LADY ON THE BEACH.....PAGE 10

 LADY ON THE BEACH....PAGE 10

MAGGIE WAS RE-THINKING ABOUT THIS BEING A GOOD IDEA.  ONCE THEY MADE THEIR WAY A BIT INLAND, THE OCEAN BREEZE WAS GONE AND THE AIR WAS HOTTER

SALLY LED THE WAY, PULLING THE EMPTY RED WAGON, WITH O.C.(ORANGE CAT)SITTING

IN THE WAGON.  MICHAEL WAS BY HER SIDE,  HE TOOK HER HAND AND DIDN'T PULL BACK

IT WAS FAMILIAR, LIKE A LONG LOST FRIEND, RIGHT NOW SHE NEEDS A FRIEND

THOUGH THESE TWO WERE NOT WHAT SHE HAD IT MIND, BUT SHE DIDN'T MIND

SHE WASN'T ALONE.  MAGGIE CROSSED THE STREET, JAY WALKING WHEN SALLY

LET OUT A SCREAM "OH NO!"

OUT OF NOWHERE, A YOUNG MAN IN UNIFORM MET HER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE

STREET

"MAM'AM, YOU HAVE BROKEN THE LAW."  THE YOUNG MAN, WITH A NAME BADGE, TOBY,

"I NEED SOME I.D."

"I HAVE NO I.D. ON ME."  MAGGIE SAID

"COME WITH ME."  THE OFFICER SAID

MAGGIE LOOKED BACK AT MICHAEL, WHO WAS LAUGHING, AND SALLY LOOKED SCARED,

AS IF MAGGIE WAS GOING TO PRISON.

"WRITE ME A TICKET, AND I WILL PAY IT, WHEN I COME BACK INTO TOWN."  MAGGIE SAID

"PAY NOW OR NIGHT IN JAIL."  OFFICER TOBY EXPLAINED

"FINE, A NIGHT IN JAIL."  LEAD THE WAY."

OFFICER TOBY'S EYES GOT REAL BIG, LOOKING AROUND, "YOU SURE?  NO ONE EVER

CHOOSES JAIL."

"WELL,"  MAGGIE SAID, BET YOU NEVER BEEN LEFT AT THE ALTAR, HAVE YOU"

"NO MAM'AM "

OFFICER TOBY, LED MAGGIE TO THE POLICE STATION, 3 BLOCKS DOWN FROM 

MAIN STREET.  THIS WOULD BE TOBY'S FIRST ARREST, AND WASN'T SURE IF HE SHOULD

BE EXCITED OR FEEL SORRY FOR THE LADY, BEING LEFT AT THE ALTAR AND ALL.

TOBY HELD THE DOOR OPEN FOR MAGGIE, TO WALK IN FIRST.

MAGGIE LOOKED AROUND, THINKING SHE MUST BE IN MAYBERRY.

THE SHERIFF LOOKED UP FROM THE COMPUTER SCREEN.  "MORNING. "

"I WAS JAY WALKING.  I HAVE NO I.D. SO I WILL BE SPENDING THE NIGHT IN JAIL."

MAGGIE SAID SMILING.

TOBY WAS STANDING BY THE DOOR, NOT SURE IF HE SHOULD LEAVE OR STAY

"THAT IS THE LAW."  THE SHERIFF SAID.  "TOBY, LOCK HER UP."

TOBY WALKED OVER, AND UNLOCKED THE CELL, "THIS WAY MA'MAM"

MAGGIE WALKED OVER AND INTO THE CELL.  "YOU CAN CALL BE MAGGIE. MAYBE

WHEN I AM RELEASED FROM THE JOINT, YOU CAN SHOW ME AROUND"

MAGGIE WINKED AT TOBY AS THE DOOR CLANGED SHUT.

TOBY SMILED AND NODDED, WHILE HIS FACE TURNED RED.

THE SHERIFF DID HIS BEST NOT TO LAUGH, BUT THE LAW IS THE LAW