they were nearing journey‟s end. There was zip. The Doctor held his audience captive and he knew it: „Whatever miracles your scout is capable of performing with the Stormcore, didn‟t it ever occur to you there might be someone out there who could play much more impressively?‟
Humanity had few examples on offer that hadn‟t, at one time or another, passed through Melvin Village, or even stayed a week or two. And they all wandered into the store.
As much to suck in the old-world atmosphere as to buy anything. And Hal Byers was happy to have them browse and walk out with only a memory in their pocket, if that was all they wanted. Normally they‟d pick up something, and stop for a few words besides. For Hal, that was the best part of the trade. The store was the focal point of the village for visitors and townsfolk alike; with the church a close second.
Makenzie had talked to him before about a CCTV system.
Like hell, he‟d said every time. The mirrors were adequate for a store this size and a camera spying down from every corner wasn‟t part of the charm folks came looking for.
Of course, there was that biker who‟d tried stuffing his jacket with a couple of six-packs, while he‟d sent his girl over to keep Hal busy. Makenzie had seen that as meaning something, like, what’d I tell you. Hal saw it as just another anecdote for the bar of a Saturday night. The way that girl had draped her chest further and further over the counter, giving out her best small talk. And Hal smiling and saying uh-huh a lot, while he looked over her head and watched the idiot biker fumble the cans.
Before he sent the pair packing he‟d told the girl she was pretty, but maybe she should hit on guys more her age.
Makenzie, Hal figured, was Just sore for having missed out on an arrest.
A scrape of boot on the boards made Hal look up from his magazine.
Since this one customer came in, begging for the phone, he‟d been doing lots of nothing as an alternative to watching the guy like a hawk. Hal preferred to give folks the benefit of the doubt, but this particular guy looked so wired. And his breath smelled like Saturday night. Day like today, anyone might take a swig to warm up their insides, but Jesus.
The mirror opposite showed an empty aisle. His customer had found the blind spot.
By accident? Hal didn‟t think so.
Hal shook his head. Another sorry son-of-a-bitch, probably thought because everyone in a small town moved slow they thought slow. Hal didn‟t feel like being so lenient with this one.
He went back to leafing through the magazine, thinking about his poor boat locked in ice down at the marina. Damn, but he should have seen that freeze coming. She was going to need plenty of TLC before he could take her out again come spring.
Hal caught the movement as a shadow crossing his page.
He sighed and flipped the magazine closed. His customer had just rounded the end of the back aisle. Moving slow, because that’s what we do here, he wandered to the end of his counter and stepped out as though to hold the door open.
The man stopped and his eyes twitched.
Hal wanted to laugh. The guy‟s suit had inherited some bulk all the time he‟d been browsing. Amateur didn‟t even cover It. But this one wasn‟t some kid like that biker. Hell yeah, he‟d give Makenzie a call on this one.
„You mind showing me what you got there, sir?‟
The guy was twitching under the skin now. His only exit was through Hal and Hal was closed for business. „I got all day,‟ he added helpfully. „How about you?‟
„I haven‟t got anything,‟ the man objected, like a kid caught with his hand in the candy jar. Southern boy too, which figured. „What? I didn‟t want anything okay? I didn‟t see anything I liked in your dead-end store. What, is that a crime in this hole?‟
Hal was done with the nice face. „Shoplifting‟s a crime anywhere, far as I know. Open your coat and turn out your pockets, sir. I like to think I give
Humanity had few examples on offer that hadn‟t, at one time or another, passed through Melvin Village, or even stayed a week or two. And they all wandered into the store.
As much to suck in the old-world atmosphere as to buy anything. And Hal Byers was happy to have them browse and walk out with only a memory in their pocket, if that was all they wanted. Normally they‟d pick up something, and stop for a few words besides. For Hal, that was the best part of the trade. The store was the focal point of the village for visitors and townsfolk alike; with the church a close second.
Makenzie had talked to him before about a CCTV system.
Like hell, he‟d said every time. The mirrors were adequate for a store this size and a camera spying down from every corner wasn‟t part of the charm folks came looking for.
Of course, there was that biker who‟d tried stuffing his jacket with a couple of six-packs, while he‟d sent his girl over to keep Hal busy. Makenzie had seen that as meaning something, like, what’d I tell you. Hal saw it as just another anecdote for the bar of a Saturday night. The way that girl had draped her chest further and further over the counter, giving out her best small talk. And Hal smiling and saying uh-huh a lot, while he looked over her head and watched the idiot biker fumble the cans.
Before he sent the pair packing he‟d told the girl she was pretty, but maybe she should hit on guys more her age.
Makenzie, Hal figured, was Just sore for having missed out on an arrest.
A scrape of boot on the boards made Hal look up from his magazine.
Since this one customer came in, begging for the phone, he‟d been doing lots of nothing as an alternative to watching the guy like a hawk. Hal preferred to give folks the benefit of the doubt, but this particular guy looked so wired. And his breath smelled like Saturday night. Day like today, anyone might take a swig to warm up their insides, but Jesus.
The mirror opposite showed an empty aisle. His customer had found the blind spot.
By accident? Hal didn‟t think so.
Hal shook his head. Another sorry son-of-a-bitch, probably thought because everyone in a small town moved slow they thought slow. Hal didn‟t feel like being so lenient with this one.
He went back to leafing through the magazine, thinking about his poor boat locked in ice down at the marina. Damn, but he should have seen that freeze coming. She was going to need plenty of TLC before he could take her out again come spring.
Hal caught the movement as a shadow crossing his page.
He sighed and flipped the magazine closed. His customer had just rounded the end of the back aisle. Moving slow, because that’s what we do here, he wandered to the end of his counter and stepped out as though to hold the door open.
The man stopped and his eyes twitched.
Hal wanted to laugh. The guy‟s suit had inherited some bulk all the time he‟d been browsing. Amateur didn‟t even cover It. But this one wasn‟t some kid like that biker. Hell yeah, he‟d give Makenzie a call on this one.
„You mind showing me what you got there, sir?‟
The guy was twitching under the skin now. His only exit was through Hal and Hal was closed for business. „I got all day,‟ he added helpfully. „How about you?‟
„I haven‟t got anything,‟ the man objected, like a kid caught with his hand in the candy jar. Southern boy too, which figured. „What? I didn‟t want anything okay? I didn‟t see anything I liked in your dead-end store. What, is that a crime in this hole?‟
Hal was done with the nice face. „Shoplifting‟s a crime anywhere, far as I know. Open your coat and turn out your pockets, sir. I like to think I give
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