Good Citizens (eBook)

CHAPTER 1

The Black Bull Bar & Grill sat tucked back from the highway just over a mile from the sleepy little town of Coopersville, Arkansas. Rectangular in shape, the gray weathered building was designed to look like an old barn with a front porch across the full length of the building. Bright red neon lights hung in both front windows, one in the shape of a bull’s head, and the other flashing the word “Open.” Business had been brisk ever since Ben Taylor opened the combination restaurant and bar six years ago.

It was just before ten p.m. on a hot, humid Saturday night in late August when Sheriff Seth McKenna pulled into the nearly filled parking lot. He carefully squeezed his black Ford pickup truck into a space near the edge of the gravel lot riddled with pot holes, and even more carefully, tried not to ding the vehicle next to his with his driver’s side door. He successfully navigated his way through the narrow spaces between the vehicles and stepped onto the rough wooden porch Ben kept neat as a pin.

He reached for the door, but quickly stepped back as the door swung toward him. A young couple, too wrapped up in one another to notice him, passed by without even a glance in his direction. Seth identified Cheryl Hansen and Ed Wilcox without difficulty, and knew they were leaving the building to spend a few minutes engaging in adulterous sex. He dreaded the day when one of their spouses became aware of the affair since domestic problems had a way of turning messy, and unfortunately, sometimes deadly.

Thinking about the confrontation he knew was coming sooner or later, Seth entered the bar and took a few seconds to make a “professional” survey of the room. The usual crowd was in place, and no one seemed to be causing any problems at this point in the evening. Hopefully, things would stay that way. As he was currently off duty, Seth had no desire to deal with any problems that would make for a long night.

Casually making his way to the bar, he stopped at various tables to exchange a few words with some of the regular patrons, picking up bits of gossip here and there. He then spent almost five minutes debating with Hank Clinton the possible outcome of a highly anticipated boxing match that would air on pay per view next week. Hank owned the local hardware store, and was an avid boxing fan. As he talked, Seth noticed former sheriff, Anson Tucker, in his usual spot at the end of the bar. He wondered if Anson’s drinking problem was getting worse, and hoped he wouldn’t have to run the ex-lawman in on a DUI charge if Anson left the bar and tried to drive.

“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in.” The sarcastic comment came from nearby.

Seth’s deep green eyes landed on the figure behind the bar, and he flashed a wide smile at his oldest friend as he settled himself on a wooden stool located near the center of the bar. “Well, well, looks like you’re actually working for a change.”

Ben Taylor’s bright blue eyes rolled upward as he wiped down a freshly washed glass. “Some of us do more than wear a pretty star and carry a gun.”

“I need the gun.” Seth ran a finger over the metal star pinned to the pocket of his blue chambray shirt. “I only wear the star cuz it drives the women wild.”

Though he laughed at Seth’s comment, Ben knew the star and the gun had very little to do with why women were drawn to his best friend. Tall and muscular, Seth was an impressive figure whether in uniform or out. Very few people made the mistake of resisting arrest when Seth was in charge, and those that did found out rather quickly it was a mistake they didn’t want to make more than once. Men respected Seth. Women drooled over him. Young or old, it didn’t matter since women were drawn to his striking good looks like bees to honey. Something about the combination of midnight black hair and piercing green eyes tempted every woman in the county to press down on their accelerators a little harder in the hopes of getting pulled over by Sheriff McKenna.

Some men wouldn’t want the challenge of running around with someone as good-looking as Seth, but ever since meeting on the first day of kindergarten, the two of them had been best buddies from the get-go. The bond between them had only grown stronger over the years, and people in the county would tell anyone that asked that the two men were closer than most brothers. Growing up, they’d often been called “a couple of little hellraisers,” and although they’d come close a couple of times, neither one of them had ever spent a night in the county jail. Between the two of them, they had dated nearly every available woman in the county, but thus far, no woman had managed to get a ring on either man.

At six foot two, Ben was no slouch in the looks department either. With his clear blue eyes and golden blond curls making a striking contrast to Seth’s darker looks, he drew his fair share of attention from the female sex. Ben’s sense of humor was one of his most appealing features, and of the two of them, he tended to be much more laid back and easy going than Seth. Much to everyone’s surprise, Ben had stuck it out through four years of college and graduated with a degree in business management. With his family’s help, he had opened the Black Bull Bar & Grill six years ago.

Ben had designed the bar to fully maximize every square foot of space while providing his customers with a variety of potential activities for their amusement. At one end of the building was a large game area with pool tables, pinball machines, and other various games of skill. Opposite the game area was a small dance floor and stage where visiting musicians could set up, or patrons could try their hand at karaoke. Restrooms were located on both sides of the building against the back wall. In addition to those facilities, sets of stairs led to the basement which was used for storage and Ben’s office. In the middle of the large open space was a long bar and kitchen. Wooden tables and chairs were scattered throughout the building, and on a good night, the bar easily accommodated a couple hundred people.

The barn theme was continued on the inside of the bar with weathered timber walls surrounding an easily cleaned concrete floor. Pictures of local prize-winning livestock, some of which had been raised by Ben’s parents, were displayed in prominent locations. A couple of saddles and bridles, decorative barbed wire wreaths, a welcome sign fashioned from old horseshoes, various antique tools, and metal advertising signs filled in the rest of the wall space. Ice cold beer was served in large mason jars with handles, and the food was presented to customers in aluminum dishes designed to look like a feed trough. Ben had worked like a dog to make the bar profitable, and he’d succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.

As Seth propped his elbows on the bar, Ben turned to the pass through to the kitchen and hollered, “Gimme Seth’s usual, George.”

Almost immediately, a tall glass of lemonade was ready for pickup. Grabbing the glass, Ben set it in front of the sheriff. “We’ve got a good crowd tonight.”

Seth downed the entire glass in one long gulp before replying. “Yeah, I just hope things stay quiet.” He leaned forward so that only Ben could hear his next comment. “I passed Cheryl and Ed on their way to the parking lot.”

Ben shook his head as he wiped down the bar with a towel. “That’s not going to end well if Beth or Keith find out what’s going on.”

Seth shrugged his shoulders. “You play, you pay.”

After finishing his task, Ben tossed the towel over his shoulder. “Sometimes, I find it hard to believe all the things that go on in such a small town. Makes me grateful that some things never see the light of day.”

Personally, Seth agreed with his best friend as he thought about some of the unsavory secrets he knew were hidden from public view. The population of Coopersville, Arkansas, numbered close to two thousand people, and topped out at just over five thousand if one added everyone in the county. He knew most of the residents had done things they hoped would never become public knowledge, many of which had been buried for years. As sheriff, Seth walked a fine line between enforcing the law and respecting the privacy of the county’s residents.

“I guess you heard about Briley Jacobs.” Ben’s comment interrupted his musings.

The mention of Briley’s name had Seth giving Ben his full attention. “No. What she’d do, win another big award?”

“She got shot, Seth.” Ben pulled the towel off his shoulder as he shook his head. “Briley got herself shot.”

Seth froze as an image of a pair of big blue eyes flashed in his mind, an image that suddenly had him feeling a little unsettled. “What the hell happened?”

Ben tossed the towel under the bar before crossing his arms. “According to the local grapevine, she was in Ukraine working on a story when the chopper she was in went down. Killed the other two reporters she was with, but Briley and the two chopper pilots got out. They were almost to a safe zone when they came under fire.”

Toying with his empty glass, Seth asked the question he wasn’t sure he wanted answered. “How bad is it?”

“I’m not sure.” Ben picked up the empty glass. “You know how much stories change the more times they’re retold. I heard the pilots...