Back in Mayberry, I got on the phone. I thought I'd give Sheriff Cline a call and say hello. I knew it'd been a while since the two of us talked.
"Sara, give me Sheriff Cline at the Milwaukee Sheriff's Department," I said on the telephone.
I remembered Barney was out on patrol so I wasn't worried about Barney. I listened to the phone ring at my friend's office for a while until somebody picked up.
"Sheriff's office," I heard my friend say on the other end of the line.
"Hi, Jeremy," I said.
"Andy?" Sheriff Cline said in a surprised voice.
"Yes, it's me. You sound like you weren't expecting a call from me," I said.
"I wasn't," Sheriff Cline said.
"Why are you calling me?" Sheriff Cline asked.
"I wanted to say hello," I said.
"Hi."
I could tell my friend didn't sound excited to hear from me. I also could tell Sheriff Cline didn't sound very happy. I wondered what was on my friend's mind.
"What's wrong, Jeremy? You don't sound very happy," I said.
"Nothing's wrong, Andy," Sheriff Cline said in a depressed voice.
"Something's wrong, Jeremy. You don't sound like your old self," I said.
That's when Barney walked into the office. I looked at Barney.
Barney whispered, "Who are you talking to?"
"Sheriff Cline," I whispered back.
"Oh."
"Andy, I was thinking about you lately," Sheriff Cline said.
"You were? That's nice," I said.
Sheriff Cline didn't reply right away. I was trying to figure out what he had on his mind.
"Andy, I was thinking of coming out to Mayberry," Sheriff Cline said.
"You were? I'd like to see you again," I said.
"This is for business, Andy, not for personal vacation," Sheriff Cline said.
"That's okay too, Jeremy. You're welcome to stay at my house with Aunt Bee and Opie and myself," I said.
"Thank you. Let me think about that for a while," Sheriff Cline said.
"Okay," I said.
"I wanted to come out to Mayberry because of my deputy's murder," Sheriff Cline said.
"That's all right, Jeremy. I haven't been able to get anywhere on your case," I said.
"I was wondering what you've found," Sheriff Cline said.
"I'll call you when I'm going to come out," Sheriff Cline said.
"All right. You know where to reach me," I said.
"I still haven't lost your number," Sheriff Cline said.
We hung up after saying good – bye.
"Is he really coming out to Mayberry, Ange?" Barney asked once I put the phone back in its spot.
"What was that all about?" Barney asked.
"Sheriff Cline is thinking of coming out here in Mayberry. He said it's about the case of his deputy. I'm not getting anywhere on this case," I said.
"It looks like it since you keep looking at the same pictures and reports," Barney said.
Once I was at my house for supper that night, I told Opie and Aunt Bee about my telephone conversation with Sheriff Cline.
"He's welcome to stay here with us," Aunt Bee said.
"I told him that, Aunt Bee. When we were talking, he didn't sound like his old self. I think he's changed," I said.
"The poor dear," Aunt Bee said.
"Did he say when he was coming, Pa?" Opie asked.
"No, he didn't. He'll call once he has made a decision," I said.
"Oh. Pa, can we talk?" Opie asked.
"Sure. What's it about?" I asked.
Aunt Bee already knew what it was about because Opie had told her the day he was grounded that he had met Tony Cline, Sheriff Cline's son in Milwaukee and what their conversation was about. Aunt Bee didn't have to guess what this conversation was about so she stayed out of the talk.
"Pa, it's about the case you took," Opie said.
"I said I don't want to hear it," I said.
"Andy, listen to Opie. It'll do you good," Aunt Bee said.
"All right," I said.
"You're still grounded," Andy told Opie.
"I know," Opie said.
He didn't want to be reminded about his punishment.
"What do you have to tell me?" I asked Opie.
"Pa, what I'm going to tell you you're not going to enjoy hearing it," Opie said.
"I'm listening," I said, taking a bite of Aunt Bee's homemade roast beef.
Opie finally spoke up.
"Pa, remember when I went out-of-town for the football game?" Opie asked.
"I do," I said.
"When the school made a touchdown before having a break, I met your friend's son. He's not quarterback for that school. We were face – to – face when they made the touchdown. He told me he wanted to speak to me after the game was over alone," Opie said.
"Is that why you missed your bus back to the hotel?" I asked.
"Yes, Pa," Opie said.
"Please continue," I said, knowing there was more.
"When we finished the game and lost, I met your friend's son in the locker room when everyone left. Do you know what he told me?" Opie asked.
"What?" I asked.
"He told me he was the witness to the murder of his father's murder case twelve years ago," Opie said.
"Do you believe him or is he lying?" I asked.
"I don't think he's lying, Pa. He said his pa doesn't even know he was the witness," Opie said.
"That boy should stop hiding secrets from his family," I said.
Aunt Bee didn't say anything because she had food in her mouth but nodded in agreement.
"He says he doesn't want to tell his pa because he thinks his pa wouldn't let him go anywhere on his own anymore if he tells him," Opie said.
I didn't say anything. I went back to eating the rest of the meal.
In Milwaukee, Sheriff Cline was eating supper with his family. Like most of the nights, he didn't eat much of the meal. Terry had noticed that. She knew it was part of her husband's depression that he would eat a lot or less, depending on his moods.
"How was work today, Jeremy?" Terry asked.
"Fine," he said, his fork touching the meal and he wasn't touching any of it to eat.
"When are you going to let me drive the car again, Terry? I need it for protecting the town," Sheriff Cline said.
"Never. We took it away twelve years ago, Jeremy. After that accident you were in, we decided you won't drive anymore. Period," Terry said.
"I can't be a law enforcement without a car," he said.
"Well, you've got to," Terry Cline said.
"Being sheriff doesn't work that way, Terry," he reminded her.
"I spoke with Andy on the phone today, Terry. I'm thinking of going out to Mayberry soon. I would need the car to go out there," he said.
"No, you're not driving the car out to Mayberry, Jeremy. You'll have to get Tony to drive the car. I know he has school, but I would trust him to take some time off and drive you to Mayberry. I don't want another accident," Terry said.
"I'm only going out there for the case, Terry," Sheriff Cline said.
She didn't say anything.
"Do the Taylors know you have depression?" Terry asked.
"No," Sheriff Cline said.
"Then they'll have to learn the signs while you're out there. It's important if they know your signs, Jeremy. What if they have to reach the suicide hotline while you're out there?" Terry asked.
"That's not going to happen. Stop worrying so much," Sheriff Cline said.
"I have to worry, Jeremy. I'm going to send every single book and brochure I have with you so the Taylors can read up on depression so they can understand you," Terry said.
"Don't do that," he said.
"Too late. I'm going to have Tony give them those to read up on," Terry said.
Sheriff Cline didn't like what she was planning on doing. He wished she'd leave this subject alone but she wouldn't. That's just the way she is, Sheriff Cline thought to himself. He remembered Karen helped him with his medicines at the office since Terry had made arrangements for those plans if he forgot himself. Sheriff Cline then excused himself from the dinner table. The other three watched him like a hawk as he excused himself. Terry knew he didn't eat a single bite that night.
"Tony, you heard our talk tonight. I trust you taking a leave from school if your father plans on going on a business trip to Mayberry. I want you to do all the driving both ways from here to Mayberry and back home when your father is ready to come home. You remember that car accident he was in twelve years ago," Terry Cline said to her sixteen – year – old son.
"I remember, Mom. Do we have to give them all that information on Dad's depression?" Tony asked.
"Yes, if they don't know anything about it," Terry said.
"Oh," he said.
Tony knew he'd never been to Mayberry, North Carolina before. He remembered playing against the high school not too long ago. Tony thought back twelve years ago when his father was first diagnosed with depression. He and Sara missed a lot of school back then because of their dad.
They had all their family members and a lot of friends at the house helping out with his father throughout the entire day and that included medications. Now he was twelve years older, he was helping his father with medications and transportation. He remembered twelve years ago when his father was diagnosed with depression and was in the car accident, his father was suspended from driving for life so he couldn't drive anymore. He remembered all the counseling his father went through twelve years ago and it turned out his depression turned out to be the murder of Andrew Jones that had caused it to happen. Tony knew this is tough but at least his family gets help with his father.