Chapter 17

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by janello33

by janello33

Linda was vibrating. She had been surviving off of caffeine and tic tacs since the accident. Linda had always thought of Teresa as a bit of a church committee tyrant, but was now grateful for her help and guidance. Who would have know that meeting with people and helping them make decisions through grief would be so difficult?

Linda was at the church, again. She felt like she had spent more time here in the last few days than she had at home. Pastor Cecil propped her elbows on her desk and leaned forward as Linda went through the checklist for the funeral. "Linda, you're doing a good job," she interrupted as Linda berated herself for having to search through papers for the reading.

Linda needed to hear it, but she was already flush with anxiety and doubt. "Here it is!" She held the paper up triumphantly before sliding it across the desk. Pastor Cecil took the time to take the paper and read over the passage slowly trying to give Linda a chance to breathe and relax, but Linda interrupted before she could even finish.

"It's not churchy like a bible verse, but they wanted it to be more reflective of who Art was," Linda explained. Pastor Cecil nodded and tried to keep reading. "But they are open to you saying biblical stuff. Like normal funeral service stuff." "Of course," she replied. "Does the fact that he is being cremated change what you can or can't say?"

Pastor Cecil looked up from the reading then put it down knowing that Linda was not going to let her read it through. "What's this?" Her eyebrows knit together and she tilted her head to the side questioningly. "Because it won't be a body in the coffin, it's ashes. Does that change anything?" Linda let out a high sigh, "That's a relief! I'm sorry this is just all so new to me." Pastor Cecil thought of her aging congregation and realized that Linda, in a year or two, would know exactly what to do.

Pastor Cecil looked down at her wristwatch. "It's coffee time. Would you like to walk over to the cafe to join me?" Three hours ago Linda was worried that she was burning a hole through her stomach with coffee. "Sure," Linda stood up collecting her papers. The bell above the cafe door announced their arrival as a long table turned to see who walked in. Two rows of familiar faces smiled as they found open seats flipping their white cafe mugs over.

"And I told these new cops, I told them, you have no jurisdiction here, you're just on loan," Randy dropped two sugar cubes into his coffee and stirred. "I know my rights," he continued, "and our taxes pay their salaries!" Linda was engaged in her own conversation at this point, but she was sure everyone had one ear on Randy. "You haven't worked a real job in five years Randy. If your taxes are paying their salaries those cops won't have two nickels to rub together."

Another dingle from the bell caught their attention as the cafe door opened. Coincidently it was four police officers. Linda recognized two but they other two were unfamiliar. "Well if it isn't Agent Rob Banks," Randy barely got the words out before laughing at himself. The officer raised his eyebrows giving Randy a wave. "Randy," was all he said in response as he and his fellow officers took a table near the window.

"These young officers these days," Linda whispered to the woman beside her, "I'm thinking about committing a crime!" They both stifled a laugh. This Rob Banks, it that really was his name, was a very handsome lad indeed. By this point Randy had turned his chair around and had his leg propped up on the seat, "Settle an argument for us." Constable Miller, "What's that now Randy?"

All eyes were on them, "If I'm fighting with someone on my own property, that's fine, but ..." he put a finger up for dramatic effect knowing all eyes were on him and that this was some kind of court room scene, "the fight spills into the street you can nab me." He put both hands up in the air like he had just said something profound. Instead of answering back directly, Officer Miller asked, "Who we fighting Randy?" "No one," Randy waved his hand, "it's hypothetical."

Officer Miller shook his head, "Well you just keep these imaginary fights under control and we won't bother you." A few of the men laughed. Randy drained his coffee still standing up, "I gotta go," he said abruptly. He let the door slam behind him and the conversation around the table went back to normal. "That officer's real name isn't really Rob Banks ... is it," Linda whispered to the lady beside her. "No no it's not Rob, but I can't think of it right now."

Linda didn't think of it again. She knew some of these cops were here to help after the crash temporarily. "It's just like Randy to make us all look crazy," she said embarrassed. "These guys must think we're real yokels out here." Linda looked over her shoulder and locked eyes with Constable Banks and he gave nodded his head politely and gave her a dazzling smile. She turned around and whispered to her friend, "Oh my lord, what do I have to do to get arrested?"