Three
Nothing eventful ever happened on Sunfish Lane or anywhere in the town of Brighton Falls, for that matter. It was a quiet and peaceful coastal community in New England that got its kicks from small parades and sidewalk sales. So, when Tommy turned the corner onto his street with Artie by his side, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Ms. Crofton was in her front yard screaming and thrashing her arms around in her see-through nightgown. She could be a drama queen and everyone knew that, but the police officer parked in her driveway made Tommy think that maybe something else was going on other than the typical sideshow.
Artie must have thought the same, because he started barking at the two of them as he and Tommy walked by.
“Him!” Evelynn Crofton yelled, pointing at the beagle.
Evelynn propelled herself past the officer, right at Artie. Tommy had never seen her move so fast before. Suddenly, Tommy realized she wasn’t going to stop. He picked Artie up and held him in his arms.
Evelynn reached out, trying to pull Artie away until Tommy had to push her back.
“Have you lost your mind?” Tommy said.
“He killed her! He killed her!” Evelynn cried.
She lunged forward at Artie again and the officer put his hands on her shoulders to restrain the heavy-set woman as best he could.
“Get your damn hands off me or I’ll shout rape!”
“Ms. Crofton, I’m here to help you,” the officer said.
Out of breath and panting as if she just ran a marathon, Evelynn Crofton finally stopped.
“Now why would you call this boy and his dog out?” the officer asked.
Evelynn gathered herself back up and held her head high in the air. Without looking at any of them, she said, “That damn dog is always running up and down this street every day. He thinks he has the run of the place.”
She lowered her head back down to meet Artie’s.
“But guess what?” she said, voice rising. “He doesn’t! This is Mrs. Skittles’s neighborhood and you can’t take it from her!”
She ripped away from the officer and went at Artie again. Tommy jumped back.
“Go on, kid,” the officer said. “Get out of here. I’m not keeping you here.”
Tommy, a bit shaken, turned back for home without letting go of Artie, who gave Evelynn Crofton one final bark for the day before leaving her in a heap in her front yard.
“What the hell got into her?” Tommy asked Artie.
Artie looked at him quizzically, as if wondering the same thing.