It was exactly 4:43 p.m one Monday
evening in town. A young man stood at a corner, waiting in the drizzle for one
of the very few cabs to pick him up. Not many were out today; most were
temporarily employed by the town hall to cart officials and their wives back
and forth from their lodgings and back to the courtroom. A case was being closed today, and Gavin
would be late, darned cabs. Because of his dyslexic tendencies, Gavin Room never
bothered with a car. He traveled solely by cab and by foot. He seriously
considered just starting the three mile walk across town, when suddenly a
bright yellow cab showed up and the driver gestured for him to get in quickly.
Gavin yanked the door open and muttered “Took you long enough” before sliding
in the back seat. A woman was sitting on the far side, her elegant jawline
turned to the window, and her eyes were fixed on the rain traveling across the
glass.
“You heading to court too?” Gavin said, directing the
thought toward the woman.
“Yes. Which side of the case are you on?”
“I’m a witness. A
late one at that” It was Gavin’s turn to look out of the glass; he watched the
tall buildings blur. His eyes lingered on an old woman walking her small,
soaked dog along the dirty sidewalk. Dedicated,
he thought with a twitch of a smile.
“You were there?” The woman on the other side of the cab
said suddenly.
“Yes. I saw Gladys Kent. Gruesome” The young
man never looked at the woman.
“I’d think so. This case has been dragging along long enough,
I’m glad it’s about to be over.”
“I want to see justice dealt to the right side and that
should be enough for anyone” Gavin said, broodingly.
“You’re right, of course.” The woman replied and she finally
turned away from the blue tinted glass to carry the conversation on more
politely. But they did not have much more time to talk, much to the relief of
the strained man in the right back seat. The cab pulled around a few corners,
stopped at an inactive four way stop, and then proceeded to the tall, boring
building of grey concrete that was the courtroom of Kendall.
“Ah, we’re finally here.” The woman in red commented as the
cab stopped suddenly at the wide stair case of the town hall. The woman handed
Gavin a large black umbrella.
“If you would be so kind, sir” she said gracefully, nodding
for him to get out first. Gavin obeyed and they walked up the stairs together...
