The telephone rang three times in the residence before Sheriff Brock Daniels answered it's persistent annoyance. He was in the middle of writing a report about the Humphrey Jewelers robbery case. Upon retrieving the call, he was glad Cody, who was sitting next to the desk where the phone was located, did not pick up the receiver.

The voice on the other end slowly began, "Good evening, Brock. Yes, this is me! It has been eight long years but I am back! Just like I promised you I would return."

"What do you want?" Sheriff Daniels coldly demanded, obviously in no mood for this interaction.

"Don't be so callous, Brock. It does not become you," he was told, "as I stated, I am back and you know why. It was you who locked me in that hole for all that time. Now, I promise you will suffer as I have!"

Sheriff Daniels almost hung up the phone. He knew Marvin Gadsden was a violent and dangerous adversary just released from the State Pen. The threat grabbed his immediate attention and he listened further to what was being said.

"How is Cody?" he was asked. "From what I am told, he sure is a fine young man. Would hate to see something bad happen to him." A sinister laugh followed. "Perhaps he is delivering his newspapers one fine morning and never returns. Just disappears!"

It was time for Sheriff Daniels to make his point crystal clear, "You leave Cody out of this! Any harm befalls him Gadsden and it will be the biggest mistake of your life! I will hunt you down like the rabid dog you are and exterminate you!"

"My, my. A little testy, aren't we, Brock?" Sheriff Daniels was asked before Gadsden continued saying, "maybe, the real fun would be in going after Beth. So unfortunate you two have separated. However, if a certain type of "accident" was to befall her in Oklahoma City, I have no doubt you would race right to her side." A slight pause and then, "Therefore, my old friend. The real question becomes how are you going to defend Cody and Beth both at the same time when they are in far distant locations from one another? You're good, Brock. But, even you can not be in two different places at once. I want you to dwell on that, awhile. It is indeed an interesting proposition that makes my plans much easier to carry out."

The phone call ended. Daniels knew he was in a quandary with Gadsden's comments. His mind rushed back to the day be brought the convict to justice. Cody, who overheard the conversation, looked up from his ipad. He did not say a word. He did not have to.

His Dad did all the talking by telling him, "Until I say otherwise you do not answer this telephone for any reason, Son. Capice?"

"No problem, Dad," Cody replied. He knew whatever the call was about his Dad would handle it, so he returned to playing Game of Thrones. It wasn't the first time some crackpot called their house.

"I also want you to keep your smartphone with you at all times, and if you feel in harm's way at any time, you call me immediately. Do you understand that, Cody?" Sheriff Daniels asked him.

Without looking up from the screen his baby blues were focused on, Cody responded, "Absolutely. But, I'm not real worried. You'll have whoever that Gadsden dude is back behind bars in no time."

Sheriff Daniels looked at Cody. He was a bit surprised the boy shrugged the impending threat off with such nonchalance.

"Hey, after being shot by the Astatula Assassin, and kidnapped by BeeBo the killer clown, there isn't too much left that could happen to me, Dad," Cody told him, "I mean, I can't live my life in fear. Certain things come with the territory of being your son. You know, the son of the Sheriff. A life I would not trade for anything, by the way! Besides, you always take real good care of me so what do I have to worry about? I'd be more worried about Beth in Oklahoma City than I am about me in Astatula. Besides, I'm still mad at you about that one any way!"

"Beth's leaving is my fault?" Sheriff Daniels casually questioned him.

"Yep!" Cody immediately replied, saying, "As far as I am concerned it is. All of it!"

"Some times things that happen in life are unavoidable, Son, and Beth's leaving was not something either one of us planned on happening," Sheriff Daniels replied to Cody's comment.

"All you had to do was marry her, Dad, and she would still be here. That's all Beth wanted. But, noooo!" Cody began to remark. He wanted to add, "But, you couldn't do that, could you?" Then, decided he better leave that part off, at least, for now.

"I don't want to discuss the subject any further, Cody," his Dad advised him, "we've already talked about all this. What happened happened. Now it is time to move on in life."

"If Beth got hurt real bad what would you do, Dad?" Cody baited. He wanted to know the answer to his question.

Sheriff Daniels paused a moment to collect his thoughts before responding. He dialed a telephone number and had a short conversation with the receiver of that message.

"Does that answer your question, Little Man?" he asked Cody. Looking at the timepiece strapped on his wrist, he stated, "Nine o'clock. And, you have a tennis match to work tomorrow do you not?"

"Just what I figured would happen. You still have feelings for Beth, don't'cha, Dad?" Cody silently thought to himself. A touch of a slight smile creased his face before he answered the question he'd been asked with, "Yep. Sharon's starting a tournament tomorrow. So, I have matches the rest of the week."

"Sharon?" Sheriff Daniels questioned him.

"That's what she wants me to call her, Dad. Sharon," Cody responded wrapped up in his game.

"Does she allow the other Ball Fetchers to call her Sharon?" Sheriff Daniels pondered.

"Nope, only me," Cody answered him.

"Well, I'm not totally sure I like you referring to any adult by their given name, Son. I think you could be a little more respectful than that, don't you?" Sheriff Daniels asked.

"Probably," Cody responded, "perhaps Miss Montoya would be better?"

"Yes, it would be, Son," Sheriff Daniels told him, "as for now, since it is already nine o'clock, bath and bed. Let's go. Get cracking! Time's a-wasting!"

"I'm going, Dad," Cody replied placing his ipad down on the table. "Pleasant screams!" he stated as he headed off to his bedroom.

Sheriff Daniels watched the barefooted boy as he padded out of the room. His life was wrapped up in the youngster. Remembering his report, he walked back to his work desk and picked up his pen to begin writing. He knew Gadsden presented a problem that would have to be dealt with promptly.