Jefferson rubbed his eyes and rested his chin in his hands.

“Dammit all to hell,” he groaned. “What now?”

Ralph was in no condition to respond, as he was guzzling whiskey from his flask. Jefferson sighed.

“Ralph, I need you to git yerself good ‘n hunkered down. You’re probably the only man in town I can trust.” Before Ralph could respond, Jefferson rolled his eyes. “Don’t go gettin’ all squishy on me, you drunk son of a bitch. I can trust you cuz yer too stupid to get away as clean as whoever’s in charge of this here plot.”

“Oh.” Ralph didn’t seem to know what to say to that.

Jefferson looked out his window at the town. He mused, “Trouble is we got too many suspects and not enough law. I gotta interview both the Yoders and the Chief’s other ex-wives, and I gotta do it before the coroner shows.”

“Well,” Ralph said. “I guess I could do one and you could do the other.”

An excited light came on in Jefferson’s eyes.

And that was how Ralph Ames came to be an officer of the law in Lake Derry.