Hilton Head Intrigue

By Charles D. Hale

Hilton Head Intrigue is the fourth in a series featuring the adventures of Clint Harrison, the sheriff of a small Colorado town. Cliff and his new wife, Mary Alice, honeymoon on Hilton Head Island, hoping for several days of romance, relaxation and sightseeing. While on the beach, they meet a stranger who offers to take

• Language: English
• Publisher: Franklin Publishers
• Release date: Feb 6, 2024
• ISBN: 9798893240450

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HILTON

HEAD

INTRIGUE

Copyright © 2024 Charles Hale

All rights reserved. ISBN: 979-8-89324-045-0

Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication shall be reproduced, transmitted, or sold in whole or in part in any form without the author's prior written consent, except as provided by the United States of America copyright law.

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This book is dedicated to the loving memory of my wife Marlene, who gave so much of herself to me.

Contents

HILTON

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 1

June 4 was election day, and both Mary Alice and I were up early. She had the morning shift at the Main Street Café, and I had a staff meeting scheduled for 1:00 p.m. I had been given the green light by the County Commissioners to start negotiations with my deputies to introduce a new 10-hour shift schedule. The deputies had no contract, and I did my best to deal with them professionally so they wouldn’t see the need for one.

I could implement a change in the shift schedule without their input, but I knew that would create animosity and poor morale. Currently, my deputies choose their shifts on the basis of seniority – a time-honored tradition in law enforcement. It’s great for the veterans but not so much for the newer ones. I knew that from my own experience working the streets of Los Angeles as a young officer years before. I’d looked carefully at several different shift scheduling models and believed the 10-hour shift would be the best for all concerned. I also hoped it would encounter the least resistance among my personnel.

It was a big day for me. I was running for the first time to retain my position as Sheriff of El Dorado County. My opponent was Brad Bradshaw, a former Chief Deputy who had been fired by Sheriff Jim Jensen, my predecessor, for undisclosed reasons. He waged a vigorous campaign and had strong support in some parts of the county. But his popularity suffered a serious setback when it was learned that he had close ties with Henry Morgan, Judge Wilbur Cox, and several other power brokers who had recently been indicted by a federal grand jury for their part in a right-wing conspiracy to overthrow the federal government.

That was about all it took for the majority of voters to make up their minds. But, even after the bad news broke, Brad refused to withdraw from the race. Even Eleanor Murray, the local newspaper editor, who’d been a big supporter of his and one of my biggest critics, admitted that he had little chance of winning.

Mary Alice poured my coffee and handed me a plate with hotcakes, fried eggs and bacon. Here you go, darling. A hearty breakfast to help get you through your big day.

I appreciated her confidence in me, but I was still nervous, having never had to run for election before.

She sat down across from me and began working on her bowl of cereal and glass of O.J.

I laughed. Not much trying on my schedule today, my love.

She sipped her juice and gave me a long look. Well, sweetheart, you do have that election to deal with. Surely you haven’t forgotten.

I grinned at her. Of course, I haven’t forgotten. It’s on my ‘to do’ list.

Well, I certainly hope so, she chided gently, I’ll be down at the courthouse to cast my vote during my lunch hour. I hope you’ll do the same.

Between bites, I said, You bet I will. I promise.

The food was good, as usual. I sometimes ate more than I should, but I just couldn’t help myself. Mary Alice always found the time to fix me a great meal, even before or after working a long shift at the café. And she never complained. It was one of the many things I loved about her.

Mary Alice kissed me on the cheek as I was finishing my coffee. Gotta go. Love you, she said as she went flying out the door.

Love you too, I shouted after her. I gathered up my things and was on my way two minutes later.

When I arrived at the office, Myrna was waiting for me. Myrna heads up my office staff and sometimes fills in as a dispatcher. She’s the glue that holds the place together. I’d be lost without her, and I’m thankful for her personal dedication and loyalty. I inherited her from my predecessor, Jim Jenkins, who told me before he died to hold on to her at all costs if I ever became sheriff. It was good advice, and I’m forever grateful to him for it.

I sat down at my desk and noticed that she had a look of impatience on her face.

What? I asked.

Amos Greer’s been calling you for the last 15 minutes. Please call him back just as soon as you’re settled.

Will do, I said and headed for my office. But I was in no hurry. I knew Amos was calling me to remind me to vote. He and his wife, Martha, owned and operated The Summit Inn, where I’d stayed during my first days in Climax. They were old friends and among my staunchest supporters. They’d been in the forefront of people urging me to run for election when I wasn’t sure I wanted to. I’d inherited the job when Jim Jensen unexpectedly passed away, but now I was being asked to face the voters for the first time. Politics was something I’d never had to deal with before, and it made me a bit nervous.

Myrna had my coffee on my desk before I had dialed up Amos, and she gave me that look.

All right, I said defensively. I’m calling him right now. I picked up the phone to prove what I’d promised.

She nodded, gave me the thumbs-up sign, and left me alone while I completed the call.

Amos didn’t wait for me to answer but challenged me immediately. Clint, have you been down to the courthouse yet?

No, Amos, I replied. Not yet, but I...

Well, hellfire, Clint, the polls opened at six this morning, he fired back. What in tarnation are ya waitin’ for?

Hold on, Amos, I said with all the patience I could muster. I do have a department to run, you know. And I have things here I have to take care of.

He snorted, and I said, But don’t worry, Amos. I’ll get down there to cast my vote in due time.

Even though the outcome of the election seemed predictable, I knew it wouldn’t look good if I didn’t make an appearance to cast my vote. People might take that as a sign that I didn’t feel it was important enough for me to vote or that I didn’t see the need. And Amos knew this.

Well, darn it all, Clint, Amos said impatiently. You’ve got to set the example. People see you at the polls, they know you’re takin’ this race seriously. Otherwise, they might just lose interest and...

Amos, I broke in, I assure you, I’m not taking the election for granted.

He gave another snort, and I said, Tell you what. I’ll stop by the courthouse and cast my vote on my way to lunch at the Main Street Café. Stop in, and I’ll buy you a coffee.

Amos laughed. Well, thanks, Clint. I appreciate that, but I’ve got a ton of paperwork to get done here at the inn. But I do hope you and Mary Alice can stop by for drinks later this evening. We’d like to celebrate your well-deserved victory.

It was my turn to laugh. Thanks, Amos. I appreciate it. I’ll see how Mary Alice feels after getting off work. We’ll try to stop by for a few minutes, anyway.

He thanked me, wished me good luck in the election, and disconnected. I was fortunate to have Amos and Martha backing me. I love my job, and I’d made up my mind to stay on as long as the people of El Dorado County wanted me as their sheriff.

A few minutes later, Bruce Johnson, my Chief Deputy, entered my office, a look of concern clearly visible on his face. Bruce was the first person I’d hired after becoming Sheriff. He’d been a cop in Capital City and retired there as a captain. He was a year or two older than me but a tireless worker and absolutely reliable. He took over for me whenever I was gone, and I never had a concern about his ability to manage the place in my absence.

Bruce sat down, and I said, If you’re going to ask me about getting down to the courthouse, Bruce, don’t bother. I’ll stop by on my way to lunch.

He shook his head. No, Clint, that’s not it. But I do need your advice on something.

What’s that?

Well, Clint, he said tentatively. You know how much I’ve enjoyed working as your Chief Deputy for the past three years. I’ve learned a lot, and I have nothing but respect for you.

As he spoke, I started to get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. It sounded like a farewell speech, and I wasn’t prepared for it. Bruce Johnson was my second in command, and I relied heavily on him on a daily basis. If I lost him, I wasn’t sure who I could find to replace him. But I said nothing and did my best to mask my concern as I listened to what he had to say.

He read the worry in my face. Don’t get me wrong, Clint. I’m not lookin’ for a favor or nothin’ like that. It’s just that, well, you see...

He was having a hard time saying what he wanted to tell me, so I said, Go ahead, Bruce. Whatever it is, I’m sure we can work it out.

He sighed and seemed to relax. Well, sir, my wife, Dorothy, has this cousin over in Durango. He heads up a security business, and apparently, he just signed a contract with one of the big manufacturing plants in town. He’s lookin’ for someone to head up the security team there, and he asked me if I’d be interested.

Well, Bruce, I said, that sounds like a great opportunity. What do you think?

He shook his head and took a deep breath. To tell you the truth, Clint, I just don’t know. I mean, the money is real good, and it looks like it could be a good career move for me. But then we’d have to move up to Durango. I’ve lived here in Climax most of my life, and our kids have been raised here. He sighed again. Well, I just don’t know.

I could see that he was torn by the decision he was being asked to make. What does Dorothy think about it?

He shrugged. Oh, she’s hot and cold about it. One minute, she thinks it would be a great move for me. And the next minute, she’s worried about uprooting the family and all that.

I wasn’t keen on the idea of losing Bruce Johnson, but I wanted to give him my best advice, regardless of how it might affect me.

Bruce, I think you owe it to yourself to look into this. It might be the right thing for you and for Dorothy. Why don’t you two go on up to Durango? Talk to the people up there. And find out more about what the job consists of. Take a look around, then come on back here, and the two of you decide what’s best. That way, she can look at the town check out the housing, the schools, and the shopping. Women are concerned about those things, you know.

He gave this some thought, then said, Yeah, well, I suppose that’s a good idea. And I really need to know more about what that job consists of before I make a decision.

He frowned. But what about you? Who will you find to replace me?

I shook my head. Let’s not worry about that, Bruce. The question now is, what’s best for you and for your family? This department got along before either you or I came alone. Don’t get me wrong, Bruce. I’d hate to lose you. But if this is something you really want to do, you should take the offer.

He took another deep breath, then stood and said,Yeah,I guess you’re right. I’ll talk to Dorothy and see if we can get up there this weekend.

Chapter 2

Ifinished up the remaining paperwork on my desk and told Myrna I was heading to the courthouse and then to lunch.

Don’t forget to vote, she quipped, and don’t forget your 1:00 p.m. staff meeting.

I assured her I’d be back in time for the staff meeting, then headed out. It was a warm June day, and I decided to walk the two blocks to the courthouse. From there, it was only another block to the Main Street Café, where I’d have lunch.

At the courthouse, I made my way to the polling place and was gratified that the line of people waiting to cast their ballot was short. Walter Snyder, the gaunt, sour-faced precinct captain, was in charge. He greeted me warmly and had me register. Then handed me a paper ballot and directed me to one of the open polling booths.

It was a short ballot, with only a few positions to vote on. Besides the sheriff, there was a county commissioner, county clerk, and a few others. I knew almost all of the people running for office, so it didn’t take me long to complete my ballot. When I finished, I placed it in the waiting ballot box, said goodbye to Walter, then left. On the way out, I was greeted by several people on their way to vote. Most of them wished me luck in the election, and I thanked them for their support.

Five minutes later, I was seated at my usual place at the lunch counter of the Man Street Café. The place was crowded, as usual, and I took a seat next to Roy Leonard. He was busily scanning the latest stock market results in the local newspaper. Squat, balding, with twinkling eyes, Roy was the owner of the local hardware store. Sherman, the counterman with sad eyes and a drooping mustache, had seen me coming and had a cup of steaming coffee waiting for me as I sat down.

He leaned over the counter and said, I suppose you voted already, Sheriff?

Yes, Sherman, I just came from the courthouse, as a matter of fact.

Sherman eyed me nervously. You think that fella Bradshaw has any chance at winning?

I grinned and said confidently, "Well, Sherm, I certainly hope not.

But I guess we’ll know real soon."

Sherman is always on the hunt for good gossip, but I deftly changed the subject and gave him my order. He wrote it out and handed it to the grill cook behind him. I looked for Mary Alice and saw her fly by several times with trays of food or empty dishes. She waved but was too busy to stop and say hello. I admired how she could spend all day on her feet and still come home at night, seemingly fresh and relaxed. Several people I knew stopped by to wish me good luck in the election, and I thanked them.

I was chatting with Roy Leonard when Sherman set my food in front of me. Roy finished his coffee, slapped me on the back, wished me good luck, and left me to eat in peace. I had ordered the daily special: meatloaf, gravy, mashed peptidase, and green beans. It was plentiful and delicious, as usual. When I finished, Sherman came by to remove the dishes and refill my coffee cup. You hear anything more ‘bout Henry Morgan and that crew? I heard they got some slick lawyers outta Capitol City to defend them. Any chance they’ll get off?

I was always careful not to say anything to him that I didn’t want to spread all over the county. I shrugged my shoulders and said, Sherman, I have no idea. That case is in federal court, and those folks are facing some very serious charges. Personally, I hope they all go away for a very long time.

Well, I sure hope so, Sheriff, he said and placed my bill on the counter. I left him a good tip, then walked to the register, delighted to find Mary Alice waiting for me.

I held up my hand. "Before you ask, I’ve already voted.

How about you?"

Nope, not yet, she replied breathlessly. Been busy since I walked in. But I’ll take my break soon, and I’ll have time to run down there then. Don’t worry, you’ll get my vote. She smiled impishly, took the cash and check from me, then gave me a kiss on the cheek. Gotta run, she said and dashed back to the kitchen. She had a magical effect on me. When I was with her, I felt electricity running through my body. All I needed to make my day was her beautiful smile, her gentle touch, and a quick kiss. And it happened every time I was with her.