It’s not every day that you’re called upon to arrest a fellow police officer. I suppose if you’re in Internal Affairs, it might become routine, but this is a first for me. And, I’m not looking forward to it. I rehearse what I’ll say, over and over, in my head. No matter how I phrase it, I can’t seem to find the right words. Look, Red. There’s a little something we need to discuss. Do you mind coming to the office with us? That won’t work. We got a tip that you might have had something to do with the disappearance of that girl. We’re gonna need you to come in with us. No way. I guess I’ll find the words when I get there.
Up ahead, in the distance, I can just make out the silhouette of Red’s house. This is the house he’s lived in since he was a boy. When he and Claire married, they had moved in with Red’s parents, who have both long since passed away. I pull the Jeep up the gravel drive, and the first thing I notice is the absence of Red’s cruiser. Oh great. Now what? I motion to Bobcat and Rick to pull their vehicles off to the side, out of the way. I exit the Jeep, and stand quietly while they each park. The whole thing kind of reminds me of a Western movie, and we’re the posse, sneaking up on the bad guys. Except, this is the twenty-first century, and we don’t have horses, and the bad guy is the ex Chief of Police. Not so much similarity, after all, I think.
Claire hears the crunch of tires on the gravel, and looks out the window, this time expecting to see Red’s cruiser. Instead, the vision she has waited for has finally appeared. She watches as the three police vehicles quietly roll to a stop out back, and smiles sadly, as she watches first Matt, then the other two officers exit their vehicles. Thank God, she thinks. It’s almost over.