Chapter 1: A brand new day
"Looks like it was a possible homicide." Stinky said to Arnold as Arnold closed the door to his black pickup truck.
"Out here?" Arnold asked, Taking a look around. They were standing in the middle of a wide open field. Nothing but blue sky surrounding them for miles and miles.
"Where's the body?" Arnold asked, looking toward Stinky.
"Over yonder." Stinky replied, motioning over his left shoulder." About 100 yards off the road."
"Alright." Arnold said with a small grunt. He secured the dark brown cowboy hat on his head as he made his way across the field.
Letting out a small sigh, an uneasy feeling started to overcome him. This was only his third dead body since becoming the youngest sheriff in Hillwood county at just twenty six years old.
The first was an elderly male. Caucasian in his late seventies. His neighbor was out walking her dog one day and noticed a smell coming from his house as she walked by.
Turns out, the man had mistaken his painkillers for his heartburn medication. The case was closed as an accidental overdose. The man had been widowed a few years back and there was no one to take care of him.
'I lost a lot of sleep over that case.' Arnold thought to himself.' My grandparents have been there for me my whole life. I don't know what I would do without them.'
He could feel goosebumps start to rise on his back now. He could make out blue jean pants on the victim now as he started to approach.
The second case was a young Caucasian woman. Arnold had been sheriff for about seven months at the time. The woman was in her late thirties at a gas station. She was on the run from her husband who had threatened to take her life if she had tried to run away.
She took the risk anyway and had ended up needing fuel. She stopped at Larry's gas station right on the north end of Hillwood county. Her boyfriend had caught up with her.
'Seventeen times.' Arnold thought to himself.' He stabbed her 17 times and then hid in the gas station bathroom outside until we arrived.'
Seeing the pool of dark red blood around the gas pump was something Arnold could never forget. More sleepless nights and waking up in a pool of his own sweat lasted for about a month.
But that was just a part of the job.' I can make a difference in this world. I just have to believe I can.'
"Bullet entered in through the feller's back. I couldn't find no drivers license on him." Stinky said with a sigh as he knelt down by the young man.
"I didn't want to mess up the crime scene until you got here." Stinky looked up at Arnold." But just looking at him I think the body was dumped here."
Arnold just continued to stare at the young man lying face down in the dirt. A chill ran up his spine. He looked to be about the same age as Arnold and Stinky.
He had on a blue button up shirt. A small hole with a red red around it was on his upper back.
"Come on Stinky." Arnold said as he knelt down." Let's roll him over."
As easy as they could, they rolled the body revealing dried bloody soil beneath him. A large exit wound from the bullet was protruding from his chest.
"Okay." Arnold said as calmly as he could as they laid the man on his back." So, this man was shot in the back with a pretty high caliber pistol."
"I think he was dumped here, man." Stinky sighed aloud.
Taking another look at the bloody dirt, Arnold lifted a hand up to Stinky." Let me see some gloves, Stinky."
"Sure, boss." Stinky said as he reached in his front pocket of his tan police uniform.
"Whatcha see?" Stinky asked as Arnold put the blue gloves on his hands.
"I don't think the body was dumped here." Arnold felt his hand around, trying to find a hole in the dirt.
He gently rubbed the ground until he felt a small puncture in the ground with his index finger.
"There we go." Arnold grunted as he stuck his finger in the ground. After wiggling his finger in the dirt, he felt something small and metallic.
"Stinky, get one of your evidence bags out."
"Coming right on up." Stinky replied as he walked over to Arnold and handed him the small plastic bag.
"Found the slug." Arnold stated as he put the small deposit of lead into the bag." I'll get it looked at when we get back to the station. Find out what caliber it is."
Arnold handed the bag to Stinky and started to peel the gloves off of his hands.
"There's Helga." Stinky stated as he looked back up to the road.
'Oh shit.' Arnold thought to himself. He couldn't get over the way his heart fluttered when she was around him. Still after three months.
Arnold looked and pulling up behind his truck was a white Hillwood patrol car parked. He could see the blonde ponytail on Helga's head as she opened the door.
"Where's Sid at?" Arnold asked, looking back at his friend.
"I don't rightfully know." Stinky replied, looking back at his friend." He never radioed in and said where he was at, or if he was at another call."
Arnold nodded." Well if he does call. Tell him I need to talk to him when we get back to the station. When there's a murder, I need everyone here. If you can help it."
"Will do, Arnold." Stinky and Arnold looked back to see the blonde approaching them.
"What are you two country bumpkins lookin at?" Helga asked with a small smile as she walked over to the body.
"You recognize him?" Arnold asked, as Helga knelt down to get a better look at the victim.
"Not a clue." Helga said with a small sigh." I'll just get some pictures of the crime scene."
Arnold nodded." Okay well I'm going to take this slug I found and get it cleaned so I can tell what caliber it is. Once you're done with the crime scene I'll call and get this body to the morgue."
"Stinky." Arnold said, addressing his friend." Go around to all the neighbors' houses and ask if they've heard any gunshots in the area in the past forty eight hours."
"Will do." Stinky replied as he started making his way back to his patrol car.
"Also, Stinky." Stinky turned back to face Arnold." You did say someone called this in from the road didn't they?"
"Yeah. Some feller named Anthony saw it this morning from the road. Said he wasn't from around here."
Arnold nodded." Okay, I'll see you at the station later."
As stinky waved goodbye, Arnold turned back to see Helga just staring at the victim.
"Everything okay?" Arnold asked as he walked over and knelt down beside her.
"Yeah." Helga said, seeming to snap out of her trance." It's just…"
"What?" Arnold asked, concerned for his deputy now.
"Back home in the big city, you see murders everyday as a cop." He said as she looked up at Arnold now." I guess being out here in remote country, I didn't expect to see one in my first three months on the job."
"This place will surprise you." Arnold said with a small shrug. "Let's just hope this one is the last one we see for a while."
Helga nodded." We can hope."
Three months ago
"Are you sheriff Shortman?" Arnold heard a feminine voice coming from outside his office door.
"Yes, come in!" Arnold said with a smile as he stood up and pulled a chair up to his desk.
"Wow." The taller than usual blonde said as she walked in the door." Pretty bare isn't it."
Arnold looked around the blank walls of the office and smiled." Yeah it's still a work in progress. I have got to find time to get some decorations in here."
Helga continued to analyze the bare dark wood frame walls. To her right was a large window where she could see almost all of the small town outside. Her eyes wandered back to Arnold's large wooden desk.
"Pretty short staffed around here ain't you?" Helga said softly as she took a seat. Arnold sat down across from her.
A few seconds of silence went by. Arnold just stared at the empty desk in front of him.
"Mr. Shortman?" Helga said aloud, turning Arnold's eyes back to hers.
"I'm sorry." Arnold stammered." Please, just call me Arnold." He reached out his right hand over the table.
Helga obliged and shook his hand." Just call me, Helga."
"Nice to meet you, Helga." Arnold said with a smile as he leaned back in his chair." I sure am glad you called me yesterday. We really need your help."
"Yeah I can tell." Helga said with a small giggle as she looked around the office again. However, once she looked back Arnold's way. She could tell he was in no joking mood.
"I'm sorry." She looked back at him with her huge ocean blue eyes.
Arnold couldn't help but notice just how pretty her eyes were. Her short and cute little button nose. The long blonde ponytail she sported.
'Come on Arnold, pull it together.'
"It's alright." Arnold replied with a smile." I won't lie to you, Helga. We need your help badly. It's just me and two deputies here. And nine months ago I was just a deputy myself."
"Yeah, that makes me wonder a little bit." Helga replied, concern painted on her face now." Why is everyone in this department so young? I mean I'm not complaining. I'm young myself."
"Well…" Arnold's voice drifted off. He looked away from Helga and out of the big glass window to his left." The public wasn't too happy about it either.
"If you don't mind me asking." Helga asked, what happened?" You don't have to tell me."
Arnold let out a sigh as he stood up. He walked over to the window to look outside at the small two street town of Hillwood.
"I'm going to tell you, because you will be working here and you deserve the truth." Arnold looked back at Helga who had now stood up herself. Her slim figure painted an even smaller shadow behind her.
"Nine months ago, I found out that my old boss was helping run a prostitution business through the county. They would pay him for protection and in return he wouldn't talk. I found out and called the federal law."
"Criminy." Helga said softly." I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's okay." Arnold replied with a small smile." I had been a deputy for about two years before that happened. Him and the other older deputy that was here were both found guilty. That just left me and my partner Sid to run this place. I got Stinky hired on here about a month after I was sheriff.
"Wait, Stinky?" Helga asked with a smirk.
"Yes, that's his real name." Arnold said with a sigh." Just don't give him crap about it."
"I'll try." Helga replied with a giggle.
Arnold sighed and sat down back at his desk." Anyways, I was named sheriff for the next two years until my first election comes up."
"Sounds exciting." Helga replied as she sat back down herself.
"Anyways." Arnold threw his hands up in the air." I haven't heard much about you."
"What about me?" Helga asked as she leaned back in her chair.
"Big city cop from Seattle. How did you make your way to this part of the country?" Arnold asked with a shrug.
Helga sighed and looked out of the window to her left."Change of scenery. I was tired of the same ole same ole grind of being a city kid. So, I traveled out here to get a taste of the country life."
Suddenly, radio frequency could be heard coming from Arnold's chest." We have possible 764 in progress. Arnold, can you make it to the south end of the country on vine wood road?"
Arnold looked up at Helga." I'm sorry, that's Sid. I have to take this." He said as he stood up.
"It's okay." Helga said as she stood up herself.
"How about Monday?" Arnold asked as he grabbed his cowboy hat off of his desk and placed it on his head.
"To start?" Helga asked as Arnold opened the door of his office for Helga.
"Sure thing." Arnold replied as she walked over right next to him. He could smell a small hint of sweet perfume she was wearing. Damn it smelled good.
"See you Monday, sheriff." Helga said with a small smile as she walked out of Arnold's office.
…
Helga made it outside to her small blue car outside and took a seat in the driver's seat
Looking around to make sure no one could see her. She looked back over to see Arnold walking to his black patrol truck. He was currently putting on a thick tan jacket to prepare for the elements.
"Okay, Helga girl." She said with a sigh." He almost asked too many personal questions. But you were saved by the bell."
She let out a sigh and placed a hand over her face.
"This is a brand new beginning Helga. No one knows you are here. Do not screw this one up."
"Plus I might like it here." She said as she watched Arnold drive off. A small smirk formed on her lips." If that hottie sheriff stays around this job might not be half bad."
NOTE FROM ME!
Hello everyone. I am a newer writer here and I grew up loving this show! I also love the show Longmire, if you've never seen it, give it a try.
Also, disclaimer, I don't own this show, any of these characters, or any of these locations. I am just trying to write a fun little story and incorporate my own little twists and mysteries to this.
Anyways, I figured I would give this a try. I know it's very different from a lot of the stories on this forum so I will try my best. There will be some darker moments so I might crank this up to a mature rating once we get further along.
I hope you guys enjoy it. Tell me what you think in the comments!