Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

BECCA

It's been pretty quiet around the department today. There are three of us on the dispatch shift, which is one too many. I just know they're going to send someone home, and I can't afford for it to be me. The door to the dispatch room opens, causing me to look up. There is someone who doesn't come in here very often, Mason.

"Hey." He waves at all of us. "I was wondering if anyone would want to come and help me with a situation we've got happening at the elementary school."

That's where Madden is. Immediately, I'm worried. "Is Madden okay?"

"Yeah." His eyebrows raise at my question. "He's fine. I promise. He found something at Laurel Springs Elementary yesterday, and I'm going to need some research done for it. Right now I don't have anyone who can do that, but y'all don't seem to be too busy today."

My two co-workers look at me, both having heard rumors that Madden and I have been seeing one another. I know because they asked me as soon as we all clocked in and started the shift. They both look at me.

"You go ahead." Millie nods toward the door. "We got this."

I haven't worked with Mason much, so I'm nervous as I get up from my station and walk over to where he stands. "What do you need me to do?"

He hooks his thumb back toward his office. "I'll show you."

With a nod, I follow him. I don't think I've ever been in his office. He wasn't the one who hired me. It was the HR department, and I've not been in trouble, so I've never had a reason to be. On the wall is a picture of his family. They look happy. There is Mason, his wife, their two kids, and then their spouses and their kids, too. Will I one day have a family like this? I hope so. Taking my gaze off the wall, I move my eyes around the room. It's cluttered and full of paper scattered everywhere. "It looks like a paper bomb went off in here," I say before I can stop myself.

He chuckles. "Yeah, that's why I need some help. I'm not the most organized of people, and what I'm looking for needs me to be."

"Alright." I push my hair back behind my ears and out of my face. "Wanna tell me what's happening here?"

He scratches the back of his neck before having a seat behind his desk. "Madden found a hidden room at Laurel Springs Elementary yesterday," he begins.

My cheeks heat as I think about what Madden and I did last night. What would Mason say about two of his employees getting freaky in the bed of a truck on a work night? Is there something in the handbook that says we can't date one another? I decide not to borrow trouble. "A hidden room?"

"Yeah." He grins. "I went out there this morning, and it looks like at some point it might have been an entrance to a secret speakeasy. There are old bottles of moonshine in there. They look to be from the thirties and forties, but I'm no expert. They could be newer, I don't know."

"That sounds interesting. I'm kind of a history nerd. So what is it you want me to do?"

He turns his chair to the side, indicating a large pile of boxes. "There are a lot of records we've collected over the years. We're hoping to see where these came from. They put them in the basement of an elementary school. There are a lot of questions. Were they using the school to make it? What did it look like back then? Is there anything else in that hidden space?"

"What kind of records?" I ask, eyeing the dust-covered boxes.

"For a long time, the county and city kept track of who they found making moonshine and selling it, too. Those records are what would influence the state to sign The Moonshine Task Force into existence." He looks up at a picture on a shelf in the corner. "That's the first one, right there. Then that's the last one before we became The Laurel Springs Emergency Response Team." He points to another picture on a wall.

"Is that you?" I get up, looking at where he pointed. "I didn't know you'd been a member."

"It is. I started there, went directly onto the team after I was sworn in as an officer. I stayed there, then transferred to LSERT when it was formed. Eventually Holden Thompson retired, and I took the job. It's been one of the most rewarding times in my life, which is why this surprises me so much." He taps his knuckles on his desk. "I've never heard anything about someone making moonshine in school. It was never mentioned, and from what I saw, it was a big operation."

"Would it make a difference to anything that's happening right now?" I ask, crossing my legs. "Would you break apart the LSERT to reform the MTF? I mean, if you're right, then this stuff is decades old."

He folds his hands in front of his mouth and inhales deeply. "No, it's not going to change anything that we already do, but I'm curious, and I'm sure once we release the information, everyone else will be, too."

This is exciting, even if it sounds like a wild goose chase. "So, what do you want me to do?"

"See all those boxes? They are the records I was talking about. Back in the day, we did everything by hand. None of it is electronic, no matter how bad we've wanted to convert. I'd like for you to input the information into our records electronically. You'll be pulled off of dispatch until you finish. At the same time, I'd like for you to read the reports and see if you can figure out who this moonshine belongs to." He finishes, rubbing at the beard on his face.

"This sounds fun. I'd love to help. Would I keep my same schedule as dispatch?" I'm hoping I'll be able to be full-time first shift as long as I'm doing this.

He shakes his head. "No, I'd keep you on the first shift. I wanna be here in case you have questions, and if anyone can answer those, it's me. Once you finish this, we'll take a look at what else we have going on around here, and see if you can help in other areas. I know you've taken custody of your nephew, and if I can be helpful for you not having to secure childcare for him, I will."

"Thank you, Chief Harrison."

"You're welcome. Right now, there's not an office for you. There will be one in a couple of weeks when Lori leaves. Until then, you can either use Madden's, or you can continue to use your dispatch desk."

It's dark in the dispatch room, and I think I'd prefer to sit where Madden typically does. It'll make me feel like an actual girlfriend, even though we haven't discussed it. For some reason, it's striking me as reminiscent of a girl wearing her boyfriend's letterman's jacket in high school. "I'll sit at his desk. I'll ask him about it to make sure he's okay with it. Is it good if I start going through the boxes today? That way, when I get started tomorrow, I can immediately begin with the electronic transcription?"

"Sure, I'll be heading out to have lunch with members of the Chamber. My least favorite day of the week. If you need anything, let me know. My cell number is on the desk, on my card."

"I don't think I'll need help for anything, but I appreciate it."

He gives me a smile and grabs his hat. "I'll leave you to it. Thanks for your help, Rebecca."

"No, thank you."

For the first time in months, I feel as if my life is changing, and this time for the better.