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"It's never hard to know what boys are thinking," Maisie said.
"Or what they're looking at," Susan added.
"'Maze'?" Susan echoed. "Hey, if she gets to be Maze, can I be Suze?"
"Hmm," Maisie reflected. "Then you would have to be Marz," she said to me.
"I don't think I need another nickname, thanks. But I'll be glad to call you Suze."
Susan brightened.
I said to her, "You look so different in casual clothes. You're a lot prettier."
"Why thank you," Suze replied. "I feel prettier, too."
"Hey, do your parents know?" Maisie asked me.
"Know what?"
"That somebody died in this house?"
"I don't know. I don't think it would matter."
"But isn't it creepy? I mean, are you going to have a hard time sleeping in that room, knowing that Misty died in there?"
Sometimes Maisie didn't seem to have any feelings or tact at all. "Maybe if you keep going on about it, I will. Could you quit reminding me? I think Suze found out what we wanted to know. That's the end of it, isn't it?"
"I don't know...," Maisie mused. "I mean, two of the main people involved... we see them every day at school..."
"And," Susan added, "we don't know why the librarian-nun felt the need to lie to us."
"A cover-up," Maisie continued, and Susan added, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
When Maisie and I looked at her puzzled, she explained, "Shakespeare," and at our uncomprehending looks, she waved her hand. "Never mind."
After we'd worked several hours, I was ready for a break, and even Maisie was wiping her brow.
At just that point, Mom asked the three of us if we'd go do some food shopping. "Ida and I don't want to stop, and your father has a lot to do, so if you girls don't mind walking..."
We didn't. It was fun to be out with the girls.
At one point, where the sidewalk was wide enough, we linked arms and walked three abreast: Maisie on the left, Susan in the middle, and me on the right. Each of us was wearing jeans and boots, and we were all smiling, heads up, confident.
Two boys watched us approach. One of them smiled and said, "You girls look like an ad for jeans or boots or hair or something."
The other waited until we passed and said something that was both complimentary and rude at the same time.
"It's never hard to know what boys are thinking," Maisie said.
"Or what they're looking at," Susan added.
"Still, it's nice to know that we've got it," I offered.
"Oh, we've got it!" Susan said.
"Coming and going," Maisie added.
"Oh!" I was suddenly struck with a thought. "Are we walking back the same way?"
The three of us broke up in giggles.
After finding and buying everything on Mom's list, I wasn't paying attention while the cashier bagged the groceries.
And so, when we left the store, Maisie and Susan were each struggling with a heavy bag, while I followed, stuffing the receipt into my purse.
"Hold up," Maisie said, "Suze, set the bag down here." Here was a bench just outside the store. Then she turned to me. "Princess, will you go get a third bag? We can split this up into three small loads."
I dashed back inside while they waited, and when I arrived with a third sack, Maisie fished in her purse and frowned. "I'm out of cigarettes," she announced, and without further ado walked back into the store.
"Okay..." I began, as I opened the third bag.
Susan interrupted saying, "I want to go look with Maisie. I've always wanted to see all the different brands..."
"You do?" I asked, with some surprise.
"Oh, come on!" she protested. "You know I'm not dumb enough to smoke — no offense to Maisie —"
"Who can't hear you anyway–" I put in.
"I'm just curious about the colors and designs and the names. My mother would kill me if looked, so here's my chance. Just think of it as anthropological research."
"Whatever," I said. "I'll just divide up the loads."
Suze skipped off and I got to work.
It didn't take long to get the bags more or less the same weight. I had my head down, working, moving cans and containers around, packing the bags a little better.
As I finished, I had the distinct impression that someone was watching me. And not in a nice way.
I turned my head slightly and saw that it was a man, a big man. I didn't need to take a second look to know who he was: He was Sister Honororia's brother, the policeman. Instinctively, I wanted to flinch, but I made an effort not to react.
When he saw that I'd noticed him, he approached me.
I decided to try and be friendly. So I smiled and said, "Hello, officer. Plain clothes duty today?"
"Don't try to be funny," he replied, in a dry, humorless tone. "I'm off duty. I'm a cop, not a detective."
"Sorry," I said.
"I wear the uniform."
I nodded.
"Are you keeping your nose clean? Not getting into trouble?" he asked.
I didn't like his tone. He was talking to me as if I were a felon. It seemed like he was trying to provoke me.
And then it hit me: that was exactly what he was trying to do. He wanted to provoke me, so that I'd do or say something stupid, something blameworthy. Even if the law wouldn't let him punish me, he'd go and tell Sister Honoraria that I needed more detention.
Don't play his game, I told myself. Remember, bend without breaking.
"Yes, sir," I replied.
"What's that look mean?" he demanded. "What's with that face you're making?"
"What face?" I asked. "I didn't think I was making a face."
"Do you have something to hide?"
"No, sir." I said. He was so aggressive and hostile, I almost stuck my hands in my pockets, but caught myself and left my hands dangling at my sides.
"Why are you waiting here? Are those your groceries?"
"Yes, they are."
"Do you have the receipt?"
"Yes I do."
"You didn't answer my question: why are you waiting here?"
"I'm waiting for my friends to come out."
"Are they students at Blessed Yvette's?"
"Yes, they are."
He nodded, stepped over, and glanced into my grocery bags. He twisted his jaw and sniffed. "Just remember," he said as he left, "I've got my eyes on you."
"Yes, sir." I replied. Then I turned my eyes to my bags. I was careful to not watch him walk away.
Maisie and Susan came over as soon as the policeman was well away.
"Who was that?" Maisie asked as she peeled the cellophane off her cigarette pack.
"That's Sister Honororia's brother, the policeman."
"What did he want?"
"He just wanted to hassle me," I sighed.
"I hope you told him to mind his own damn business," Maisie said.
"No, I did not," I replied. "I don't want another week of detention."
"Oh, yeah," Maisie agreed, getting it. "Jeez! With cops like him, who needs criminals?"
© 2007 Kaleigh Way
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Comments
who need crinals?
here i wood say who need a smart mouth cop i wood had told him to mind his binniss and move on or you wood go see his boss or have your mom or dad write a letter to the stateand have him out of a job asap .other than that good story
mr charlles r purcell
verry good story i wood love to see a lot more of this all i can say is wow verry good thanks for shareing
It Is A Very Good Thing For Maisie That That
Stupid cop did not go into the store but contended himself with hassling Marcie. He can still get her into trouble though and he is just the type to do it. But something tells me that if he does, that his sister will believe Marcie.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Uh oh...
... If Maisie lights up, he'll report having seen Susan & Maisie comming out with the cigarettes. And Macie will get tar'd too. So, all three would get "detention" for "smoking"... Under Age purchase of Cigarettes too. Not a good sign there.
I thought it also interesting that the policeman said "I wear the uniform" as if that's the only bit about being a policeman he did... There is a LOT more to being a policeman than that.
When you had Macie not paying attention to the bagging, I figured you'd had the bagger putting can's on top of fruit or bread... Not overloading two bags.
Thanks for more interesting reading.
Annette
An anti-promotion mindset
Much like the military NCO who objects to being called "Sir" with the reply," No, I work for a living".
In this case, likely mostly defensive of ego.
He hasn't been promoted to plainclothes let alone detective or administrator.
So, he takes reverse pride in still serving as a uniformed officer (beat cop or patrol officer has not been stated yet) "protecting" as well as protecting the citizens of that town.
"I have not been promoted to where I just chase criminals around afterwards or shuffle paper to keep the D.A.s office and ACLU happy, but rather I wear the uniform of the officers on the street actually performing the 'serve and protect' duties".
He hasn't been promoted in today's P.C. and book learnin' valued society, so he takes pride in where he is at.
Well said.
Well said.
I am a grain of sand on a near beach; a nova in the sky, distant and long.
In my footprints wash the sea; from my hands flow our universe.
Fact and fiction sing a legendary song.
Trickster/Creator are its divine verse.
--Old Man CoyotePuma
The cop
is obviously not too bright as he should have noticed an underage Maisie with a pack of cigarettes. Last I heard the legal age in New Jersey was 18. Another good chapter as usual:)
Sarah Ann
Maisie was inside the store
... and didn't come out until the policeman was gone.
Good cop, bad cop?
Well, in this case, that cop is definitely a bad cop. Anyone who would harass someone minding their own business for no better reason than to try to catch them in the "act" doesn't deserve the badge they wear. Especially when said person assisted in the apprehension of two criminals. I hope that he gets his eyes opened to how priggish he is soon, because he's going to do something stupid otherwise - and he'll never forgive himself if it ends up with someone getting hurt or killed because of him.
Ahh, but he already knows from his sister ...
... that Marcie has a (lack of) submission problem and does not fit the "virtuous and ladylike" standard. I would bet that IRL such an officer would act very different to a girl who met that (virtuous and ladylike) standard, even if she only pretended.
Another way to get this cop off of Marcie's back would be involvement by her and/or her parents in certain civic organizations he (thick cop) supports. (And yes, we have no idea of what organizations those even might be)
I have a hunch that this
I have a hunch that this particular cop has a record of disiplinary actions taken against him for abuse of his position. If he doesn't, then no-one is paying enough attention to his actions (like his Sgt). His attitude with Marcie is definitely not a one of a kind; he has no doubtedly used it on many occassions against others. My guess, mostly young people, who he feels can't "fight back", but possibly on adults too.
Marcie needs to file a harassment complaint against him for what he did to her at the store, as he was way out of line, and if she gets in trouble for it with either him or his sister, the Sister; then go to the police and school administrations and also the newspapers. It is time for both to come down a notch or two. J-Lynn
He's a bully
but I suspect Kaleigh is setting him up for a fall, where Marcie will either have the satisfaction of being there/causing it; or she'll save his bacon big time.
Angharad
Angharad
Cops on the beat
You do not mess with the cop on the beat!
You can't win.
You do EVERYTHING he tells you to do, and be nice.
HE/or SHE/ is in control.
If you give them trouble, it is YOU who will suffer.
Save your energy for the aftermath, and if needed get a good lawer.
Not the way it works
You may end up being hassled more, but too many of the beat cops and patrol officers take liberties that they are not afforded by laws.
Example: You are driving home, and typical of today's drivers you exceed the speed limit by a bit. The lights flash in the rearview, you look down and know you're going too fast. You're at fault, and you know it as you pull over. You roll down your window and put both hands on the wheel while looking ahead so that the officer will not feel threatened. You have your license and registration (and proof of insurance in most cases) available in easy reach so that you don't have to dig for it when s/he asks for it. The officer walks up, ticket book in hand, and the first thing said is, "Where were you headed?"
Now. That is not something that is any of the officer's business in the least, and you're not providing any kind of hostile reaction, but if you don't answer that question, the officer will almost certainly decide you're being "beligerant" or "uncooperative" at the very least, no matter how calmly you respond and continue the respectful demeanor -- nevermind that this particular officer hasn't earned any respect, our culture says you MUST respect authority figures. My answer is usually, "Doesn't really matter where I'm going, because I was going too fast." *insert sheepish grin* "Sorry about that, I wasn't paying enough attention to the speedometer." Now, this gives the illusion of having answered the question -- most times, the officer doesn't ACTUALLY care about the answer, and is just asking it as either a way to "establish rapport" or as a way of assuming control of a situation by setting you to answering questions from the beginning. The thought is you'll answer other questions if you start out answering a question. This is why the first thing is not to ask for license and registration (and proof of insurance), but to ask a question that demands an answer other than Yes/No. Also, you've established that there was one SPECIFIC thing to which you were not paying attention, as opposed to a vagary that would set you up for questions about being reckless.
Now, I am not one of those silly folks that dislike the police simply for the sake of bucking authority. In fact, I not only like the police but attempted to join the Police Academy once upon a time (failed the physical). But I also don't believe in surrendering privileges to folks that have no right to them. I will be polite, perhaps even disarmingly so, when refusing to give such information, but I will not give it.
Besides, the guy wasn't "on the beat" he was OFF DUTY. Which means absolutely no authority to be even ASKING Marcie those questions! Let alone the fact that an adult male is demanding answers in a hostile manner of a minor female that is not in his family, and one that doesn't even know his name -- he only knows hers from official police reports. He is trying to intimidate her. Thus, the case could be made that he is Assaulting her, and depending on what part of Jersey this is in, there could be laws about Implied Stalking and even an Act of Personal Terrorism.
nodding so vigorously that my nose is loose!
I think Angharad's hit the nail on the head - he's simply a bully - but one with a gun.
I've the feeling that he's not all that bright & won't see people for what they truly are, but for what he wants them to be. It's quite obvious that Marcie's heart is in the right place, in terms of her actions, but he's jaded, to say the least. Maybe it's the influence of his sister, but perhaps he's also jealous & embarrassed that a 'little girl' has shown him up and apprehended two criminals. I don't know if he'll wake up, he'd have to admit he was wrong for that to happen, and so far I don't see that as being in his character.
I'm trying to imagine him harassing poor Marcie - I would think that his tone & the circumstances would have turned a few heads. I'm kind of surprised that he didn't demand to see the receipt, but then again that could have easily gone wrong for him. I'd bet that he's a bit pissed that he couldn't get a rise out of Marz.... it's going to be a long walk home, I think....
He conquers who endures. ~ Persius
Hmmmmmm
I wouldn't be surprised if he was involved in the death of Misty Sabastino. I know her death was ruled heart failure, but it can be caused so many ways. It isn't unheard of for a family to cover up their own skeletons.
Love,
Paula
Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
The Coda
Chapterhouse: Dune
Paula
Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
The Coda
Chapterhouse: Dune
"Remember, bend without breaking".
always a good idea