has prepared you for the job of Sheriff?”
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A Black Bear Killer in Castaway County Preview
