Cop Said “You Two Aren't Welcome Here” To Twins — Both Were Federal Agents Investigating Him
Chapter 9
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Kyle Dempsey had spent all weekend telling the whole town the two badges didn't scare him. He thought the worst night of his life had been Friday at Delaney's Tavern. He had no idea that the young officer who rode beside him every day had just told the FBI exactly where the proof was hidden.By Tuesday morning, the video from Delaney's Tavern had been watched two million times. It was everywhere—on the TV news in St. Louis, on the radio in Kansas City. People all over the country had seen a police sergeant knock over a woman's soda, call two sisters salt and pepper shakers, and hold out his hand for an envelope, and then seen the look on his face when two FBI badges came up.At 10:00, the Cold Creek police chief stood on the steps of the police station and read a short statement from a piece of paper, his voice flat, not looking happy: "Effective immediately, Sergeant Kyle Dempsey has been placed on desk duty while this department reviews the events of last Friday night."Kendra and Jayda watched it on a phone in a diner across the street."Desk duty," Jayda said. "That's it?""It's a start," Kendra said. "It's the first time anybody in this town has made him sit down."Across the street, a door opened at the side of the police station: Dempsey came out, still in uniform, and walked to his pickup truck in the parking lot. He was not smiling now; he slammed the truck door so hard the whole cab shook."Look at him," Jayda said. "He hates it.""Good," Kendra said. "Now let's take something else away from him."She spent the next two hours on the phone with the Missouri State Liquor Board in Jefferson City, sending photos of the orange notice on the tavern door and the city's raid paperwork, which Hank had kept. There was no warrant on the paperwork, no judge's signature, not even a reason—just a box that said Other checked in blue ink with Dempsey's initials beside it.At 1:00, a woman from the State Liquor Board called back: "The city of Cold Creek doesn't have the power to suspend a state liquor license without a hearing. The suspension is void; Mr. Delaney can reopen tonight if he wants. We're sending him a letter."Kendra called Hank; she could hear him crying on the other end of the line. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you. Lucy's going to put the sign back up right now."That afternoon, the twins drove to a car wash on the edge of town—closed for years, sign faded, weeds growing through the cracks in the concrete. They parked behind it, out of sight of the road, and waited.At 3:00, an old blue sedan pulled in behind them. Tyler Webb got out—not in uniform, wearing a gray hoodie with the hood up—and looked over his shoulder twice before walking to their car and getting into the back seat."I can't be here long," he said. "If he finds out I talked to you, I'm done. You understand? Done.""We understand," Kendra said. "You wrote the note."