Orchid Beach

CHAPTER

34

The middle of the following week, Holly had her job interview with the city council. She was ushered into the meeting room and reintroduced to all the councilmen, which was unnecessary, since she had long since learned their names.

John Westover did the initial talking. “I don’t believe you’ve met Ted Michaels, our city manager,” he said, indicating a chubby man in his middle thirties sitting at the end of the table.

Holly shook his hand. “Good to meet you, Ted.”

“Sorry I haven’t been in to introduce myself, but I’ve been on vacation,” Michaels said.

“Ted doesn’t have a vote in these proceedings, but we respect his opinion, and we’re glad to have it,” Westover said. “Now, Holly, we’ve received a number of applications, and we’ve interviewed three other people for the job of chief, including Hurd Wallace and two out-of-towners. You will be our final interviewee before we make a decision on who to hire. Hurd Wallace has told us that, if he is hired as chief, he will retain you as deputy chief. Should we give him the job, would you stay on in that capacity?”

This was a question Holly had not been expecting. “John, I don’t think I can give you an answer to that question. I’ve never discussed that possibility with Hurd, and, of course, I’ve never worked for him. I suppose I’ll just have to cross that bridge if I come to it.”

“Fair enough,” Westover said. “Now let me present the other side of the coin: if we hire you as chief, will you retain Hurd Wallace as your deputy?”

This one Holly had been expecting. “John, since I’ve been on the job, Hurd has conducted himself properly and has shown himself to be a competent police officer. I haven’t decided if I would need a deputy chief—Chet Marley operated without one for years—but if I decide that I do, Hurd would certainly be a prominent candidate for the job.”

“Would you agree that, since you are new in Orchid Beach, it might be very useful to have a deputy who knew the town well, as opposed to an outsider?”

“I think that any chief of police would be well advised to promote from within whenever someone within is well qualified.”

“I seem to be having trouble getting a commitment from you on this, Holly.”

“If I am named chief, I expect to have the authority to hire and fire all the personnel under my command, within budget constraints. Chet Marley had that authority, and I don’t think I would accept the job under conditions that were less favorable than those in Chet’s contract, except that I would not expect to begin the job at Chet’s most recent salary.”

Charlie Peterson interrupted. “Hurd made more or less the same statement in his interview, I believe.”

“Yes,” Westover muttered. “Tell me, do you anticipate that you would make any changes in the department, if you were hired?”

“Very few,” Holly said. “I have noticed that there are only five women including me among thirty-six officers, and I think the balance might be somewhat redressed, given female applicants with the proper qualifications.”

“Are you suggesting using affirmative action guidelines?” Frank Hessian asked.

“No. In a field of applicants I would hire the best person. If I had two equally qualified candidates and one was female, I would tend to hire the female, for purposes of balance.”

Everybody thought about that for a minute, and no one objected.

“Anyone else have any questions?” Westover asked.

“Under what circumstances would you fire an officer?” Howard Goldman asked.

“For cause,” Holly said, “to include criminal activity, brutality with suspects or members of the public, consorting with criminals, a pattern of spousal abuse, abuse of authority, and, of course, incompetence. There might well be other reasons.”

“Would you have any hesitation to arrest one of your own officers who had committed a crime?”

“None whatever. I believe that police officers have a special obligation to behave within the law.”

“Good,” Goldman said.

Frank Hessian spoke up. “Would you oppose unionization of your department?”

“I would do everything I could, within my budget, to make a union unnecessary. If officers are decently paid and well treated, and ours are, I don’t think the question will arise. In general, I would prefer to deal with individuals instead of a union, particularly in a department of our size.”

There was a brief silence, then Irma Taggert spoke up. “Do you think the personal behavior of a police officer should be above reproach?”

A little warning bell rang inside Holly’s head. “That goes without saying,” Holly replied. Taggert was about to continue, but Holly interrupted her. “Of course, there is a very wide range of opinion as to what constitutes behavior worthy of reproach. Generally speaking, I would adhere to the same standard that I would require of the officers under my command, as I mentioned earlier, in answer to Howard’s question.”

Irma Taggert pressed on. “Do you feel that it is proper for a female police officer to publicly consort with a man?”

Holly frowned. “Is there a dictionary available?”

Ted Michaels went to a bookcase, found a dictionary and handed it to Holly.

Holly looked up the word. “‘Consort: Keep company; associate; harmonize.’” She looked up at Taggert. “Yes, I do think it is proper.”

“That’s not exactly what I had in mind,” Taggert said.

“What, exactly, did you have in mind, Irma? And please be direct.” Holly smiled a little.

“I mean that it has come to our…my attention that you, an unmarried woman, are living with a man.”

“I live with a dog named Daisy,” Holly said.

“All right, sleeping at his house from time to time.”

Charlie Peterson spoke up. “Now wait a minute, Irma…”

Holly held up a hand. “It’s all right, Charlie. Irma, I will tell you that I am a grown woman, and I conduct myself by my own ideas of proper behavior, ideas formed in a happy home with good parents and in the Baptist Church, with which I do not always agree. Unless you wish to make a formal charge of misconduct, that is all I have to say on that subject.”

Taggert was about to reply, but Charlie Peterson would not be stopped this time. “Irma, your comments are improper and irrelevant to these proceedings,” he said. “Unless you have relevant questions to ask, it’s time for you to be quiet.”

Taggert clamped her jaw shut and turned red.

John Westover spoke up again. “Holly, are you aware that there is a city ordinance against landing an aircraft on our beaches?”

“I am aware of that, John. I think you may be referring to such a landing last Sunday afternoon.”

“I am.”

“The landing took place about a mile outside the city limits.”

“Oh,” Westover said, glaring at Irma Taggert.

“I was flying just off the beach at low altitude with a friend at the controls when I observed what appeared to be a burglary in progress. We landed on the beach and investigated, rousting the burglar, who fled in a white truck. I called in a bulletin on the truck, then we took off from the beach and searched further for the vehicle from the air. As it turned out, there were too many white trucks in town for the search to be successful.”

“I understand,” Westover said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to criticize.”

“Thank you, John. I should tell you that I was sufficiently impressed with the aerial search experience to think that, at some time in the future, it might be a good idea to investigate the possibility of having a police aircraft, if the need exists, and if such a program could be cost effective.”

“Interesting idea,” Charlie Peterson said. “I have a question, Holly. What do you think of Orchid Beach and your department so far?”

“I think Orchid Beach is an extraordinarily good place to live and work, and I think that the department I have joined is extremely well organized and trained. My father has retired from the army and has come to live here, and that gives me a family again, which I had begun to miss. I want very much to continue in the chief’s job, and I hope for your favorable action on my application.”

“Thank you, Holly,” John Westover said. “I think that concludes the interview. We expect to make an early decision, and we’ll be in touch.”

“Thank you, John. Thank you all.” Holly stood up and left. Alone in the hallway, she stopped and leaned against a wall for support. Her heart was thumping, and she had begun to perspire.