51: The Beginning Chapter 1 Part 2

Lindsay was not disappointed. It turned out Cat’s full name was Ekaterina Dyatlov. She was born in Russia and became a citizen of the United States at the age of two after her family immigrated there. She had been an honor student throughout high school as well as a star athlete. She held bachelor’s degrees in biology, criminal justice, and forensic science, as well as a master’s degree in forensics. Lindsay was thrilled. The woman was intelligent and willing to learn.

She paused to look out at the counter where Cat was going through paperwork and realized this woman was working there because she wanted to, not because she had to. That was just the kind of person she liked. 

She went back to Cat’s personnel file and continued reading. Cat was also trained in martial arts and had been a competitive gymnast. That was impressive. That showed commitment and dedication. Lindsay then reached the line that listed her hobbies and other interests. Those included being an alternative model and a dominatrix. Now, it was beginning to make sense as to why she did not work for a larger department doing bigger and better things. Listing those hobbies and activities on an application or résumé would make people question the applicant's fitness.

Honestly, it did not matter. Cat seemed to be very good at her job. She also seemed to enjoy her work. If she was happy and did her job well, she was more likely to stay with the department. Lindsay also realized that if Cat intimidated her, she would also intimidate people who walked into the office to complain about nothing. That was a very good thing. She should be able to defuse situations before they went too far. As far as she was concerned, Cat was one to keep in the department.

The next file Lindsay picked up was for a new officer by the name of Andy Baxter. Andy was twenty-three and had been with the department for only a few weeks. He also held a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a Class A peace officer certification. Deputy Baxter could work anywhere in the state. That made Lindsay question why he would work in a little county in the middle of nowhere. He had no family or friends in the area, which made her question it more.

“Hey, Cat!” Lindsay yelled.

“Yes, ma’am,” Cat immediately replied as she walked to the office door.

“Are there any investigations or reports by Andy Baxter? If there are, I would like to look at them.”

“I will pull everything he has done since he was hired,” Cat replied with that same big smile.

“Thank you,” said Lindsay. 

Lindsay had to smile. If this were normal for Cat, it would make things much more comfortable for everyone as Lindsay settled into the interim sheriff role. Happy, intelligent, efficient, and, according to her file, could kick just about anyone’s butt without even taking off her heels. Cat had returned to Lindsay’s new office with a few folders. It was no big surprise that those were the only reports and cases Andy had worked on.

“Thank you, Cat.”

All Cat did was smile, wink, and walk out of the room. That was a little odd, but Lindsay did not pay that much attention to it. She had grown up in the surrounding area, so being called “sweetie,” “honey,” and “sugar” and being winked at was just part of it. It was the Ozarks, after all.

She began reading Andy Baxter’s reports. They were perfect. There were no mistakes in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. They were detailed, yet only listed what was necessary for the report. He had done all the investigating he needed to do, and anything further, he had turned over to the detective. So why was he working for this department? This meant she would need to meet with Big Bob and Little Bob. They oversaw most of the officers and would have the answers.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, even though it was open. Lindsay looked up to see Big Bob and Little Bob.

“You two must have known I needed to talk to you,” Lindsay said. “Come in and sit down. But please close the door behind you.”

Big Bob came in first and plopped down in a chair. Big Bob was just that, big. He was not fat, but he was a huge man. Little Bob followed him in and closed the door before politely sitting. Little Bob was not a small man; he was average, but looked almost diminutive when he was with Big Bob. So did everyone else who stood near Big Bob.

“Cat called me as soon as you pulled in front of the office this morning. Then I called Little Bob because I figured you would have some questions for us,” Big Bob said.

Lindsay leaned back in her chair. That made it evident that Cat was the one running the office. However, that also meant that Cat already knew who would have the answers to her questions. That was what Lindsay needed right now.

“I do have questions about one of the deputies. His name is Andy Baxter.” Lindsay looked from Big Bob to Little Bob.

“What would you like to know?” asked Little Bob.

“My big question is, why is he working here for this department? With his training and qualifications, he could work anywhere in the state,” Lindsay said with confusion in her voice.

Both Bobs started laughing.

“Is my question that funny?” Lindsay asked, feeling a little angry at their laughter.

“No, Lindsay,” Big Bob started. “That is a good question. We’re sorry for laughing, but it’s obvious you haven’t met this kid yet. He has a few quirks that make things difficult for him once in a while.”

“Quirks? Could you be a little more specific?” she asked.

“He has a problem with women,” Little Bob said, trying to choke back a chuckle.

“What kind of problem? Like a new girlfriend every night? Like angry women showing up here to yell at him? What kind of problem?” she questioned.

Big Bob and Little Bob looked at each other and burst out laughing again. This time, they could barely breathe. A little frustrated, Lindsay yelled for Cat once again. When she arrived at the door and closed it behind her, she looked at the Bobs laughing beyond control.

Lindsay asked, “Cat, can you please tell me what Andy Baxter’s woman problem is?”

“Oh, now I understand the laughter,” Cat said. “Andy Baxter’s woman problem is that he is terrified of every woman over the age of twelve. I hadn’t thought about it, but now I’m wondering how he is even going to talk to you. This could be interesting if he can’t even talk to his boss.”