#atbr

            When you defend your country you’re given a parade and a pat on the back. When you’re a Deputy in Sumter people curse you when some punk kid with a nine and a chip on his shoulder shoots another kid because he had the misfortune of being born in the hood. “Why weren’t you there? Why are you not helping your people?” Then when you are dragging one of their relatives out in handcuffs because be cause he doesn’t know how civil people are suppose to act they get upset. “Why are you doing this to us? Why are you hurting your own people?” Maybe Tyrus should have stayed in Iraq. At least figuring out the good people from the bad people is easier.

            Tyrus has been woken up with emergency calls before. Being one of the younger investigators on the force it gives the older guys an excuse to bother the kid whenever there is a dead drug dealer in a shady neighborhood. That’s what usually what happens; today was different. This call came from the big boss. The Sheriff called and wanted Tyrus to meet him at a residential development site. Sheriff Carter wouldn’t tell him anything about why he’s being called in on his very occasional day off.

            Tyrus steps out of his private car and onto the development site. Carter made it seem like this was like the entire world was ending.  Sheriff Carter never had a flare for the dramatic so Tyrus was very worried of what he was going to be stepping into as he walked towards the crime scene. Tyrus walks up to and stand next to Carter.

            “Goddamn it. What’s her name?” Tyrus’ reaction is unexpected, but it is understandable. Seeing a dead body for Tyrus is sadly normal now.  It being a female who has been mutilated and dumped is something no one wants to see, but it not a surprise anymore. Finding a nude young blonde woman lying on a pile on roses is definitely new.

            “We don’t know. I got Jon looking through missing person. Try and keep this out of the newspaper as long as possible.” Sheriff Carter turns and begins to walk away.

Sheriff Carter never gave a shit about this job. It’s just a great job with some pretty awesome benefits. Plus he gets to see his face in the papers every once in a while. Stand there as Mayor London breaks ground on some new shitty fast food place; just smile and pretend your doing everything in your power to stop this fucking shithole of a town from going to shit. Every once in a while you have to hear about some dead drug dealer or a father who likes to visit his daughter’s room at night. Everything has pros and cons, that’s what he thinks to himself. That’s what he believes. That’s what he knows.

            The Item is the local paper for Sumter, South Carolina. Print is dying, but no one told The Item. They still think they are the first and last word in Sumter. A special little gift was in the paper today for Sheriff Carter. A nice little fuck you from the leader of the local NCAAP chapter. “Sheriff Carter isn’t doing anything about the dope dealers, and murders in the black communities of Sumter.” Carter balls the paper and throws it into the waste bin on the right side of his desk.