May 6 1986

14
May 6, 1986 4:22 AM

     Agent Danley had the pot of coffee on and all his files ready to go back to the Sheriff. He was just waiting for another eighteen minutes to go by so he could drive the twenty minutes back to the Sheriff's Department and meet the Sheriff--and his deputies, he hoped--at 5:00 AM on the dot. They would get a plan together and then they would go hit the address, give it all they've got and probably lead the killer off in chains, ready for the cameras.
     Well, it probably wouldn't all go like that, but hey, 4:22 in the morning was a time to dream.
     Agent Danley looked over at the clock. Still not time yet.
     Maybe he ought to call home. It was a little later, though not much. Would anyone be up just yet? Yeah, probably not. But then again, he almost never called when we was on the road. His wife was a high-powered attorney and his daughter was a go-getter National Merit Scholar soon to be Ivy Leaguer. They didn't have time for calls from the road. They'd see him when he got back. If they weren't busy with other things.
     But being in this motel made him remember their humble beginnings. Back when his wife was fresh out of law school and was pregnant with Hailey. When they lived in a small apartment in Virginia, and dreamed of their coming life. In their wildest dreams, they could not have imagined where they would end up, but, when he thought about it, the simplicity of their lives then was enviable. 
     He looked over at the clock. Only four minutes until he could get in the Lincoln Towncar and drive over to the Sheriff's Department. He got up and got himself another little sip of coffee and turned off the maker.
     Being in the field! What a wonderful life that was!