Desolate Truths

"I bet it's Chester's boy, he's always been a troublemaker." Shep grumbled in his deep voice, placing his hands down squarely on the table Max, the sheriff, Joe, and he were sitting around at the police precinct.

Max turned in his seat, looking down at his notes that were given to him from his office. "After everything that we've gone over thus far, what makes you sure this person is involved?"

"Well, he's always been doin' stuff illegally. His family history goes back up to the lowlifes." Shep shook his head. "They're is just no redeemin' those hill scum."

"It makes sense." Joe commented, looking to Shep for approval. He received a nod in return.

"Now, let's just stick to facts, boys." The sheriff gave both a glance out of the side of his eye as he turned to Max and folded his hands on the table. "That information we gave you there should help, shouldn't it? I mean, we know where and when the next shipment might take place now, right Max?"

"This is definitely the road we need to be on. I appreciate all that you and your department is doing to help, Sheriff Mauvel."

Then men stood and began tidying their paperwork back into folders. Max placed his folders into the small, tan briefcase as Sheriff Mauvel walked over and shook his hand.

"We're glad you came down to help." He chuckled and clasped his hand on Max's shoulder. "Now how about somethin' to drink, huh?"

"I told Stan I would stop by afterward, but I wasn't sure where," Max began.

"Come down with us, everyone is there." Sheriff Mauvel grabbed Max's shoulder as they made their way through the door. Max decided to walk the short distance, and parted ways with the policemen.

The coffee shop was only a few blocks away, and from those few blocks, Max could make out the figure of an animal laying out front of the coffee shop. As he approached, he thought it looked like a small pony, but once it turned to look in his direction he noticed the chocolate harlequin coloring of the Great Dane. Immediately, he reached down into the front pouch of his briefcase and pulled out a wrapped roast beef sandwich Sarah insisted Max take if he would not allow her to cook him a big dinner on his first night in town.

The dog changed its expression from uncertainty about the stranger to curious as Max peeled back the bread and pulled out a few pieces of roast beef.

"Here you go," Max called in a low, smooth voice. "Good dog." The dog stood upright and began swishing it's thick tail as Max tossed the pieces into the dog's mouth.

Max took a few steps back and then dog stood up to follow. "Ah, that's a good girl." Max dropped the rest of the roast beef onto the sidewalk before stepping around the dog to walk into a crowded bar on the corner.

The restaurant and bar adjacent to the coffee shop was full of townspeople talking amongst themselves as classic rock made its way to the street from the open doorway. Mary was busy chatting with a group of ten people sitting around a table inside adjacent to the windows, and was leaning up against the back of a chair and laughing at something one of the younger men were saying. As soon as Max entered, everyone's attention slowly turned to him.

"Well, hello there detective! Come on in! Let me get ya somethin', anythin'?" Mary bolted up as Max walked over to the group of people.

"I don't want to impose..." Max began before a hand was waved in his face.

"Nonsense! Nonsense nonsense. It's on the house. Did ya even have supper?" Mary stopped and spun on her heels as soon as she approached the counter and faced a man cleaning a mug.

Once an order was established, Max turned to the people and Mary abruptly left. The women smiled as the men took turns introducing themselves and their wives, and what they did in town.

"Go on, try it. Ya'll bein' friendly?" Mary set a plate down on the table in front of the group filled with various appetizers.

"This is delicious." Max stated, nodding at the bartender who glanced over at the table, and smiled.

"Ya know everyone don't usually come here, especially in the evenin', but everyone come to meet ya." Mary whispered next to Max. He raised one eyebrow as Mary walked back over to the man she was once sitting by.

"So, tell us about this case. We're dying to hear about it." One of the older gentleman sitting by the wall next to his wife clapped his hands together and asked.

As Max was about to begin to explain what he was able to about the case to entertain the group, he turned and his eyes connected with those of a young woman whom silently passed through the doorway, made her way to the counter, and slid swiftly into an empty bar stool. The bartender grinned at her, but was unnoticed due to her attention directing elsewhere. Mary had begun asking a question to Max, but his full concentration was directed at the dark blue eyes gazing at him from across the room. She had taken the glass placed in front of her as someone nudged Max.

"Well?" Mary asked, her hand posed on her hip. Everyone else in the bar appeared silent, the music the only thing else producing noise in the crowded room.

"I apologize, what was the question again?" Max asked, slightly embarrassed.

After inhaling slowly, gazing around at the crowd around them, she shook her head, smiled, and asked again, and the conversation picked up again.

Max humored the rest of the group and their questions, explaining what working in New York consisted of, when he noticed the dark haired woman make her way quietly around the crowd again and out of the building. As he continued to carry the conversation with the group, the dog rose to follow the woman down the street.