Cole's first night on the job as night watchman of the Wood's Close Cemetery was going about as well as could be expected - especially for a cold winter's night. He was bundled up pretty well against the elements and in his small office there on the grounds with the security monitors inside, he had a heater going. He was to spend most of his time in the office, watching the three monitors strategically set up at different points of entry for the cemetery, but he still had to patrol the grounds a few times on his shift just to ensure no vandals or teenagers had found some other way in.
Really, he knew that the job was unnecessary. Everyone knew that the job was unnecessary except for the a few wealthy and elderly members on the city council who insisted on it being a position when they were refused an actual officer from the police department be stationed there permanently. Darryl had warned him he was probably in for a boring cold night, but Cole was just fine with it. He could watch the monitors and get in some studying for the bar while he collected a paycheck. It wasn't a bad deal, all things considered. Still, he hadn't realized just ihow/i boring sitting in a small room with security monitors could actually be.
Around hour two, he turned off the space heater and bundled up in his coat, gloves, and scarf to venture out for his first patrol of the grounds. He made sure to bring his flashlight and to lock the monitor room behind him as he set out into the cold. His breath was visible as he walked through the cemetery grounds and the icy snow crunched beneath his boots. The moon was bright in the sky, providing him enough light to walk by without using his flashlight just yet.
It was eerily quiet, or it would have been to anyone other than Cole Turner. For whatever reason, he felt comfortable and almost comforted when walking around the cemetery. He looked down the rows of headstones, making sure that everything was in order and that he was alone.
For a small town, the cemetery was surprisingly vast, though Cole noted that some of the graves had been there for hundreds of years. Near the end of his walk around the grounds, he heard something from a few rows away behind one of the mausoleums. He headed over that way, figuring it was only some sort of animal, but he thought he'd err on the side of caution anyway. He turned on his flashlight and walked towards the noise.
"Hello?" He called out, feeling a little stupid even as he did so. Who would be there? As he approached, he could have sworn he saw some sort of light emit from behind the building, but when he turned the corner, there was no one to be found. Convinced that his eyes were just playing tricks on him in the moonlight, he turned to go back to the monitor room, only to be startled by who he saw behind him.
"Jesus, you scared the hell out of me," Cole said, still trying to get his heart rate to settle after the fright.
Officer Valerie Pierce was standing before him all bundled up and with two cups of coffee in hand. She smiled a little, amused at frightening him. "Sorry, Darryl had mentioned tonight was your first night. Thought you might need a little pick me up," She admitted. She gave him a glance. "You want to turn that thing off?" She asked him.
Cole was confused for a moment before realizing he was shining his flashlight towards her. "Sorry," He apologized. "I just wasn't expecting anyone out here."
"You mean you didn't think the cemetery would be a hotbed of activity in the middle of the night in the middle of winter? Honestly, I'm shocked," Valerie teased him.
Cole smiled. "Do you want to get in out of the cold for a while?" He asked her. "I was just heading back to the monitor room," He mentioned.
"Ooooh where all the magic happens?" She asked him with a smirk. "I'd love to," She said, more genuinely as they began to walk in that direction. "So... have you had any excitement tonight or am I the most exciting thing you've seen?"
"I thought I saw something earlier, but it must have just been your headlights reflecting when you were pulling up," He mentioned to her.
"Well, that's got to be disappointing," Valerie commented.
He led her over to the little standalone building and unlocked it to let her in.
"Nice setup," She said, looking around as they went inside. Cole went over and turned on the heater as Valerie put their coffees on the desk and shed her winter coat, draping it over the back of one of the chairs before making herself comfortable in it. "I didn't know how you took your coffee, so I just got it black, but I'm sure it's lukewarm by now," She said to him.
Cole went over to join her, putting his own coat aside. "Thank you," Cole said to her. "I appreciate it, even if it turns out to be an iced coffee," He said.
"And don't worry. It's not that high-test stuff from Rea's diner," She assured him.
"Good to know," Cole said with a smile before taking one of the cups and taking a sip. She was right. It was a lot better.
Valerie glanced down at the books he had open on the table. "Getting in some studying?" She asked curiously.
"For the New York Bar Exam," He explained. "It's coming up soon and I have to pass it here if I want to be able to practice law again."
"Again? So you're actually a lawyer? I knew you were way too good looking for this graveyard shift," Valerie said to him. "What kind of law do you practice?"
"Criminal," He said to her. "I apparently used to be a DA back in California."
"Interesting. You know if you're looking to put down roots around here, I've heard rumors that the current DA is looking to retire soon," She mentioned.
"I'll keep that in mind. I've just got to pass this test first before I can even think of running for something like that," He admitted.
"I'm sure you'll do fine. It's like riding a bike, right? Even though the memories aren't there, they're still sort of there," Valerie said.
The pair continued to talk, losing track of time as they chatted and flirted and drank the coffee she'd brought. Cole had to admit, he was thankful for the company and it certainly made the time fly.
"Damn," Valerie commented. "I should probably get going. I've got to go with Sheila to yoga in a few hours," She admitted to him, finally realizing what time it was.
"Thank you for keeping me company on my first shift and for the coffee."
"Anytime, Turner," She said to him with a grin as she got up and put on her coat.
"I'll walk you to your car," Cole offered, getting up as well and putting on his own winter gear.
"That's okay," She assured him. "I'm a big girl. I can manage with all the ghosts around here," She joked. She went towards the door. "Same time tomorrow?," She suggested before heading out before he could stop her.
Cole was a little baffled by her quick exit, but he was intrigued all the same. Still, his first night hadn't been so bad and he was nearly finished with his shift already. He was even looking forward to his next one, especially if Valerie kept her promise.