Authors: Jacqueline Druga
“K.” he nodded.
“Hey …” Grace grinned. “Are they your keys?”
“Yep.” He jingled them.
“Do you have a car?” she asked.
“Right … right there.” He pointed.
“Do you want to go to the Bingo …”
“Bingo!”
Grace giggled. “Bingo and …”
“Bingo!”
She giggled again. “Senior citizen talent show with me. Do you?”
“Yes. Oh, yes.”
“Can you drive us there?”
“Yes, oh, yes.”
“Well, let’s go!”
Larson immediately jumped up. “I’ll drive.”
“You drive, then.” After both of them tossed out their empty latte cups, they ran for the mini van. Grace got in the passenger’s seat, Larson in the driver’s seat.
What they didn’t see when they pulled from the spot was Larson’s mom coming out of the hardware store, yelling and screaming his name.
+++
Stew Graham looked intimidating enough. However, the big, bulky, bald Chief of Police looked even more intimidating to Grace as he stood on the free side of the bars.
He jingled the keys for the cell next to Grace. “You can go now, Larson. Your mom is here.”
“Th … th .. thanks,” he said. “Bye Grace. See... See you at … Bar… Bargain-Mart.”
“Yeah, see you there, Larson.” Grace waved.
Larson dashed out.
Stew started to walk away.
“Hey, wait!” she called. “What about me?”
“No one is here for you.”
“Did you try to call Freddy?”
“Yep,” Stew answered. “Not answering.”
“He must still be playing Bingo with the seniors.”
“Maybe you should have gone with him.”
Grace sighed. “I’m not understanding why I’m arrested.”
“You stole a car.”
“I did not!” Grace said. “Larson was driving.”
“You were the passenger.”
“Yeah, but … he said it was his car. He said he would drive.”
“Let me ask you something.”
“Shoot,” Grace said. “No don’t.”
Stew didn’t smile.
“Kidding. Go on.”
Stew took a breath. “You mean to tell me, you actually thought that boy could drive.”
“He said he did.”
“And you believed him?” Stew asked.
“Why wouldn’t I?’
“Did you look at him? Talk to him.”
Grace huffed. “I am not a visual bigot.”
“You don’t need to be a visual bigot to determine that boy can’t drive. Grade school graduate maybe.” Stew just shook his head. “You know, it didn’t dawn on you something was up when he drove down the wrong side?”
“Not really the town square is confusing.”
“Or when he took out Mr. Bradbury’s hedge.”
Grace shook her head.
“You didn’t ride the short bus to school did you?”
“Oh my God, are you rude.”
“Gonna have to wait it out until someone picks you up, or you see the judge.”
“How long do I have to wait to see the judge?” Grace asked.
“Not long. It’s Lodi, there really aren’t any cases. Can call him in, if you want.”
Grace held on to the bars and thought for a moment. “Can you try to call Freddy one more? His number is in my phone. Please. So’s Marybeth. Call one of them. I’ll see the judge but I really would like to have support with me.”
“Fine. I’ll try again. But I’ll set it up for you to see the magistrate.”
“Thank you. Any chance I can get a latte?”
Stew kept leaving.
“Guess not.”
+++
An hour later, Grace was removed from the cell and taken to the small court room next door to the police station. Stew walked her inside, and Officer Theresa stood by the judge’s bench.
“Let the judge hear your case,” Stew said. “The judge will determine if you’re free to go on your own recognizance, have to stay in jail, have bail, or even if the charges are dropped.”
“Shouldn’t Larson be here to testify?” she asked.
Stew only gazed at her.
“He said he would drive.”
Stew walked away.
Theresa directed, Grace to ‘have a seat’.
No sooner did Grace sit, Theresa called out. “All Rise.”
Grace did.
“The honorable Stew Graham presiding.”
Grace’s mouth dripped open. “Oh my God. This is so small town. You’re the chief of police and the town judge?”
“Right now, I’m acting as the judge. Be seated,” Stew said.
“Oh my God.” Grace sat down.
“What do you have?” Stew asked Theresa.
“The people of Lodi versus Grace Berkowitz.”
Stew looked at Grace. “New in town and already you’re not making the Jewish population of Lodi proud.”
Grace gasped.
Theresa continued. “Ms. Berkowitz is charged with aiding and Embedding Larson Jones with the theft of a 1997 Dodge Mini Van. Ms. Berkowitz was witnessed by several towns’ people getting into the car with Mr. Jones and driving off. Mrs. Jones, mother, was the owner of the vehicle and did not give permission for the van to be taken. Accomplice to destruction of private property, that would be the Bradbury hedge. Ms. Berkowitz is also charged …”
“Also charged?” Grace asked. “There’s more.”
Theresa nodded. “With endangering the life of a mentally challenged individual.”
“Or for sure you aren’t making the Jewish Population proud.” Stew sat back.
Grace immediately slapped her hands to her face.
“How do you plead?”
With an ‘uh’ of a huff, Grace lowered her hands. “I plead so not guilty.”
“To?”
“To both.”
At that instance, the door opened and Stew’s attention was turned.
“Sorry, I took so long.”
“Mr. Dawson, thanks for coming,” Stew said.
Grace’s eyes widened. She looked over her shoulder. Bobby. “Shit.” She hurried and faced the front.
“Thanks for calling me,” Bobby said as he sat next to Grace.
She asked. “He called you?” she looked at Stew. “You called him.”
“Yep,” Stew said. “You have four numbers in your phone. His, Freddy’s, the store and Craig Barnet.”
Bobby quickly looked at her. “You have Craig’s number.”
“Well, yeah.” Grace shrugged.
“Why do you have Craig’s number?”
“He gave it to me last night when you went to the men’s room.”
“And you took it?” Bobby asked.
“I didn’t want to be rude.”
“Uh, hello, need I remind you that you were on a date with me.”
“Sorry.” Grace hunched.
Stew cleared his throat. “Bobby did you get a hold of Freddy?”
“Yes. That’s what took me so long. When he didn’t answer, I went to the Rolling Hills Senior home. He was there. But, unfortunately he was in the middle of an intense performance in his tribute to Barbara Streisand and couldn’t leave.”
“Tribute to Barbara huh?” Stew asked. “How was that going over?”
“Great. I stayed for “Evergreen’ but had to leave.”
“Maybe we should get him booked at the café,” Stew suggested.
“Maybe.”
Grace lifted her hands. “Hello, I’m here.”
“Sorry,” Stew said. “Anyhow, I told you the charges, Bobby.
What do you think? Since you’re here for her.”
“Wait. Stop.” Grace said. “Bobby, are you an attorney, too. I thought you were an artist.”
“Painter.”
“Same differences.”
Bobby pointed. “You’re right. No, I’m not an attorney.”
“Why is he asking you what you think?”
“Because it’s Lodi, Grace. I’m one of the few that know you, sort of, what I say will hold a lot of weight.”
“Do you hate me?” Grace asked.
Bobby laughed. “Why would I hate you?”
“Because of last night,” Grace said.
Stew asked. “What happened last night?”
Theresa raised her hand. “I’d like to know, too.”
Grace replied, “I got drunk and passed out.”
Stew nodded. “Oh, that’s not too bad. A lot of people do that …”
“On our first date.” Grace added.
“Oh.” Stew sat back.
Bobby spoke, “Which is why I think I needed to be here. Grace, what did you eat today?”
“Why is that important?” Grace asked.
“Just answer my question.”
“A bologna sandwich.”
Bobby nodded. “Stew, you can confirm this with Freddy. Grace here has an allergy to Yeast. But it isn’t an allergy that causes hives, or something like that. It causes a neurological effect. Depending on how much yeast she consumes, she can get kind of punchy. A little loopy, almost as if she is drunk.”
Stew asked. “Does this distort her thinking?”
“According to Freddy it can,” Bobby answered.
Stew looked at Grace. “Is this true?”
“Yeah. It has.”
“So, it isn’t unusual for you to eat bread and talk to someone like Larson and believe he can drive a car.”
“He told me he can.” Grace defended.
“Bobby,” Stew said. “How did you learn of this?”
“Last night. That was the reason she passed out. She drank beer. The yeast and alcohol had a bad effect.”
“Ms. Berkowitz,” Stew said. “If you knew you were allergic to yeast, why did you drink beer?”
“I didn’t know it had yeast in it. It was the first time I had beer,” she said.
“And wings,” Bobby added.