Of course, even if he didn't know the whole story, Bill knew that Ricky wasn't making it all up. After all, he had met Rance in much the same way they did. But this time, there really was a "Fruit Ninja," and if someone were truly harming the lumberyards, it would be too much for a junior sheriff.
Bill: "So, after that, you and Sasha stopped going to town to play?"
Ricky: "Oh, we still go sometimes, but never with Rance. Rance is a junior sheriff, and Sasha said she's a sailor, and a sailor does things their own way."
Shaking his head, Bill replied, "Hmm, well, you guessed right, we're really working on a case. But this time, it's real. I saw the thief myself, and today we're going to catch him."
Hearing this, Ricky started jogging in place again and finally said, "Well, alright, Bill, but don't say I didn't warn you." Then, turning around, he looked back and said, "Hey, doesn't it seem like I've gotten a lot faster? I don't think Sasha can catch me now! Ha-ha."
Without waiting for Bill's response, the curly-haired boy in glasses ran off into the distance.
Shaking his head again, Bill turned and headed towards the officer's elevator. Soon enough, he spotted Rance near the fruit stand.
There were still a few hours before noon, and the vendor had just finished stocking the stand with fresh fruit. He said something to Rance and then went into the store. The junior sheriff had just turned to see Bill running toward him.
Rance: "Hey, Bill!"
Waving in greeting, Bill quickly approached the boy: "Hey, Rance, what did the vendor say?"
Narrowing his eyes immediately, Rance adopted a serious, theatrical sheriff look and replied, "Things are bad, deputy. If we don't solve this case soon, the vendor won't be able to keep his stand outside anymore. He'll have to move all his goods inside, and the town will deteriorate even more."
Seeing how the boy switched gears so quickly, Bill decided he liked Rance. Maybe when Sasha returns, he would get them all together, but today he would help the junior sheriff solve his case.
Bill: "So what's the plan for today? I thought we could patrol until it gets a bit later."
Nodding in agreement, Rance replied, "That's the plan, deputy. We'll stay away from the beach, hoping the Fruit Ninja won't realize we've figured him out."
Later, if we can't catch him here, you'll chase him while I run to cut off his escape route at the beach.
Bill, looking uncertain, replied, "Shouldn't we stick together? What if you need backup?"
Shaking his head in disagreement, Rance explained, "This is how Wyatt Holiday always does it. The key is to catch the bad guys off guard and not give them time to prepare. We can't let the Fruit Ninja suspect anything and choose a different route. So, the plan is: you'll chase him to the sawmill, then turn around and run back, like yesterday. When he shows up on the beach, I'll be there ready for him. Trust me, it'll work. All my years as a lawman tell me so."
Shaking his head at the silly motto, Bill decided to just go along with Rance's plan.
"After all, even if they do get into a fight, what can two kids do to each other?" Bill thought.
Bill: "Alright, we'll do it your way, sheriff. After I chase the ninja to the sawmill, I'll run back to the beach as fast as I can. Hopefully, we can corner him together and deliver him to the vendor."
Seeing that Bill agreed with his plan, the freckled boy's face lit up: "That's the spirit, deputy! "Remember, as long as we stick to the plan, the good guys always win!"
With the plan set, the two boys began patrolling the town. From time to time, Rance would crouch down to examine "clues," but most of the time over the next few hours, he regaled Bill with stories about his hero and asked questions about the Marines. Rance apparently had never seen giants before, and Bill decided that one day he would take him to the base to meet one, secretly hoping to scare him.
Thus, time flew by quickly, and the sun was already high in the sky—it was time to stake out the fruit stand.
Rance said, "Alright, it's time. Remember, once we reach the stand, don't talk. We might have to stay silent for a long time." He reiterated the plan once more. "Also, don't forget to make noise while you're chasing the Fruit Ninja, so he won't think about where I went."
This time the boys hid under the stand, waiting silently for their target. Bill had to give Rance credit—unlike the previous day, he neither jumped around nor glanced around anxiously, staying quiet.
On his part, Bill partly listened to the sounds of customers coming and going, also glancing at their feet when he could. He assumed that the orange thief would likely approach cautiously before grabbing and running away.
And this time, he was right. After about three hours of waiting, he heard light, frequent footsteps. Nudging Rance with his elbow, Bill raised his index finger into the air.
Seeing this gesture, Rance immediately perked up. Although Bill thought the boy deserved praise, asking a ten-year-old child to sit and focus for several hours in a row was a bit much