“Explain,” I said. “All of it. Right now.”
Grant took a deep breath.
“Seven months ago, I applied to the Fort Wayne Police Department. I didn’t tell anybody. I took the written test. I passed. I did the physical. I passed. The background check took two months. They talked to everybody. My old teachers. My old boss at the tire shop. They pulled up the Kroger thing from when I was fifteen. I had to sit in a room with a sergeant and explain it.”
He laughed a little. It wasn’t really a laugh.
“I thought that was it. I thought they’d throw me out. But I told him the truth. I told him I was an angry kid whose dad walked out, and I did a lot of stupid stuff, and my mom never stopped showing up. And he let me in.”
Nobody said anything.
“I started the academy in April. Twenty-four weeks. I told everybody I’d gotten a job working nights at a warehouse. That’s why I was never around. That’s why I missed Easter. That’s why I missed Eliza’s birthday.”
“You told me you had the flu,” Eliza whispered.
“I had a firearms qualification,” Grant said. “I’m sorry, Lizzie.”
“Today,” he went on, “was the swearing-in. Three o’clock at the Rousseau Centre downtown. That’s when they give you your badge. I was supposed to be done by four. I was going to drive straight to your house, pick you up, and bring you here.”
“And?”
“And then my field training officer pulled the whole class into a room at four o’clock for paperwork. Payroll. Health insurance forms. My pension enrollment. Equipment sign-out. They wouldn’t let anybody leave until it was done. They took our phones at the door. I didn’t get out until almost eight-thirty.”
He pointed behind me at the officer who’d driven me.
“That’s Nate. Officer Nate Alvarez. He was a year ahead of me at the academy. He’s my friend. I called him from the parking lot and begged him to go get you while I finished signing out my gear. I wrote the note on the back of a payroll form.”
“Don’t call anyone,” I said. “Don’t ask questions.”
“I thought it sounded mysterious,” Grant said miserably. “Like a spy movie. In my head it was funny.”
“Grant,” I said. “In my head, it was your funeral.”
Lila Hart is a dedicated Digital Archivist and Research Specialist with a keen eye for preserving and curating meaningful content. At TheArchivists, she specializes in organizing and managing digital archives, ensuring that valuable stories and historical moments are accessible for generations to come.
Lila earned her degree in History and Archival Studies from the University of Edinburgh, where she cultivated her passion for documenting the past and preserving cultural heritage. Her expertise lies in combining traditional archival techniques with modern digital tools, allowing her to create comprehensive and engaging collections that resonate with audiences worldwide.
At TheArchivists, Lila is known for her meticulous attention to detail and her ability to uncover hidden gems within extensive archives. Her work is praised for its depth, authenticity, and contribution to the preservation of knowledge in the digital age.
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