Several days later, Dave was walking along with a cute dog on a leash. The dog had pointed ears and adorable black eyes. He was also a small dog and that would fit in with a family that had young children. He looked like some kind of terrier mix.

"Oh what a cute dog," said someone as she leaned down to pet him gently. "Hi, Melanie Aston."

"And I'm David Rossi," Dave said shaking the woman's hand politely. "This dog is for sale."

"Oh, is he?" Melanie asked with curiosity in her expression.

"Yes, I'm working with a puppy mill and they've created an outreach program for abandoned dogs. They have a pretty good selection and there're plenty of dogs that never get adopted. If you're interested, I'll let the people who run the mill know to hold this little fellow for you. They can only hold them for week though, before they'll be sold to someone else."

"Well, I have been wanting to get a companion," Melanie admitted. "I live by myself and it will be nice to have someone to come home too."

"I understand, I had a dog until a few years ago and I got a new one recently as I figured it was time," Dave said. "She's the cutest little puppy you can imagine, named Amethyst. My girlfriend heard about the puppy mill from her best friend. I'm sure you know her, as she runs the local bakery."

"Oh, I love that place," Melanie said enthusiastically. "Jazz's treats are just magical. I really have to watch what I eat from there or I'd gain 20 pounds without realizing it."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Dave said smiling. "I love her treats to and try something different every time I'm in there, which is practically every day. If I didn't exercise I'm sure I would've gained a lot of weight by now. Her desserts are just very hard to resist."

"Yes, they are," Melanie agreed.

"So do you want to buy this little guy?" Dave asked. "He'll need his shots and it would be wise to have a computer chip inserted, just in case he gets stolen or lost, as he could lose his collar just by snagging it on something and if someone found him that would be a way to identify his owner."

The little terrier barked again and Melanie leaned down to pet him and got her hand licked for her trouble. "Oh he's so adorable and sweet," Melanie cooed with a sappy expression.

"Yes, he is," Dave agreed smiling.

"I think I'll take him," Melanie said unable to resist the puppy dog eyes that were gazing at her so hopefully. "So what's his name?"

"Curly," Dave said. "Named so because his fur is naturally curly."

"What a cute adorable name," Melanie said, as she picked up the dog, which licked her chin causing Melanie to giggle and cuddle him.

"I'll tell the daughter of the owner, Jackie, that you think so, as she's the one that picked it," Dave said smiling. "She'll be pleased that you'll give him a good home."

Dave then gave Melanie the address of the puppy mill and promised that Curly would be waiting for her.

"I'll go just as soon as I go to the bank," Melanie promised. "I don't have $100 on me."

"Most people don't carry that amount to cash on their person, but this place doesn't take credit cards I'm afraid. They might at some future date but not right now," Dave said.

"It's too bad this place doesn't take credit cards," Melanie said mournfully.

"Sounds like a scam to me," came a hated voice. "What kind of place doesn't take credit cards?"

"Places that can't afford to, usually mom and pop places," Dave told him his nemesis after calmly turning around at the sound of that hated voice. "This place is just starting out so they probably will take credit cards in the future."

"Puppy mills are illegal," Jorge insisted with anger and derision in his tone.

"You need to check your laws son," Dave told him condescendingly. "Puppy mills are not illegal. Jazz and I went to your captain just the other day to get him onboard and do you really believe he'd go along with it if it was really illegal?"

That stopped Jorge cold as he had no idea that Jazz and her boyfriend had talked to his captain, talked him into supporting such a stupid, harebrained idea. Why go to a puppy mill when you could go someplace like the pound where there were plenty of dogs or even a registered breeder or a pet store. That it never even occurred to Jorge that the pound usually only had full grown ones and registered breeder tended to be more expensive then some people could afford showed how thickheaded he really was. As for the pet store while not necessarily a bad idea they only had a limited selection and someone might not find what they were looking for.

"So Captain Bloodworth supports this idea of an outreach program," Melanie acid Dave nodded.

"He was very enthusiastic, as he's a dog lover himself. It helped that he just lost his old hound dog fairly recently, as she was run over by a car. He's already promised that he'll come out when he's able and get one himself."

"Don't listen to that idiot Jorge. He never knows what he's talking about," one person in the forming crowd shouted.

"I am not an idiot," Jorge responded fiercely spinning around trying to locate the person that had shouted.

"Can't prove it by me," another voice shouted. A male this time instead of female. "You're always spouting off and most of the time you turn out to be wrong, just like you're wrong about this."

Jorge looked furious at this, but then nobody in town really liked him so felt free to ridicule him, as he was always saying things and annoying people. People did their best to avoid him, but with this being such a small place that was nearly impossible.

"You take that back or I'll just arrest everyone," Jorge said.

"You can't," Dave informed him with laughter in his eyes. Jazz was right this guy was an idiot and so sure of his own importance that he didn't see he was making a fool of himself. As much as he didn't want to lower himself to Jorge's level he was enjoying the other man's humiliation, but then, he had made enough of a pest of himself whenever he saw Dave with Jazz that it was well deserved.

"And why can't I?" Jorge demanded sounding rather petulant. Like a child denied a sweet.

"Because they have broken no laws and neither have I," Dave informed him with a smirk. "You started this confrontation, just because I'm dating Jazz, someone you want to date yourself. Even you have to know that you don't have a leg to stand on."

"Why you!" Jorge said starting forward his hand clenched into fists and it was clear it was about to get physical.

"Don't be an idiot Jorge. This guy will press charges faster than you can blink. I mean you're an officer of the law goddamnit, so act like one," A male voice shouted. "If you hit this guy and he presses charges what will that do to your career?"

That stopped Jorge cold and gave him time to control his anger. "You're not good enough for Jazz," Jorge told Dave with contempt. "What do you have that I don't? I mean we grew up together while you're just a visitor."

The way Jorge said visitor was said with utter contempt.

"Do you want to know what I have that you don't," Dave asked calmly then continued not waiting on the other man's answer. "For one thing, I'm polite and I don't cause scenes in public places. Second, I don't go out of my way to annoy people with my stupid comments when you know nothing about a subject. The perfect example is when you commented a few minutes ago about puppy mills being illegal, when they most definitely are not.

"Third, I don't make negative comments about other people, whether behind their back or to their faces. You're lucky someone hasn't slapped you silly or punched you in the face. You have no right to comment about others, especially when it's negative, even if it's true. It's no wonder that most people in this town don't like you as you have the personality and manners of a neanderthal. You have absolutely no class and would probably treat any woman who was stupid enough to date you like she was your slave.

"Just look at how you've been treating a woman you supposedly care for, like you think harassing her will get her to date you. If that's what you believe that's just stupid, as no woman in her right mind would date or marry someone who treats her like crap. If they did they would dump your ass soon afterwards, as I can't see any intelligent woman putting up with your attitude for very long.

"Finally, Jazz has every right to date who she pleases and she hates your guts for all your harassment, your nasty comments and your attempts four years ago to get her to confess to a murder she hadn't committed."

Jorge blushed in embarrassment at that last sentence, mostly because Jazz had told this virtual stranger all about what happened when she had returned town from college. He felt betrayed by the woman he loved and was determined to make her his in any way possible.

"We've had many conversations about you and none of them were good. You've gone from just annoying her to making her angry, bad decision," Dave continued

Jorge winced and knew very well that Jazzlyn had a temper that was quite ferocious when it was properly riled.

"I plan on sticking around as long as Jazz wants me to. If she tells me to get lost I'll go, though I don't really see that happening, as we were just talking about marriage not long ago. That you believed she was capable of murder and said so in front of numerous people embarrassing her and doing her reputation considerable harm did not win you any brownie points with her or her family and in fact, it only made her more annoyed with you. You harassed her to confess instead of looking for other suspects because of circumstantial evidence, which does not a case make and any sensible person would know that. You were so sure she was guilty that you didn't give her the benefit of the doubt, which proves you have no loyalty to her or probably anybody, except yourself. Probably not even your parents. After all, the law does state innocent until proven guilty, something you totally ignored in order to prove you were right."

Dave's words implied that Jorge was anything but sensible, which caused the other man's face to go red with anger.

"Her parents at least heartily dislike you for what you did to their daughter and her brothers and sister aren't exactly very happy with you either, so you won't be welcome in their homes anytime soon. If Jazz was dumb enough to marry you, well, I know her parents would not approve and I can see her divorcing you within a couple of years, when you treat her like a servant instead of an equal. For instance, I can see you demanding to sell the bakery because she's not spending enough time with you and you're too stupid to see that she loves it. It's always been her dream to open one.

"You think you're the type of man for Jazz, but you're not. You have an overblown ego and think that no women can resist you when most of them hate your guts or at least heartily dislike you and probably avoid you like you have a contagious disease. All you know how to do is insult people and brag about your investigative powers when you really don't do any work at all. You just ride around on others more competent coattails instead. If this was a large city you never would've been still employed as a police officer. Officers of the law have to be polite even to persons of interests and I'm sure you would have so many complaints filed against you that you'd be fired or at the very least put somewhere where you could do no harm with your idiocy."

"Like traffic," someone yelled and it was definitely a female voice this time. "That would fit the likes of you Jorge. I wouldn't date you if you were the last man in the whole world, so I can't really blame Jazz for saying no to you."

"I would think he would take the hint," said another voice. "And yet he keeps persisting."

"He's too thick for that," said another voice in a condensing tone.

"What's going on?" came a booming voice.

"Captain Bloodworth," Jorge stuttered looking as white as a sheet. He knew that he had started this scene and this might very well be the last straw when it came to his career.

"Well?" the captain demanded.

"Well sir," Melanie said coming forward still holding Curly in her arms. "David Rossi, was walking Curly here and told me he was for sale when he knew I was interested. He just gave me the address of the place and said Curly would be waiting on me as soon as I could get there with the money. Jorge then came up and told everyone that it sounded like a scam just because they didn't take credit cards and that puppy mills were illegal until Mr. Rossi corrected him about that, which he didn't take to well. Jorge was about to attack him..." Melanie went on to tell the rest of what happened while Captain Bloodworth listened intently. Bloodworth looked around and at the crowd and it was apparent that they readily agreed with Melanie's recitation of events.

"Mason we will be having a very serious talk, so you better be prepared son. This last confrontation is not going to do your career any good," Captain Bloodworth told his subordinate with a resigned expression.

Jorge hung his head, though he glared at Dave hatefully at the same time and it was clear who he felt was responsible for his current situation.

"So what do you believe caused this?" Bloodworth asked Dave directly.

Dave was sure that the captain already knew the answer, but gave his opinion anyway since that was what the captain seemed to want. "Well, as you know captain, Jazz and I have been dating. However, Jorge here has had a crush on her at least since she rescued him from being beaten up back when they were kids. Instead of letting his crush fade naturally he has been harassing her for quite awhile, ever since she returned to town from what I understand. First, he was determined to prove she murdered that visitor to your fine town, due entirely too circumstantial evidence. He didn't bother to investigate any farther as he was so sure she had done it. When it was proved she was innocent he didn't take that well, never apologized from what I understand from Jazz. Jazz has tried everything to discourage him, but he comes into her bakery, just to annoy her and she has threatened to ban him more than once. When he'd learned that we were dating he caused a worse scene than what I hear is normal. He literally pitched a fit and said how Jazz's mother would be ashamed of her for throwing herself at me. Jazz put him in his place and he wasn't happy about that."

"I remember that," said someone in the crowd. "I was there when it happened. Really, Jazz and Dave here were not doing anything wrong at all other than flirting a little, something everybody does to show they're interested in another. It might've gotten a little hot and heavy, but they were hardly taking off their clothes in public."

The Captain listened and made his decision. It was clear that the citizens supported Melanie's testimony and Rossi's words. Also, it was apparent that Jorge was the one that had started the confrontation he had witnessed the tail end of.

"Jorge Mason, you are suspended for the next 30 days," Captain Bloodworth informed his officer who looked ready to protest. "I suggest that you use the time to think about the consequences if you keep on the path you are on. I had heard rumors about you annoying Jazzlyn Lincoln, but since she never filed an official complaint I could do nothing. However, other people, who aren't as patient, have filed complaints against you and you are dangerously close to being fired.

"I suggest you use your free time to change your attitude and to think about what will happen if you get anymore complaints. You've already ruined the chance of advancement because of how you handled the murder of that visitor to Moonlight Gorge. You did not do a proper investigation and just focused on Ms. Lincoln, as the only suspect.

"This was not your first mistake, but it was the most serious and as Mr. Rossi said, did her reputation great harm telling everybody she had done it when there was only circumstantial evidence not solid proof. We might be a small town, but we do things properly here and just don't decide the first suspect is the one that committed the crime unless there's proof of that fact, solid proof," Captain Bloodworth emphasized the last two words on purpose. "Now, I suggest you head back to the station while I fill out the paperwork for your suspension for the next month. You can consider this little incident another black mark on your record."

Jorge nodded at his commanding officer looking rather downcast, but if anybody deserved it, it was Jorge Mason.

Once Jorge was out of sight Captain Bloodworth turned back to the crowd. "Just so everyone is clear. Yes, I did agree to participate in the outreach program for dogs. I haven't had another dog in several years since Downey died soon after my wife from being run over and I believe it is time to get another. I will be taking care of that as soon as I have a free day. I would like to check out this operation and make sure it is being run properly as well. So long as the puppy mill owners are not breaking any laws it is perfectly legal to get a dog or any other animal from one. If you wanted an animal to love to brighten your lives whether you live alone or have children I suggest you try this place. I'm sure that they can satisfy any customer and the dogs that reside there will find their forever homes. Please think about participating, as it will make you, your family and the dogs very happy."

Melanie handed Curly back to Dave after she had petted him one more time. "I'll see you soon," Melanie said tearfully, as she had already grown very fond of the small dog.

Curly whimpered unhappily at being taken away from Melanie. He wagged his tail and gazed at the woman hopefully.

"You will," Dave promised, as Curly licked him on the chin. "I had better get Curly here, back to the mill.

"Come along son there are some things I'd like to discuss with you, before you return Curly to the puppy mill," Captain Bloodworth commanded Dave.

"Yes, sir," Dave said respectfully.

Captain Bloodworth was the type of person that Dave definitely respected. He was definitely no nonsense as Jazz had told him, but from what Dave had observed he was also competent. A lot a small town cops were not and couldn't solve their way out of a wet paper bag. Other than Jorge, Dave was sure that the rest of the force was probably competent as he couldn't see two or more problem children on such a small force of probably no more than a dozen or so, if that many.

The captain and Dave walked off together and started talking quietly enough that no one could overhear their conversation. All the crowd could see was Dave nodding and responding to whatever the captain was saying but the conversation was soon over.

"I'll look forward to your wedding son," Captain Bloodworth said quietly once he had been assured that Dave would be proposing to Jazz soon. "You make that girl happy and we'll have no problems. She's been through enough."

"Yes, sir, she has," agreed Dave calmly while petting Curly. "She told me a lot about her troubles, though I'm sure I still haven't heard everything."

"I've known that girl and her family nearly all her life and I have no idea how she's had the patience to put up with all the crap Officer Mason has been giving her. She must have the patience of a saint."

"Well, she ran out of patience sometime ago, so if Jorge doesn't watch it, he's going to end up with at least a broken nose," Dave informed Captain Bloodworth who didn't look surprised. Everybody in town knew Jazzlyn Lincoln had a temper, that she had held it so well over the last four years was practically a miracle. Most people would've lost their tempers at his officer long since.

"And then, I'll have to arrest her for assault, as I'm sure that Officer Mason will press charges, though I won't say he doesn't deserve it," Bloodworth said. "I'll do my best to talk him out of them and point out how he's been harassing her, but there's no guarantees he'll listen. Jorge Mason is not very good at listening to others, even to his captain."

Bloodworth sighed gustily obviously tired of Jorge Mason and all the trouble he brought to his door. Dave couldn't really blame the captain for that.

"Officers like Mason are one of the main reasons I left the big city and came to this small town in the first place, you know. I had to deal with idiots like him every day. Ones who didn't have the sense that God gave a chicken or the intelligence and instincts to be a good officer of the law. I know that he's rather bothersome. I've heard rumors," the captain explained. "After all, this is a small town."

"I'm well aware of how rumor mills operate in a small town like this one," Dave said. "All you have to do is listen to people and you get to hear a lot of information."

"Yeah, that's one of the problems with the small town, everyone knows everyone else's business," Bloodworth admitted. "You go take care of Jazz son. I expect to be hearing a wedding announcement sometime soon. That'll really put a bee up Jorge's butt."

"I don't usually like to speak bad about anyone, but I have to say, no one deserves it more," Dave committed to the captain.

"He's really annoyed you hasn't he, son?" Bloodworth asked and Dave nodded.

"I'm usually pretty hard to annoy and take most things in stride, as I know that not everybody meshes well personalitywise, but Jorge Mason has managed it. He just better stay away from Jazz is all I have to say. She is all out of patience with his antics," Dave told the captain.

"I don't blame her, as I would've lost my patience a long time ago," Captain Bloodworth said.

Dave said goodbye to the captain and headed to his mate's bakery to tell her what had happened before he took Curly back to the mill.

~~~Dave and Jazzlyn~~~