Even Stranger Things 3
*********** Getting Answer? ***********
Sheriff Hopper pulled his vehicle up and parked right outside of Millie's Burger Box. He looked around. It was past midnight now, and there weren't any folk around. That was a good thing. He noticed an older model pick-up truck parked several feet away, and, in the hazy blur of the moonlight he thought that he could see scratches running along the passenger side. And he also could see that the window was a smeary mess. He didn't concern himself about that at this time.
Chief Jim Hopper considered himself a small town sheriff, and small towns were supposed to be peaceful and calm...weren't they? They weren't supposed to have things happen, things that could cast them into the national spotlight. So far they'd been lucky. Hawkins was still flying under the radar. Most major news media outlets weren't interested in small town crime, disappearances, or even murder. And too, Hopper supposed that the town was receiving some help from an outside source (somebody or something, wanted to keep this as quiet as possible).
Anyway, with the closing of "Hawkins Labs" (the secretive and modest company which seemed more now to have been a covert government operation), the "incident" which had taken place had been quickly and quietly covered up. He still didn't know who had been in charge. Although it was said to have been run by the DOE (Department of Energy), Hopper had ideas that the military was involved. Still, he didn't need this...he had his own demons to deal with.
Standing next to his Chevy Blazer he looked around for his deputies Powell and Callahan. The two were nowhere to be seen. He gave a little grunt (well, he did live closer to Millie's than they did, so he could have gotten here quicker). He headed up the steps and into the diner.
Millie's Burger Box was an all-night diner. A food-stop which catered to truckers, but in reality, anyone who came in could get a burger or other eats.
Hopper walked in and heard the little bell on the door chime. There were a couple of truckers inside. Both looked up and glanced at the sheriff, but then returned to their meals. Millie herself was standing behind the counter.
Hopper was about to say something whenever she made a motion for him to remain quiet, and, to come closer so to the counter so that they could speak in private. Hopper approached the bar.
"Hey Chief," Millie said aloud, but then coax him to lean forward a little.
"Yeah Millie, what is it?"
"I've got a couple of kids in back, and they're frightened out of they're wits. With all of the strange things that have happened around town lately, folk disappearing, and that unsolved murder of Benny Hammond."
Hopper's eyebrows lifted. Millie eyeballed him. She gave him a look which suggested that she was nobody's fool.
"Yeah, I know that it was listed as a suicide, but I knew Benny. We were competitors, but in a friendly sense. He wasn't the type of person to take his own life. Anyway, those kids came in all crazed, talking of monsters and stuff. I didn't want them scaring away my customers."
"Where are they now?"
"I put them in a booth in back," she said, "I told them that I would contact their parents but I called you first."
"I'll go talk with them," Hopper said.
************* Moleman **************
Chief Hopper made his way to the back part of Millie's diner. He spotted two teenagers, a boy, and a girl. They looked up and he could see that their faces' were as pale as ghosts. He sat down in the booth with them and secretly pushed the button on a tape recorder that he had concealed within his coat pocket. He had also brought a clipboard with a couple of blank documents, so that he could take their statements.
"Hey kids," he said, "I hear that you've had a little excitement tonight."
Neither of them laughed, nor did they smiled. Hopper could see that his comment hadn't helped to lighten up the situation.
"OK then, let's get down to business," He said. He pulled out a pen so that he could take notes. "Let's start with you son."
For the next several moments Hopper jotted down details of what had happened, first with Morris, and then Tiffany. At no point did he laugh, or make fun (having his own weird experiences had taught him not to discount those of others).
Anyway, the notes he took were sketchy and vague. They could easily be dismissed, or construed into something more believable and plausible.
Morris described the creature as a "Moleman".
"Moleman..." Hopper questioned? "I don't know that it was a Moleman...Seems to me that that doesn't fit the description."
"Well what was it then Sheriff," the boy asked?
"I don't know. We'll take it under investigation."
The two teens looked as if they weren't totally happy with his answer. It seemed that they wanted action, and they wanted it now. Hopper looked at them.
"Who else knows about this," he asked?
"You...and Miss Millie a little bit. But that's all."
"OK, let's keep it that way. You can't tell your parents about this. You can't tell your friends or schoolmates. And you can't tell the town newspaper "The Hawk Eye".
They both looked at him a little confused.
"Look, it's under investigation and we don't want to start a panic. If towns' folk hear about this then we could have a crazy mob running around out in the woods. Someone could get shot. Do you want that?"
It made sense, perfect sense.
"What are we supposed to do then? What about my truck, it's all banged and scratched up?"
Hopper thought for a moment.
"Well, I guess you'll have to tell your parents something, but say that you don't know what it was, which happens to be the truth. Refer them to me."
Hopper's radio began to crackle.
"Chief Hopper come in..."
"Go ahead Flo."
"Tiffany and Morris's parents are...."
"Tell them I'll meet them at the station."
"Can't do that Chief, they're already on their way to Millie's."
"10-4 Flo, I'll take it from here. What about my deputies?"
"Powell is out of town, but Callahan is on the way, should be there shortly."
"Roger."
Hopper looked at the teens.
'You can both go with your parents when they get here," he said, and then he looked at Morris.
"You're truck will have to remain. We need to collect evidence. I'll have Tony tow it to the station and you can pick it up tomorrow."
Morris wasn't too happy about having to leave his truck, but what could he do?
END PART 3
