Hush Little Babies

Chapter Four

Mrs. Fitzberg, the Librarian, a short woman, with short brown hair and brown eyes, wore glasses that didn’t exactly, fit her face, and her body was shaped and firm, said, “She’d only need me to work three days a week, and it didn’t matter which three.” That was more than, I’d hoped for.

I worked diligently to clear the isles, and before I knew it, lunch hour, had arrived.

I walked to the police department. I needed a comparative analysis, of facts, regarding the missing children and possibly other small towns.

The Sheriff was taking a nap, in a big old chair, so I cleared my throat, to wake him. “Hello, Sheriff, do you remember me,” I asked.

“Of course,” he said, rubbing his head. “You’re the hero in Clintonville. How are you Mrs. Sawyer? You can call me Johnny,” he said, smiling.

His voice was low and gruff, and from the looks of his pot belly, I’d say he hadn’t chased any bad guys, in several decades.

“Could you direct me to, the files on missing children, from approximately, the last ten years?” I asked.

“My secretary, Lisa, usually took care of those details, but she hasn’t shown up for several months,” he said, pointing to a small office, across from his. You can fumble around in there, but I don’t exactly know where to find that 411.”

“Thank you, Sheriff,” I said, and I walked towards Lisa’s office.

“Have you had lunch, yet?” asked the Sheriff.

I replied, with a courteous, “no.”

“I could eat a horse. You want a sandwich, from the deli? He asked.

“Thank you, Sheriff, but I have quite a lot to get done today.”

He looked, like a hurt puppy, when I passed up his invitation, so, I said, “Could I take a rain check? I work at the library and possibly, one day, next week, we could do lunch.”

He gave a quick glance over his shoulder ad said, “I’ll be back in half an hour.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said, again, with no acknowledgement, so, I went back to the job at hand.

The search seemed relentless, there were papers mixed with books, garbage mixed with dust and most of the folders, weren’t in any kind of order. “This was not going to be an easy task, I murmured. I’d been there almost an hour and couldn’t make heads or tails out of the mess. The Sheriff, sure was taking his sweet time at the deli. Odd, I thought, some of these papers go back as far as 1996. I wonder how long the sheriff’s secretary really hadn’t shown up. I was famished, and decided I’d find something to eat, myself. I figured, looking for the information, I needed, would take me a long time, even if I took time out to eat.

Chapter Five

I stepped outside. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining bright, and I couldn’t remember ever seeing a clearer sky. I mean, no smog at all. It was fresh and brusque. It was approximately fifty-five degrees. I don’t think it was ever this pleasant in New York. “Oh, somebody, help me, quick,” I said. “I do miss, New York, but mostly because, of my friends and my office.” Looking for sustenance, I noticed tiny little shops up and down the alley’s, that were not visible, from the main through-way, if you were traveling by car. I looked down one of the alley’s and spied a bar call ‘TJ’s’ Bar and Grill. I was thirsty, so, I stepped into the bar to get a Squirt and saw Sheriff, Johnny leaning on a barstool, sipping on suds.

“Are you following, me?” he asked, and then, he roared with laughter. “Sit down, Missy, and I’ll buy you a brewski.”

“I’m not use to drinking, this early in the day,” I answered. “If it’s all the same to you, I’ll take another rain check. Ya, know, on second thought, a can of squirt, would be appreciated.”

“Susan, the sheriff said, meet Sam, Clintonville’s friendliest bartender.”

“Sam, this is Susan. Her and her husband, just purchased, Old Jakes Place,” said the Sheriff.

“How do you do, Sam?” I asked.

Sam, the bartender, was in his mid-fifties, dressed like a teenager and had several tattoos on his arms and legs, with an earring in his eyebrow. Except for the tats, the earring and his weird clothing, he was tolerable enough. He handed me a menu, served me, my squirt and announced, “It was on the house, being as, we were neighbors.”

I asked Sam, “Why is the bar, named, ‘TJ’s?

“I inherited, the bar from my father, Terrance Jenson,” he replied.

Since there were only three items, on the menu, I ordered, a juicy hamburger and fries.” I didn’t feel like having chicken fingers or fresh Perch. I didn’t care to find our how fresh the Perch was!

“Sam, said, “I inherited the house on, Round Lake, from my father too, as well. My wife Sara and I have lived on Round Lake for six years.” Tears, came to his eyes and he could hardly speak.

I wanted to ask more questions, I was very, interested at this point, but I could see it was quite, painful, for him, so, I skirted around the subject. It would be for another day.

Sheriff Johnny, said, “goodbye,” and stumbled out of the bar, heading back towards, his office.

“The Sheriff, comes into my bar often, but never seems to have any new information on my little girl. He insists, he’s still on the case though,” said Sam.

“Where do the Shields, live?” I asked.

“They live three houses, to the South, of the house you and Jeffrey, purchased. Their, little boy, came up missing, same time as my Delores.”

I finished my hamburger and fries. “Thank you, Sam, for your hospitality.” I left him a tip, and said, “I’m on my way, back to the, Sheriffs office. I’m going to have a little get together at my house, so, I can meet my new neighbors and I’d love for you and your wife to come.” I wrote down, my telephone number and address on a napkin, and handed it to him.

Sam, thanked me, and said, “he’d talk to Sara and let me know.”

I wasn’t sure if the Sheriff was going to let me, back in his secretary’s office, but I had to try. Now, I was really worked up about the Clintonville, disappearances. I knew I had to satisfy my craving, for curiosity. How would I feel, I thought, if my child had disappeared and there was no help in sight? Of course, It would be devastating.

When I got back to the Sheriff’s office, he was again, asleep in his big old chair. I didn’t wake him this time; I just went into the small, office and started, rustling, through papers and books.

I had been sifting through, dust and mess, for about two hours, when Sheriff Johnny, walked into his secretaries’ office and shouted, “What the heck do you think you’re doing?”

“You were asleep, when I entered the department, I replied, so, I tried not to disturb you. I hadn’t found any information, on the missing children, before lunch, so I thought, I’d give it another try.”

The Sheriff nodded and said, “Yes, yes, I see. Well maybe you could finish up then, I’m not used to people messing up my office.”

I told him, “I will only be a little while longer,” and he left the room, to answer the phone. “Saved by the bell,” I murmured.

I was in the middle of looking through more papers when an earsplitting, scream, came from the Sheriffs’ office. I believe he was overwhelmed, with yet another missing child, only this time, he was sorely upset.

I walked into his office and asked if he was okay.

He exclaimed, “Cripes, sakes, almighty, are you still here?” He didn’t wait for me to answer, he simply replied, “Another, child has disappeared, and this time, it’s my granddaughter, Sherry Granger. I’m fit to be tied,” he yelled.

“Is there anything, I can do, to help?” I asked.

“Only, if you’re a psychic,” he replied, throwing himself into his old chair and sulking.

“I said, “Of course, I am not.” I still had some searching to do, so I returned to his secretary’s office.

I knew the facts on the missing children, had to be somewhere, and I felt I didn’t have much, more time before Sheriff Johnny, kicked me out. I decided to look in the filing cabinet under children’s last names. The first name, I looked up was Delores Jenson. “Bingo,” I exclaimed. Her file, was right where it was supposed to be. Who’d a thunk it?” Next, I looked for Avery Shields file folder. It was there as well. I cursed myself, for being so ignorant. I’d have saved myself a lot of headache, if I would have just looked here to begin with. I didn’t want Sheriff, Johnny, to get any more irritable than he already, was, so I decided to check out the paperwork, at the library, tomorrow. I shoved the two children’s files under my sweater, “thanked the sheriff, for the squirt and pacification,” and told him to have a great day.

He looked like he was suffering, from an atrocious hangover.