The Sheriff of Winter's Pass was going to Hawaii for Christmas with his wife. Deputy Dawson would be in charge for the entire two weeks that he would be gone and things were going to be different with Dawson in charge.
First Dawson planned to go down to the thrift store and let them know in no uncertain terms that none of those people would be allowed to linger outside on his watch. Second, Dawson planned to set up speed traps just outside the city. Third he planned to set up check zones for the deginerates starting the day after the Sheriff left and everyone of those low lifes was going to get a breathalyzer test.
Dawson cheerfully began setting things up according to his plans and his first stop was the thrift store where that blond woman Ellen Dressler worked and carefully plotted to let the poor and homeless linger.
"Move along mam you can't be here if you aren't in the store or buying things at the store." Dawson said.
"Yes I know but the heat is out in my apartment and Ellen said I could come to the store and sit for a few hours to stay warm and the kids are cold so we are just sitting a bit and..." the thin waif like woman with two grubby kids said as they sat in the furniture section of the goodwill.
"Mrs Ellen gave us hot cocoa" said the little girl as she looked at her mother nervously and sipped a cup of hot cocoa from a santa cup. Her little brother drank the hot cocoa too and was too nervous to look at Deputy Dawson.
Ellen Dressler came barrelling over yelling with her long red hair and chubby figure. "Deputy Andrew Dawson you leave that family alone and get out of my store. Those are my guests and I invited them in and you've got a heart of absolute stone to try throwing them out to an apartment with no heat. "
"Be that as it may I will arrest loiters and I won't have degenerates around my town Ellen." Deputy Dawson said glaring at the waif of a woman and then threateningly at her and her children.
"One of these days Dawson you will get what you deserve for your mean piece of coal that you call a heart. It's Christmas and you couldn't be any meaner if you tried." Ellen said and then pointed at the exit "Now get out of my store right now."
Deputy Dawson turned and left.
"I'm so sorry, you can stay here and upstairs it's heated Mary and you and the kids are welcome to stay until they fix the heat next week. Don't worry about Dawson, he won't be back.
"Are you sure Ellen I don't want to cause you any trouble?"
"No, no Mary come on you and the kids are welcome and Sarah from the church said she'd bring a holiday food box over and I put pans and plates upstairs too." Ellen said as she brushed her red hair out of her face.
Deputy Dawson called his patrols to check on them and got a report. One Santa had been given a ticket for telling people ho, ho, ho in front of the mall. The minister of the church was cited for putting lights on a tree in front of his house due to the tree branches being on the public property side, and five people got speeding tickets. It was an awesomely good day but his officers wanted to go home and thought he was being too strict and they told him so.
Angry Deputy Dawson went home and into his neo-modern apartment. There in front of his door was a brown box with his name and no return address.
Dawson never got any Christmas presents. He'd told his mother what a waste of money it was to celebrate and further he wasn't his money buying her anything. His friends were all the guys on the force and he was their supervisor. A few of them suggested he needed a girlfriend but Dawson had told them when he wanted a woman he'd get one and wouldn't deal with the garbage so many women spewed out in recent years. Oddly none of the women he'd gifted with a date had returned his calls, texts, or social media conversations.