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Draft - From Chapter 28
Lottie goes Christmas Toy Shopping and "runs" into the judge she'd go before if she can't prove she's not the murderer.
Wanda’s shop door chimed as I entered.
“Heads up, Lottie,” she called out.
A flying object whirred toward me. I ducked, but it grazed the top of my head.
“Ouch.” I cried out. “What in the world?”
Judge Talley, balding, smallish man whose woolen overcoat swallowed him, stood by the register with remote control in hand, peering at it over the top of his glasses perched on his nose. “This is fabulous, Wanda.”
It divebombed again toward me. I crouched, hands over my head.
“Hey.”
“Sorry. New drone operator here.” He guided it back toward him, only for it to crash-dive into the floor at his feet.
“Oops.” His protruding Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke, making his Christmas red bow tie quiver a bit. “Operating this takes a bit of practice I see.”
You think?
I swallowed that reply. The judge was one man I didn’t want to irritate.
He picked up the crashed toy. “I’ll take this one, obviously, and five more, Wanda. One for each grandchild.”
Visions of a wrecked household came to me, with broken windows and lamps. I kept that to myself. Instead, I said with forced cheer, “I’m sure your grandkids will love those.”
The older, stout, balding gave me a tight nod, looking at me through his perched glasses.
If I were to be arrested, I’d come in front of Judge Talley for my bail hearing. He’d also be the one to sign off on search warrants.
Along with serving on the board for The Dome, he served on the board of Pastor Sue’s Community Church. Maybe I could curry favor by making sure he knew why I was here to shop.
“Maybe I’ll get one of those, too.” I swirled a carousel of children’s books. “I’m picking up donations for the toy drive.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the judge’s expression morph into slight approval.
Seemed I scored a point.
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