PART 2 — THE STATE KNOCKED ON HIS DOOR
Sheriff Gaines stood on my porch, pointing at me like I was the criminal.
“You had no right to go over my head.”
I looked at him.
“I went where the evidence led.”
“You’ve embarrassed this entire county.”
“No,” I said quietly. “You did that yourself.”
His jaw tightened.
Behind him, one of the state investigators shifted his weight.
“Sheriff,” he said, “this isn’t the place.”
Gaines ignored him.
“You think your Army background makes you untouchable?”
I shook my head.
“No.”
I looked back at Drew.
“My son is the reason I did this.”
Drew stepped forward.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
“You broke my arm.”
Gaines turned toward him.
“I didn’t touch you.”
“No.”
Drew looked directly at him.
“But you protected the person who did.”
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then the state investigator handed Gaines an envelope.
“Sheriff Gaines, you are required to report to the state office Monday morning.”
Gaines stared at the envelope.
“What is this?”
“A notice of administrative investigation.”
His face changed.
“On what grounds?”
The investigator looked at me.
Then at Drew.
“Failure to properly investigate a reported assault involving a minor.”
Gaines laughed nervously.
“This is ridiculous.”
“No,” the investigator replied. “What’s ridiculous is that we have four additional complaints from parents that were never properly investigated.”
Gaines went silent.
I looked at him.
“You weren’t protecting your son.”
“You were protecting yourself.”
His eyes hardened.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Maybe not.”
I paused.
“But the documents do.”
He looked toward Drew.
Then something happened that I will never forget.
My son stood completely straight.
He didn’t hide behind me.
He didn’t look at the ground.
He simply stared at the sheriff.
For weeks, Neil Gaines had made him feel small.
Now Drew finally understood something.
The badge didn’t make his father right.
And fear didn’t make Neil powerful.
PART 3 — THE OTHER BOYS
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