Once Upon A Half-Time 2(131)

Josie shifted backward in her seat, peeking over the aisle to whisper with her friend.

“Now’s your chance to get that puppy you always wanted,” Delta snickered. “A shitty-poo!”

Benjamin batted Nolan’s plans for the sewer taps out of the way to place a detailed diagram of the street corner on the overhead.

“I demand a resolution!” Benjamin pounded the projector. “Wider sidewalks in this town to prevent atrocities like what happened to Jean-Baptise from happening again!”

“Jean-Baptise is fine!” Mrs. Greentree hid her face in a handkerchief. “Probably smoking some cigarette and ignoring his responsibility to the puppies.”

“I am not giving one cent to your…your…bitch!”

The town gasped.

Josie leaned close. “This is getting good.”

The arguments ceased as Bob Ragen stood so fast he knocked the chair out from beneath his dirty jeans and mud crusted boots. He shouted, gaining the attention of the room.

“For Christ’s sake, no one here cares about the goddamned poodle or shitty zoo!”

“Shih Tzu!” Mrs. Greentree corrected.

Bob didn’t care. “Nolan, get your shit together and control this rabble. I have real business with this council.”

Not often I agreed with Bob Ragen, but the asshole had it right tonight. Unfortunately, Josie nudged my arm.

“Promise me you’ll behave?” she whispered.

“No.”

“Just this once?”

She must have expected a show. Not that Bob Ragen ever spouted off without inciting half the damned town.

He didn’t wait for an invitation to the podium. Bob claimed the overhead and unwadded a dirty paper from his pocket. Councilman Grossi unwrinkled the old paper and attempted to put it on the projector without dusting the ink off. The properties on the survey belonged to Bob Ragen’s father and Matthias Davis.

“Here we go.” Josie nibbled on a fingernail.

“Time’s come to make decisions here,” Bob pushed a greasy finger on the projector, patting the dotted line dividing his property from Josie’s. “This has gone on for long enough.”

For the first time, Nolan and I agreed. He waved Bob off. “It’s a civil matter. We can’t do anything. Take it up with Matthias.”

“Can’t. He’s still laid up, nearly burned to a crisp.”

A harsh whisper rallied the meeting. Their gazes shifted to us. Josie pretended not to notice.

Bob continued. “I don’t know what Matt Davis and his family are playing at, welcoming an arsonist back into their home…”

Christ. Now the townsfolk started talking. It’d take three batches of cookies tonight before Josie unstressed enough to even consider going to sleep.

Delta’s sharp shush silenced the gossip, but that just gave Bob Ragen the floor, uninterrupted. That asshole could do more damage with an incoherent sentence than the entire council and their illustrious mayor could accomplish in a year.

“This is a survey of my property. Look here. You can see it. These lines?” Bob slammed the projector. “My lot. Matthias Davis has siphoned off three foot of my land for the past fifty years, and I want to know what will be done about it.”

Josie sighed. So did Nolan. He gestured to the councilmen. None of them felt like dealing with the issue and decided now was the best time to check email on their phones.

“I need some goddamned answers,” Bob spat. “Every damn month I’m getting the run-around. Don’t care if she is the town sweetheart or if everyone feels bad cause her delinquent boyfriend got pissed off and burned the place down.”

I tensed. Nolan grinned. “Let’s keep the discussion relevant?”

“Facts are facts. I know this town don’t like holding to them, but this is my survey and it shows my land. I want compensation for the years I was infringed on.”

Josie crossed her arms. Delta coughed something uncouth.

“The building isn’t there anymore, Bob.” Nolan glanced to Josie, his gaze lingering a moment too long. “I think you owe someone else in this meeting a debt of gratitude for solving your problem.”

“We’ll light a candle in his honor,” Josie muttered.

Bob wasn’t done, especially now that somehow he held the attention of the town for more than just a fleeting second of disgust. He balled a fist and slammed the projector.

“I want these lines investigated. Revised. I’ll push it to the Zoning Hearing Board if I got to.”

Josie finally stood. “Bob, I’ll work with you. Later. Okay?”

“That ain’t good enough this time.” Bob pointed at the council. “When are we gonna make her take care of that hellhole property?”