It was my turn to visit the local elementary school to talk to the students about safety in their community. As I was discussing how officers use their radios to help capture criminals, my radio blasts, "An armed robbery just happened. I'm at The Caffeinated Donut Shop." Once I heard this, I quickly and nervously excused myself from the fifth grade class and ran out into the parking lot. I got in my police car and headed off to The Caffeinated Donut Shop. With the sirens blaring I speedily arrived at the scene, two other policemen were already there. I jumped out of my patrol car and pulled my handgun out of the holster and turned the safety off. "Gosh darn it, Hugo, they're gonna take your badge away if you always pull your gun out when we ask for backup," said officer Barry Lafore. Barry is a tall man and an experienced cop. He's been on the force for over ten years. I explained, "Sorry, I just get nervous when I get called for backup and..." "Don't worry Hugo, your badge is safe, but this donut shop is not. This morning before the shop opened Mrs. Ionesco was preparing for the morning rush. After Mrs. Ionesco unlocked the doors some punk in a ski mask opened the glass doors and pointed a gun at the shopkeeper," said Sheriff Brown. Sheriff Brown has been working with the Yorkson police department for over fifteen years. He is a short and round man with a beard. "The hoodlum requested the contents of the cash register and a powdered sugar donut. The only witness is the shop owner," said officer Barry. This was the biggest event in Yorkson, Nevada since when the high school football team made districts seven years ago. My badge doesn't say officer Hugo Eberlee for nothing. I asked myself, "what kind of gun did the criminal mastermind use and how did he escape?" The two other policemen were talking when I quietly entered the shop, the shopkeeper was gone. I looked around and used my taste buds to test if the donuts were affected by the robbery. The donuts were fine, but the coffee still needed to be tested. After sampling the warm and bitter beverage I concluded that the coffee was okay too. The only evidence that a crime even took place was the dark empty store and the empty cash register. "Officers, I need both of you to watch traffic for suspicious activity while I investigate this case" said Sheriff Brown. I replied, "okay" and drove off in my patrol car. The next day I awoke with a good attitude because it was Friday. I arrived at the police station and asked Sheriff Brown if there were any leads on the robbery. He told me that he was working hard on the case. “Morning,” said Larry Bernard. “This is some tough robbery case, so glad Sheriff Brown is in charge,”I said. “Hugo, I just don't think he cares. All he's done today was routine work and refiling his papers,” Larry confessed. Larry Bernard taught me which places to park when monitoring traffic and giving tickets. He was with the department for over thirty years and is the oldest person on the force. I learned the qualities of a good police officer. He was like a teacher to me and helped me when I first joined the Yorkson police. I parked my car behind a large old oak tree and waited for speeding drivers. Everyone was going under the speed limit, but accelerated after they passed my car. I waited in this spot for forty minutes until someone on a Harley Davidson was going thirty five miles an hour in a school zone. I switched my sirens on and chased the motor bike. The bike turned onto the side of the road and stopped. The license plate had "DO NUT" inscribed and I typed this into my computer database. The driver was Mrs. Ionesco, owner of the donut shop. "Ma'am, you do know this is a school zone and you were going over thirty five miles an hour."I said. "What? I was going the speed limit! You have no proof! What's your badge number?" retorted Mrs. Ionesco. As I wrote up the ticket I asked her about the robbery at her shop?" "What! I dont have to tell you anything. How about you not write me a ticket and I tell about the robbery" she screeched at me. I had not heard anything about the robbery since yesterday and I was curious so I agreed. "My donut shop was built in 1956 and still has the original lead paint and asbestos. The tables are the same bright orange and teal green. The jukebox stopped working after Elvis Presley had his first hit. I was just seventeen years old when I first started working there," she confessed. "Yes all this is very interesting, but what about the robbery, describe the young punk who robbed you," I insisted. She answered, " no, he was older and a bit rotund. When I heard the door open I yelled 'we're not open yet, read the darn sign!', but He replied, 'empty the cash register and give me a powdered sugar donut.' I was gonna throw a pan at him, but he had a gun." "What kind of gun?" I implored. "Oh, the same kind of gun you got in your holster. Actually exactly like that, except it had a very thick metal tube attached,” she answered. “Thank you ma'am for your time,” I said. She got on her bike and sped away. Remembering what Larry Bernard told me, I decided I would start my own investigation. I knew I did not have permission and I could face consequences for conducting my investigation, but the sheriff seemed stressed and has not made a effort to find the delinquent. I went to the Caffeinated Donut Shop to start my investigation. When I looked closer at the Caffeinated Donut sign, I realized the 'D' in Donuts was actually a grade 'D' from the Nevada State Health Inspector. Even though the shop was closed on Fridays, the door was unlocked and I entered. This time I looked in the kitchen and found paint chips and flies in the deep fat fryer. Hidden in the corner of the kitchen there was a surveillance system. The video cassette tape was still in there. On the tape it was obvious that the thick metal tube at the end of the gun was a silencer and the gun was a standard issue law enforcement pistol in Nevada. Mrs. Ionesco was right, the man did not look like a young punk, but a rotund middle-aged man. The next morning at work I asked Sheriff Brown, “Are there any leads or suspects in the Donut robbery yet?” “Yes, we believe the criminal is between seventeen and twenty- five, but no new evidence has been found,” Sheriff Brown replied. “Oh, uh, good,” I said and walked over to Larry Bernard. I asked him, “does anyone in the Yorkson police have a silencer?” Larry replied, “I don't know, though I don't recall seeing one.” I believed Larry because his sense of justice is as strong as mine. I picked a new spot to monitor speeders. I was concealed by a thick entanglement of blackberries. I waited and there were no speeders, so I returned to the station to talk to the Sheriff about the tape. I went into his office and he was gone, probably on a lunch break. The sheriff looked like the man in the tape and fit Mrs. Ionesco's description. My curiosity lead me to search the office of Sheriff Brown. I had a hunch about the Sheriff and I opened his top desk drawer. Under the papers I found a silencer, with powdered sugar from the stolen donut still on it. I was shocked! I trusted Sheriff Brown and thought he was a honest man. It all made sense now. The rotund man in the surveillance video was Sheriff Brown! I was afraid to tell the other policemen. What if they denied my claim because there was not enough evidence, then surely they would fire me or even accuse me. I remained silent about my findings for three days. I had never felt so down. I needed time to think this over. It was Tuesday morning, and I brought the surveillance tape to work. I was at the station when senior officer Larry Bernard said to me, “you look down sonny, what's the matter?” “I got a lot on my plate” I responded “You can tell me,” he answered “I think I might know who robbed The Caffeinated Donut,” I said. “Well then who?” Larry questioned. I showed him the tape and told him about Mrs. Ionesco and the silencer. Senior officer Larry Bernard could not believe his eyes. “I thought the robber was a young man. But the man in the tape is clearly someone the Sheriff's age and stature. You must show this to the other officers!” Larry exclaimed. “Uh, no, what if they don't believe me, you should tell them with me,” I said nervously. “I cannot help you. You must do this by yourself. You have solved this case. You have a Yorkson Police badge, a symbol of courage and honor. You must solve this case ,” he said and left for his office. I had thought about what he had said and I decided that I would hold a meeting with all three policeman, Barry Lafore, Larry Bernard, and Sheriff Brown. I was scared, but my sense of justice made me feel brave. The next morning I announced, “everyone, I have new evidence and a suspect for the Caffeinated Donut robbery!” “Really, is it one of the kids from Yorkson High School?” asked Barry Lafore. “No, but I warn you that the evidence that I will show you today may shock you,” I revealed to the officers. I showed them the tape. It was clear that the man who robbed the business had a law enforcement pistol and was not the young punk that Sheriff Brown described. "How did you get this tape?” demanded Sheriff Brown. “Mrs. Ionesco had a surveillance system that she did not know how to work, so just she just left it on,” I answered. “You said you had a suspect, Hugo,” officer Barry Lafore questioned “Yes, but the evidence is in Sheriff Brown's office,” I said. “Go ahead, search my office, I have nothing to hide,” Sheriff Brown announced with a nervous voice. The three policemen followed me to the Sheriff's office and before Sheriff Brown opened the door, I asked, “the thief stole a powdered sugar donut, correct?” “Yes,” answered Barry “By the way, uh, Hugo, I, uh, have a new lead on this case, how about we stop searching and I upgrade you from traffic patrol to deputy?” the Sheriff insisted with fear in his voice. I wanted to be sheriff but my justice to me was more important than rank. “No thank you,” I responded and continued walking into the messy office. The Sheriff watched me look through his top desk drawer. As I shuffled through the papers, the silencer became visible. I picked it up with two pencils so my fingerprints could not contaminate the evidence. I showed the others. “Look, there's the powdered sugar. Sheriff, why didn't you tell us that you had this piece of evidence?” officer Barry said. “Uh, I, um, uh, well fine, I robbed the Caffeinated Donut Shop that Thursday morning and would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for the surveillance tape and the
powdered sugar donut!'” Sheriff Brown admitted anxiously and quickly.
Barry put the handcuffs on Sheriff Brown and took him away. My role model, Larry Bernard revealed to me, “I was second in command to Sheriff Brown, so now I am Sheriff.” “That's great! You will be the best Sheriff Yorkson has ever seen!” I said to him. “Maybe so, maybe so, but I have plans to retire and spend the next few years seeing the world with my wife. She has always wanted to see the Caribbean and South America. So Hugo, for your hard work in cracking this case I am going to appoint you Sheriff," said Larry. “Thank you, Larry!” I said and accepted the Sheriff badge. Even though I became the Sheriff of Yorkson, I went back to watching out for speeders as part of traffic duty. But, I felt this small town was just a little bit safer!