An interview with Sheriff Will Diaz – Part 15 – The Fall of Max – Wages of Sin

A continuation of the interview with Sheriff Will Diaz. Will Diaz is the central character in the four novels that currently make up The Lawman Series. The fifth book is expected out about Christmas of 2025.

Rich Muniz – What do you mean that Max slept with the enemy? Was it a girl you bought dope from?

Sheriff Will Diaz – I never asked, and he never said. He did say it was one of the strippers. And every one of those girls were dirty. They weren’t only users, but it most cases, dealer as well.

Muniz – What happened?

Sheriff Diaz – We’d been out on the street for almost two weeks straight, night after night. Max, of course, had a big deal set up. But we all came up empty that night. Rumor control among our pushers said DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency – the big boys of undercover narcotics)was in town. Everyone was afraid to even blink, much less sell some dope. Even to regular customers.

We went and reported that to Wild Bill and he said, “Screw it. We’ve been out almost every night. Let’s go home early.”

None of us were arguing with that. We went back in for a little while, and then we left. Max was with a group of guys and as she walked past, Terri hit him with our walk away code. “Hey, Maxie,” she told him. “See you back at the ranch.”

“Cool,” he answered. “See you soon.” Max drove his own pickup, so he had his own way home.

Muniz – Why did Terri hit him with the code?

Sheriff Diaz – Some people Max worked didn’t like black people. Max claimed not to know me on the street. Same with Jonesy. But Terri was supposed to be from his company, though she hung with us.

Muniz – Wait a minute. Terri is black.

Sheriff Diaz – Yeah, she is. But she’s also a babe. They might have an issue with a black guy. But that doesn’t extend to a good-looking girl who happened to be black. I’m sure they checked her butt out as she walked out the door.

Muniz – I can see where that might be true. So, what happened?

Sheriff Diaz – We turned in our cars and went to our respective homes.

Muniz – And?

Sheriff Diaz – Me and my then wife were living in Junction City in a mobile home. Max’s fiancée had come in. Max didn’t trust our tactical situation much, so while we worked, she would be at the house with my ex.

When I got home, the girls were up watching TV.

“Where’s Max?” his fiancée asked.

I told her we’d called it for the night, and he should be along soon enough.

So, I lay down on the floor and promptly fell asleep.

I woke up to frantic knocking at the door and Max calling my name. I got up and answered.

And then I realized the sun was coming up. Almost five hours had passed and we’d all fallen asleep in the living room.

“Will,” he said, repeatedly. “I need to talk.”

Muniz – Where had he been?

Sheriff Diaz – It took a moment to find that out. The man was totally freaked. My first thought was the stupid son of a bitch shot someone.

Muniz – Was he carrying a pistol again?

Sheriff Diaz – If he was, we didn’t know about it, But I’m asking him, “What happened!” I was doing it over and over and finally he started talking.

“I couldn’t help it,” he said.

“Help what.” Then I’m thinking maybe he got high or something.

Finally, he told me. “She was there, and she looked so good and smelled so good . . .”

I didn’t realize his fiancée was standing right there when I asked, “Max! Did you screw one of the strippers?”

Like a boy caught with his hand in a cookie jar, he said, “Yes.”

Muniz – What happened?

Sheriff Diaz – His fiancée went off. “You slept with a stripper!” I’d never seen a woman angrier in my life. She must have yelled at him for what seemed hours. It was more likely tens of seconds. About the time I thought someone would be calling the cops, she said,  “Max, give me your keys!”

Max handed her his car keys, and she kicked him in his groin as hard as she could. She didn’t say a word as he went straight to his knees and spilled over onto the ground. She stormed over to the pickup and left.

We later found the pickup at the airport.

Muniz – Did Max stay there?

Sheriff Diaz – He just wanted to leave. So, I drove him to the barracks and then came back.

I called Terri and Jonesy and told them what had happened. They came over and I made coffee. We talked it over. Our fear was he’d compromised us. We called Wild Bill and went up to see him.

Bill’s wife served us coffee and pastry while we sat on their comfortable back porch. And I told him what had happened.

Muniz – How did you feel about it?

Sheriff Diaz – Like hell. We all did. I mean, here we were, basically turning on a friend. By telling what I knew, I felt like I was betraying him.

Muniz – Well, why did you do it.

Sheriff Diaz – I guess we were learning something called integrity.

That means doing the right thing even when it feels wrong.

Maybe that’s why a lot of people won’t do the right thing. It makes you feel terrible.

There was that. Plus, he may have compromised us.

Muniz – I don’t follow.

Sheriff Diaz – It’s this simple. A man who opens his zipper to a girl has probably opened his mouth as well.

Muniz – What did Bill say?

Sheriff Diaz – Bill sent Terri and Jonesy home, and then he and I went to see the Colonel. And I got to sit in his kitchen and drink more coffee and eat more pastry and tell him what had happened.

Muniz – What did they do?

Sheriff Diaz – They told me I’d done the right thing. But it sure felt wrong to me. Monday morning, Max’s desk had been emptied out.

Muniz – What did you do?

Sheriff Diaz – I went for a walk and grieved over what I’d had to do.

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