The gloves were off.
"I guess the difference between Seymour-"
"My friends call me Fitz-"
"-Seymour and me is that I feel the sheriff is a servant of the public, and when a sincere request to investigate what has honestly and in good conscience been described as a crime has been made, it's the sheriff's duty to respond. That was no joke. Making judgment after the fact is far easier than before. The sheriff has a duty to investigate."
Claudia looked somewhat disturbed by the exchange. She shuffled her cards. "What do you gentlemen see as some of the more important challenges to the incoming sheriff? Mr. Fitzgerald?"
"There's so many, it's hard to say! Speeding on our highways- Mr. Dean knows about that first-hand-my competent deputy arrested him for doing just that a few days ago. Illegal immigrants taking away our jobs-again, Mr. Dean has a young woman in his employ whom I hope he's checked carefully-she doesn't even speak our language. And there is-"
"Time, Mr. Fitzgerald." Claudia nodded to Dean.
"If Seymour wants a job at Bird Song cleaning out toilets, perhaps when he loses this election, he should come by." He paused for a brief flurry of clapping. While he smiled, he crossed his fingers that Fred was correct that Maria was legal.
"Up-to-date communication equipment is important," Dean said. "There was a serious accident last night and the sheriff's deputy was unable to raise help when she called from the mountains." Fitzgerald didn't look pleased.
"There is no doubt in my mind," Dean continued, "that underage drinking is a major problem here in Ouray. Our young people need education and more organized activities. Violations, especially by those supplying alcohol to minors, should be dealt with severely." Dean had no intention of specifically mentioning Billy Langstrom, though the young man's death was on everyone's mind.
Fitzgerald had no such compunctions. "I finally agree with Mr. Dean on something! Billy Langstrom died last night with alcohol in his car. While I can't say for certain he'd been drinking-the autopsy hasn't been performed yet-I know from past experience that many of our teenagers drink regularly. Where do they get it? They ask friends just old enough to buy it for them. Like Billy's friend who's staying at Mr. Dean's boarding house, Bird Song!"
There followed an exchange of views on arresting and jailing young offenders, something Fitzgerald felt should be done as an example-"put the bad apples where they belong"-while Dean stressed education in addition to enforcement. The remainder of the meeting rocked back and forth, but there was no doubt in Dean's mind that he'd been hurt badly-and unfairly-by Fitzgerald. The audience was temporarily in his court. They were close to wrapping up the session when deputy Lydia Larkin moved quietly into the room. Fitzgerald immediately called everyone's attention to her.