"Let me call the Chief." the clerk said. He picked up the phone and pressed some buttons. "Hello sir. Yes someone's here. No, he is not here to turn himself in. He has what appears to be a large eye ball." He had an irritated look on his face and continued. "No, I'm not joking. Yes sir." (I did not hear the other side of the phone call.) He hung up the phone and said to me "He will be here in a few minutes, please take a seat." "Okay." I replied.
Ten minutes later the Chief entered the room, he was also wearing a white polo shirt and black pants. He looked in my direction and walked to the desk, talked to the clerk for two minutes, looked at me and motioned for me to come over. As I came over he said "What's your name son?" "Paul." I replied. He smiled and said "I'm Robert, Chief of Fort Lauderdale Police." "Nice to meet you." I replied. "So, what's this 'eye ball' Brad told me about?" Robert asked me. I showed him the bag and said "Found it on the beach a mile from here." "Really?" He said with a surprised look on his face. "Let me see it." I handed him the bag. He turned it over in his hands several times with a curious look on his face. He then asked "Where did you say you find it?" The beach." I responded.
He looked at me and said "Come with me." He started walking to the door he came in from, opened it and looked at me. I walked past him and he followed, closed the door behind him and went behind his desk and sat down, I sat down as well; he picked up the phone on the desk, pushed two buttons and waited. 5 seconds later he said "Hello and I'm doing good Gloria. Can you connect me to the Fish and Game please? Thank you." He waited another minute and said "Hello Jack, I'm doing well. I'm calling because there is a man by the name of Paul here who found what looks like a large eye ball. No, I'm not joking. It's about the size of a softball. Yes, I'm serious. Okay, I'll send him your way. Good bye." He hung up the phone and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and started to write something down. Half a minute later he looked at me and held out the piece of paper and said "Here is the address for Fish and Game, take your eye and go see him. Be sure to ask for Jerry specifically." I got up, grabbed my Ziploc bag and said with a smile. "Thank you." I left his office, said bye to Brad and left the building, got in my Jeep; started it, and left the police station.
I got on the interstate, drove for ten miles and got off it, five minutes later I found the Fish and Game building, pulled into the parking garage, went to the 3rd floor and parked my Jeep.
I went in and walked to the front desk and asked "Can I see Jerry?" "Why?" The clerk ask, "The Chief of Police sent me to see him, that's why." I replied.
"Okay, give me a minute. What's your name?" He replied. "Paul." I said. He pick up the phone and pressed some buttons, 10 seconds later he said. "Hello Jerry.
There is a man here. Yes it is. Okay I'll send him up." He then hung up the phone, looked at me and said "Take the elevator to the 5th floor and just follow the signs." "Okay, thank you." I replied.
I took the elevator to the 5th floor and after five minutes of wandering I found the door, it said on the frosted door glass: 'Jerry Griffin' then below it said: 'General Manager'. I knocked on the door, someone said "Come in." from the inside. I opened the door and was greeted by who I assumed to be Jerry. He said
"You must be Paul; I'm Jerry, nice to meet you." "I am, and same to you."
"So, were this eye ball Robert told me about?" Jerry asked "Here it is." I responded. He went wide eyed when he saw it. "He wasn't kidding when he said softball sized! Where did you find it?!" He asked. "The beach." I replied.