Page 37 of Long Pig

“Don’t worry, you won’t be going alone,” Dale promised.

“Why isn’t the statement enough?” she asked.

“After what Lucia told us, this doesn’t surprise me. Cosby isn’t a bad guy, but he has no choice but to toe the line for the sheriff. I’m sure he’s been given the task of talking you out of the complaint.”

Willow covered her eyes and leaned back against the couch.

“This is the last thing I wanted,” she muttered.

“Hey,” Dale said. “Look at me.”

She peeked from behind her hands, and he grinned. “I’ll be with you, and there will be no intimidation going on. We will also record the conversation like you did with Wallard.”

“Can we get in trouble for that?”

“No, it’s a one-party consent state, and you don’t need his permission. Besides, every police officer should act like they are being recorded. Makes them better cops and cuts down on lawsuits.”

They arrived at their appointment at two in the afternoon.

Lucia smiled at them both and waved them back after unlocking the glass doors.

“Follow me,” she said.

There were two deputies in the front area, but they didn’t stop talking or look at them. Lucia was professional, but not as friendly as their prior meeting. Before walking into the chief deputy’s office, Lucia quickly squeezed Willow’s hand then knocked. She stuck her head in the door.

“Deputy Berger and Ms. Morgan are here to see you.” She opened the door wider and ushered them inside.

Chief Deputy Cosby stood and shook Willow’s hand. His hair was silver and neatly trimmed. A few wrinkles fanned out from the corners of his eyes, and a deeper line etched between his brows. He was medium height with a large gut that pulled at the front buttons of his uniform shirt and showed a white undershirt.

He turned to Dale after greeting her.

“It’s good to see you,” he said. “Sorry it’s over something like this. Please sit down so we can discuss it.” He waved them to the chairs in front of his desk.

“What we have is harassment,” Dale said after taking his seat. “Willow and I understand that Deputy Wallard has friends in high places. Ms. Morgan has been very upset over the exchange she had with Wallard. Simply put, we want the harassment to stop.”

Cosby leaned back in his seat and stared at Dale for a moment. “I listened to the recording. This is one of those tricky moments, but believe me, I understand your concern.”

Dale spoke again. “I contacted a friend who knows people in Gila County. The only thing tricky,” he emphasized the word, “about this situation is the fact that Wallard still wears a badge. Predators like him don’t stop unless they’re forced out.”

The chief deputy inhaled deeply then sighed. His gaze turned to Willow. “I am truly sorry for this Ms. Morgan. The deputy had no business pulling you over or asking you out to ice cream. We want to handle this quickly and decisively. Deputy Wallard will immediately be placed on leave for two weeks without pay.”

“He should be fired,” Dale huffed.

Cosby met Dale’s eyes. “This is the first complaint we’ve received about him. He’s had a good record until now. He will also be sent to a sexual harassment in the workplace training next month.”

“He will leave Willow alone,” Dale said.

“Yes, if he wants to keep his job, he will.” His gaze turned to Willow. “Would you like to offer input?”

She shook her head.

“If you have any further problems with the deputy, get in touch with my office immediately. My hands won’t be tied as tightly if he steps out of line again.” He smiled at her. “You have a good champion and you did the right thing by making the complaint.”

“She shouldn’t need a good champion.” Dale then held up a hand. “I understand Jim. I know how these things work. Make sure the deputy knows the consequences for harassing her again.” He stood and shook Cosby’s hand before leading Willow from the office.

“That didn’t take long,” Willow whispered as they walked down the wide hallway that reminded her of the prison.

“I didn’t think it would. If you had come alone, he would have tried to get you to recant your complaint with the guarantee Wallard wouldn’t bother you again. as it is, he tried to minimize what happened by mentioning ice cream like it was just something fun.” Dale said a few choice words under his breath.