people weren’t likely going to forget it if they saw the daughter of the richest family in town running from the law.
Blake glanced up and down the street. There were half a dozen people watching them now, some of them whispering to each other. Blake looked down at Mary’s pretty little face, which looked back at him with a mix of fear and defiance.
“Let’s take this inside, Mr. Peters. Mary, you come inside with, uh... Miss Becker here. Hank, clear the people out of your store.”
Hank Peters kept grumbling as he stepped behind the cash register of his little store and looked at the few people still there. They were all speculating very loudly about Mary’s upbringing and composure.
“Her parents must be making some big mistakes,” Blake heard somebody say. He cleared his throat, gave his official “nothing happening here” look to the people, and the gossiping died down in an instant.
“Please, if you could clear out for just a moment,” Blake said, not waiting for Mr. Peters to give the order. The crowd, none speaking a word, ambled outside as Blake scrutinized each and every one of them. When the last patron exited, Blake closed the door.
“Alright, now, Mr. Peters, what exactly...”
“She’s nothing but a thief!” Peters said, pointing at Mary. “She thought she was smarter than me, that she could steal things from me, but I...”
“Calm down, Mr. Peters. Mary?” Blake said, his voice calm and collected. He was using the same measured tone with both of them - he knew from experience that at times like this, the injured party was likely to be more dangerous to public welfare than the accused. Especially someone as righteous and angry as Hank Peters.
Mary was standing in front of Kate, and when Kate put a hand on her shoulder she shrugged it off. Blake could tell she was going to go on the defensive and probably start lying. It would only compound her problem.
But then Mary started to sniff, and tears came down her face. She sobbed and turned and grabbed the closest thing she could find, which was Kate, and buried her face into her.
“She’s trying to... you see what she’s trying to do!” Peters said.
“Kate, take Mary into the bathroom. You remember where that is?” Blake said calmly.
Kate nodded, and started off, dragging the weeping Mary along with her.
“Now you’re going to give into that?” Peters said, outraged.
“I’m not giving into anything, Mr. Peters. Let me see what she stole.”
Mr. Peters, looked down, like he was embarrassed, and he dropped the merchandise on the counter. A tube of toothpaste, some black licorice, and a pair of men’s shaving razors. Blake did a quick look through the store. The toothpaste and razors were on one aisle, the licorice was on a display rack in front of the counter.
“Mr. Peters, that’s about four dollars worth of merchandise,” Blake said.
“I knew it,” Mr. Peters interrupted. “You see the little girl crying, and you take her side. I have a business to run, Deputy! I can’t have thieves running roughshod over me. Anyway, it doesn’t matter how much the stuff is worth. It’s the principle!”
“I agree, Mr. Peters. But I think I have a way to let her be properly punished and not get the courts involved on something so...” Blake could tell that if he said the word he was going for, trivial, that Mr. Peters was going to go on another self-righteous rant. “Something that they wouldn’t be able to handle with the proper sensitivity.”
“Sensitivity? Bah. What about sensitivity to me? I can’t go putting stolen merchandise back on the shelf.”
“And this should make you feel better,” Blake said, and he pulled out his wallet and laid four bucks on the counter. For the first time since he’d started to talk, he could tell that Hank Peters was conflicted.
He smiled. Another day keeping the peace. Sometimes he just felt like he had a knack for it.
*********
Kate was feeling
Blake glanced up and down the street. There were half a dozen people watching them now, some of them whispering to each other. Blake looked down at Mary’s pretty little face, which looked back at him with a mix of fear and defiance.
“Let’s take this inside, Mr. Peters. Mary, you come inside with, uh... Miss Becker here. Hank, clear the people out of your store.”
Hank Peters kept grumbling as he stepped behind the cash register of his little store and looked at the few people still there. They were all speculating very loudly about Mary’s upbringing and composure.
“Her parents must be making some big mistakes,” Blake heard somebody say. He cleared his throat, gave his official “nothing happening here” look to the people, and the gossiping died down in an instant.
“Please, if you could clear out for just a moment,” Blake said, not waiting for Mr. Peters to give the order. The crowd, none speaking a word, ambled outside as Blake scrutinized each and every one of them. When the last patron exited, Blake closed the door.
“Alright, now, Mr. Peters, what exactly...”
“She’s nothing but a thief!” Peters said, pointing at Mary. “She thought she was smarter than me, that she could steal things from me, but I...”
“Calm down, Mr. Peters. Mary?” Blake said, his voice calm and collected. He was using the same measured tone with both of them - he knew from experience that at times like this, the injured party was likely to be more dangerous to public welfare than the accused. Especially someone as righteous and angry as Hank Peters.
Mary was standing in front of Kate, and when Kate put a hand on her shoulder she shrugged it off. Blake could tell she was going to go on the defensive and probably start lying. It would only compound her problem.
But then Mary started to sniff, and tears came down her face. She sobbed and turned and grabbed the closest thing she could find, which was Kate, and buried her face into her.
“She’s trying to... you see what she’s trying to do!” Peters said.
“Kate, take Mary into the bathroom. You remember where that is?” Blake said calmly.
Kate nodded, and started off, dragging the weeping Mary along with her.
“Now you’re going to give into that?” Peters said, outraged.
“I’m not giving into anything, Mr. Peters. Let me see what she stole.”
Mr. Peters, looked down, like he was embarrassed, and he dropped the merchandise on the counter. A tube of toothpaste, some black licorice, and a pair of men’s shaving razors. Blake did a quick look through the store. The toothpaste and razors were on one aisle, the licorice was on a display rack in front of the counter.
“Mr. Peters, that’s about four dollars worth of merchandise,” Blake said.
“I knew it,” Mr. Peters interrupted. “You see the little girl crying, and you take her side. I have a business to run, Deputy! I can’t have thieves running roughshod over me. Anyway, it doesn’t matter how much the stuff is worth. It’s the principle!”
“I agree, Mr. Peters. But I think I have a way to let her be properly punished and not get the courts involved on something so...” Blake could tell that if he said the word he was going for, trivial, that Mr. Peters was going to go on another self-righteous rant. “Something that they wouldn’t be able to handle with the proper sensitivity.”
“Sensitivity? Bah. What about sensitivity to me? I can’t go putting stolen merchandise back on the shelf.”
“And this should make you feel better,” Blake said, and he pulled out his wallet and laid four bucks on the counter. For the first time since he’d started to talk, he could tell that Hank Peters was conflicted.
He smiled. Another day keeping the peace. Sometimes he just felt like he had a knack for it.
*********
Kate was feeling
Similar Books
