That got the conversation off in another direction, and as I talked, I tried to make myself forget that all I wanted to do was take my phone out and message Easton.

Easton

I was in the Bad Place.

Patrice hadn’t answered the text I’d sent over two hours ago. So I walked out of my office at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, feeling the weight of my phone like an anvil in my pocket.

I would have to sit and think about what was going on with me. My desperation for Patrice had reached the point where not getting a response from a text sent me into a tailspin of self-doubt. Every few minutes I was caught in a cycle of wanting to delete it, feeling stupid for sending it and ultimately hating him for ignoring me.

“Man you look like you need a drink,” Ron said as he walked to the elevator where I was standing. “Did Sherriff Day cancel on you or something?”

I shook my head and sighed. “No, the meeting is still on. I know Cindy won’t like that I called this meeting without asking her.”

The look Ron gave me told me that he didn’t care about feelings if it meant getting a handle on what was going on with these stops.

“I hope that Day can be reasonable. I’m not trying to tell anyone how to do their job, but this approach of waiting until shit explodes to do anything seems reckless.”

Ron grunted as we got into the elevator. He was a big guy, Patrice’s size. Because everything these days ultimately led to Patrice.

“It’s not about you telling him how to do his job, it’s about you having a conversation with him about problematic shit that’s happening on his watch. Day’s a good guy and I respect him. But waiting until something worse happens is not how you protect a community.”

“I can’t argue with that,” I said, shoving my hands into my pockets.

Ron’s scowl deepened as he went on. “The DA’s office and local law enforcement should be on the same page. They bring us the cases to prosecute, and if we can’t trust their judgement, it’s going to be a problem.”

We walked out of the elevator into a crisp Ithaca fall evening, as I mulled over Ron’s words. “I’ve always respected Day too. I hope he can hear what we have to say.”

Ron clapped me on the back, a smile appearing on his face. “For what it’s worth, everyone in town respects you too. Day won’t ignore something you bring to him.”