Page 44 of Remorseless Sinner

Sheriff McGinty shook his head, backing away as I advanced on him with my wrists out.

How could I make him do what I wanted?

“Well, with witnesses you can’t ignore me!” I cried, running outside of the open door and down to the coffee shop.

At least the ruined end of this gun was good for something.

“Out of the way!” I cried. “Watch out!”

Then I swung the butt of the gun wildly at the lovely glass window of the coffee shop and it shattered, exploding glass all over me and the stunned patrons.

“I—sorry, Mr. Martinez,” I said. “I will pay for it later. After I’m free. After I serve my time. I promise.”

But they all just stared at me.

Then I whirled on the Sheriff. “Look what I did. Now I demand that you do your job and arrest me. Lock me in that cell. And do a good job of it this time so he can’t get in.”

“No, no,” he bleated.

“I just smashed a. . .damnwindowand you’re not even going to arrest me?” I asked.

Sherriff McGinty scratched his chin, the rough sound like sandpaper in the quiet of the Honeywood Main Street.

People were coming out of their homes, looking out curiously, but warily.

I knew I was making a mess of my beloved Honeywood, but I was too frustrated to care.

“Youwantme to arrest you? Just don’t do it again.”

“It’s fine,” Mr. Martinez echoed. “No harm done, honey. We know you’re just angry.”

I reached into a nearby car parked on the street, of course unlocked because why would you look a door around here? There was no crime except what my dangerous husband brought in.

Then I riffled through the purse there and began to stuff $20s and $50s in my pockets.

“Look! Look! I’m a criminal! This is a felony!”

I pounced on Mr. Martinez in a fury.

“Arrest me! Put the cuffs on me.”

He backed up so fast his friendly face was white with fear, stumbling over a chair in his haste to get away from me.

“Why won’t you arrest me?” I demanded, to anyone who would listen.

As they stayed silent, frozen, the town spun around me.

I stepped wrong off the sidewalk and stumbled, and Sheriff McGinty was there, Mr. Martinez on the other side.

“Be careful!” the Sheriff said, and for the first time I heard real fear in his voice.

I wrenched away from them and whirled around.

We all stood staring at each other for a moment, and I felt my world suddenly turn on its axis and spin madly around me.

No

He couldn’t have

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