The Gardens of Digby Green: Alabama Plates
Most nights, the funeral replayed itself nightmarishly in Ray’s dreams. He’d accessed his deputy’s autopsy report on Rose, and shuddered in disgust at what had been done to his beloved. Ray couldn’t decide whether the extended leave they’d made him accept was compassionate, or not.
When the yard and gardens Rose had planted around their home were maintained to beyond the standards she’d established, Ray took to driving her Chrysler Imperial around town. He’d supervised the store closing, but avoided that area on Dixie Way afterward.
He scraped peeling paint from his front window frames, and power-washed the deck, but he couldn’t make himself pick up the phone and invite the guys for poker night. Not yet.
The Chrysler was coated in yellow-green oak pollen and elm sap, and his paint brushes were shot. A trip to Ace Hardware and the car wash would take care of both problems.
#
The owner of a gray pickup made a left turn from a side street without using his turn signal.
The Roseland patrol officer, two cars back in the outside lane, shook his head and flipped the switch for his overhead lights.
Changing lanes, he followed the gray truck, and blooped the siren when the driver seemed oblivious. The guy finally pulled over into the empty front lot at Rose’s Roses.
“Mister, you have a moving violation for not using your turn signal, and I see your license plates are out-of-date. That’s going to add up.”
“I got new plates last month. Don’t tell me they’re out-of-date.”
“Not from what I’m seeing.”
“I can show you the receipt. It’s in the glove compartment.”
“Take it out.”
The driver leaned to his right, popped open the glove compartment, and pulled out the owner’s manual. Flipping open the cover, he produced the registration, and the receipt for his license plates.
“The date is good,” the officer said, but the listed plates aren’t on this truck. What are you doing with Alabama plates that expired two months ago?”
The Gardens of Digby Green is a serialized story that posts on Fridays.
Next week, part fifty-one, Jessup’s Number.
Find a link to purchase Heartland Treasures anthology here.
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