up with the idea.”
Her friends and allies gathered around. “And we asked to join her,” Laura said, edging her way closer so that she stood directly in front of Troy Davis’s face.
“Yes,” Helen echoed, moving next to Laura, although she was so short she had to tilt her chin up in order to get a good look. Any menacing expression was wasted on the sheriff, who didn’t bother to glance down. In fact, it seemed Sheriff Davis was having difficulty keeping a straight face. Charlotte, however, was not amused.
“It’s the only way we have of getting heard in this city,” Bess said. She waved her protest sign, nearly clobbering him in the head when she momentarily lost control of the heavy wooden stick.
“Does Olivia know what you’re up to?” Sheriff Davis asked Charlotte, ignoring the others.
“My daughter has nothing to do with this,” Charlotte said, although her voice faltered momentarily. Olivia was her one hesitation about this protest. Charlotte knew her daughter objected to her involvement—but what Olivia didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
“We don’t feel it’s any of the judge’s business,” Ben added.
Charlotte thanked him with a small smile. He understood her dilemma and had offered his advice. These days, she often listened to what Ben had to say. He was reasonable and wise in his counsel; he’d proved that over and over. He’d also proved something else, which the others didn’t know—that he was an excellent kisser. She blushed at the thought.
“I don’t believe I was speaking to you, sir,” the sheriff said.
“Sheriff Davis, that was completely unnecessary,” Charlotte objected.
“Does Olivia know?” he asked again, and the friendliness was gone from his voice.
“She knew about it. She just didn’t know when I planned to march,” Charlotte answered bluntly.
“So you don’t have an assembly permit?”
“There’s a logical reason we don’t, Sheriff,” Ben said. “We—”
“I’m sure there is. However, if you don’t have a permit, I’m going to have to ask you to disperse and leave the area.”
“We aren’t causing any trouble,” Ben said.
“We come in peace,” Laura insisted, sounding as if she’d just alighted from an alien spaceship.
“But we mean business!” Bess’s sign flashed back and forth in the sheriff’s face.
Glaring at her, he caught the wooden stem with one hand and took it from her. “Mrs. Ferryman, kindly go home.”
“I was his third-grade teacher,” Bess whispered to Charlotte.
“Officer, I appreciate your problem, but we are on a mission,” Ben started. “We—”
“I’m on a mission, as well,” Troy Davis said calmly. He held up his hand to attract the attention of the small protest rally. “I want you all to cease and desist, and go home peacefully. Now.”
“I refuse.” Laura punctuated her comment by pounding the wooden stick against the sidewalk.
“I do believe,” Charlotte said cheerfully, “that you’ll need to arrest us first.”
Sheriff Davis cast an exasperated look at the small group.
“Charlotte,” Ben warned, his voice low and uncertain, “don’t give the man any ideas.”
“Sheriff Davis knows how important a health clinic is to our community.”
The lawman nodded. “I do know, and personally I agree with you, but the law is the law.”
“Do you think he’ll handcuff us?” Helen asked, tugging at Charlotte’s sleeve.
Charlotte could see that her friend was wavering. “Of course not,” she assured her.
“Don’t count on it, ladies.” Sheriff Davis released a snap on his belt and brought out a pair of handcuffs. He held them up and dangled them from his fingers for all to see.
Bess gasped and raised her hand to her chest. “I don’t want to be strip-searched.”
“I’m not making any guarantees,” Sheriff Davis said, looking at her as though he had X-ray vision.
Bess shrank back behind Laura.
Charlotte strengthened her resolve and hoisted up her sign once more. She’d come this far and wasn’t about to back down now. Ben and her friends would have to make their own decisions. She’d already made hers.
“Five minutes,” Sheriff Davis informed them. “If you haven’t dispersed in that time, I’m afraid I’ll have to call for backup and you’ll all be arrested for unlawful assembly.”
Charlotte knew what she had to do. She turned to face her dearest friends—Helen, Bess, Laura and the others. She hated the thought of them in a cold, damp cell in the basement of the police station, but there were times a person had to take a stand. “The sheriff states that unless we disperse, we’re headed for the slammer.”
The group cried out in protest.
“We have five minutes. As for me, I’m staying right where I am. Each one of us should make our own decision.” Having said that, she placed a hand on Bess’s shoulder. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to go to jail.”
Bess considered her words, and then seemed to steel herself mentally. “I’m staying,” she announced, glaring defiantly at the sheriff. “Troy Davis, I remember you cheated on that spelling test. I never should’ve voted for you. You aren’t to be trusted.”
The small group gathered into a tight knot, buzzing with indecision. To her surprise, it was Ben who raised his hands and spoke. “Perhaps we should reconsider.”
A chorus of loud protests instantly followed. Ben looked at Troy Davis and shrugged. “I tried, Officer.”
“Unfortunately, you didn’t try hard enough.” The sheriff glanced down at his watch—five minutes must be up—and then without another word, marched over to his patrol car. He turned his head and spoke into the small transmitter attached to his shoulder. He was making good on his threat, Charlotte realized, and calling for backup.
A few minutes later, two patrol cars rolled into view. Charlotte groaned inwardly.
Olivia wasn’t going to like this one bit.
Twenty-Nine
Roy McAfee received the long-awaited phone call the second week of April, almost a month after Davis had sent the water bottle found in Maxwell Russell’s car to the county lab for testing. He asked Roy to stop by his office as soon as possible.
Within ten minutes of that call, Roy was headed out the front door of his office.
“Was that Sheriff
