Free Bellows Falls by Archer Mayor Page A

cop, could be a one-shot deal, if all you wanted to do was get that cop into hot water.
    “Maybe you can tell me what you were doing when this conversation occurred,” I persisted. “Or where you were at the time.”
    Her face suddenly brightened, and she looked at me hopefully. “I was walking down the street, and he drove up next to me. He rolled the window down and that’s when he said it.”
    “Where on the street?”
    She faltered slightly. “Out front… Near Atkinson.”
    “He was driving along this street, came up behind you, and addressed you just as you reached Atkinson, is that right?”
    “Right.”
    “No,” Norm said, too late.
    “Which is it?” I asked, knowing Padget would have to have been driving the wrong way on a one-way street.
    Jan looked totally confused.
    “He was on Atkinson and met her on the corner,” Norm said, visibly struggling to maintain his composure. “She’s lousy with directions.”
    “And roughly what time of day was this?”
    Jan didn’t answer. Her husband let out a deep sigh, as if he’d just realized he was holding a losing hand of cards. He tried bluffing with another big smile. “Oh, I don’t know… Let’s see—about noon on Wednesday. Wouldn’t you say, honey?”
    “Sure,” she whispered.
    “Did Officer Padget approach you at any other time with similar comments?” I continued briskly.
    Having been ambushed once, Norm headed me off with a small burst of bluster. “Once isn’t enough? How many times does he have to do it before you guys consider it wrong?”
    I looked at him in silence for a few moments.
    “He did it that one time,” he finally said.
    “Mrs. Bouch, a few minutes ago you said Padget ‘follows me when I go out,’ to use your words, implying this has happened several times. If that’s true, we’d certainly like to know about it. If Officer Padget has acted improperly, he should be held accountable.”
    Still looking at the tabletop, Jan merely shook her head, as if she’d lost her way. “The other times were too vague,” Norm said. “He didn’t do anything you could put your finger on.”
    “How do you think Officer Padget came to focus on you in the first place, Mrs. Bouch? Did you know him prior to these incidents?”
    She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips, hard enough to leave small oval blanches behind. “I, uh… I don’t—”
    “Of course we did,” Norm interrupted, his voice sharp now. “There’re only about six cops in the whole town. Everyone gets to know them sooner or later.” He laughed awkwardly. “And I won’t deny they been here a couple of times when we got a little rowdy.”
    “Was Brian Padget ever among the officers who responded to those calls?”
    A flash of irritation swept across Norm’s face. “I don’t know. You can look that up, can’t you?”
    “Mrs. Bouch, let me rephrase this a different way. When was the first time you ever saw Officer Padget?”
    She answered quickly, “Oh, it was a long—”
    Again her husband stopped her, this time with a hand laid heavily on her forearm. I noticed that when she tried to move it away, she couldn’t.
    “Who can tell, Lieutenant?” Norm answered with a smile. “You see a cop on the beat, you don’t pay attention. It wasn’t till he started coming on to her that we really noticed, and that was just recent. We reported it right off.”
    “Have either of you had any contact with Officer Padget since the time he drove up next to you and said those things?”
    “No,” Norm answered flatly, apparently tired of the game at last, and hoping to end it as soon as possible.
    I decided to accommodate him. Turning off the recorder and slipping it into my pocket, I got to my feet. “I think that ought to do it for the moment. I want to thank you for your cooperation. I understand the stress you must both be under. We should be able to reach a determination on this matter within a few days. I hope you understand the process we have to follow,