Chapter Fourteen: Bradford's Most Wanted
Only a week ago, it didn’t seem like anything could go right. I had lost my best friend forever, I wasn’t getting anywhere in my investigation, and I was questioning my purpose in the overall scheme of things. The words of encouragement from Mrs. Barnes had given me a new perspective and a new direction. I was now radiating with positive energy. I could hardly wait for the next day to catch the Doodle Soup thief. I wasn’t going to do it to become rich and famous. I was going to do it because it was my destiny. Before I could fulfill my destiny, I had to clear up the lone, dark cloud that threatened my future.
I was still haunted by the confrontations with Autumn. I hated that our friendship ended the way it did. She had hurt my feelings with some of the things she said, but that was no excuse for me being mean to her. In a way, she did me a favor. I began to rethink my goals and motivations. I wanted to lead a life free from the desire of fortune and fame like Pastor Thomas preached about, but didn’t know how to proceed. Thank goodness for Mrs. Barnes pointing me in the right direction. Now that everything seemed to be going great for me, I wanted to right all wrongs from my past. I couldn’t worry about a subpoena for the rest of my life. I had to turn myself in for signing my name as Serina K. instead of Serina Moore on my homework.
Instead of going home after school to make sure Suzy was put up before Mr. McCarthy delivered the mail, I walked to the police station. I hoped Suzy wouldn’t create another ruckus, but wasn’t counting on it. Oh well. Mr. McCarthy had forgiven me before. Hopefully, he would again. I think he would understand given the circumstances. This was something I had to do.
“What can I do for you?” the receptionist at the police station asked.
“I’d like to speak with Sheriff Daniels,” I said.
“He’s in a meeting right now. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“I’d like to turn myself in.”
“Turn yourself in?”
“I’ve been signing Serina K. on my homework."
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“Serina K. Moore,” I answered.
“Why do you think you’re in trouble for signing your own name on your homework?”
“It’s a long story. To tell you the truth, I’m kind of embarrassed about the whole situation. I’d rather tell Sheriff Daniels myself. He’s a friend of my dad’s. I don’t want him to hear about it from someone else.”
“Have a seat. I’ll let him know that you’re here. He should be out of the meeting in a few minutes.”
I took a seat on a bench a few feet from the receptionist’s desk. I sat down beside a man who was handcuffed to the bench. The man didn’t look very old. He looked younger than my dad. I wondered to myself what he did to get himself in such a predicament before I finally got the nerve to ask.
“Psst,” I whispered. “What are you in here for?”
“Shoplifting,” he answered.
“Shoplifting?”
“I had my eye on a watch at the mall for quite a while before I finally decided to buy it. I reached in my pocket for my wallet to pay for it at the register, but it wasn’t there. I had left my wallet at home. I didn’t figure it would hurt anything if I wore it home and came back later with my wallet. The next thing I know, I’m riding in the back of a police car.”
My heart went out to the man. He made one little mistake and will now have to spend the rest of his life busting blocks. It didn’t seem fair, but that’s exactly what Pastor Thomas preached about. The man was so obsessed with the watch that he forgot to pay for it. The watch became the focus of his mind instead of God.
To help console him somewhat, I explained my theory of window shopping. After months of window shopping, I usually decide that I don’t need something anyway. Not only will it help you save money, but it will also keep you out of jail if you forget your wallet. I left out the part about how the cycle repeats itself. After I change my mind about an item I’ve been fixated on, something else grabs my attention until I decide don’t need it either.
The man thanked me for the advice. He said that he had never thought of it like that before. Hopefully, the judge will go easy on him and he won’t have to bust blocks all his life. Maybe he’ll get out of jail and help others make changes in their lives. The thought of my speech to him having that large of an impact made me proud. For a moment, I thought that I should become a philosopher like my dad. Before the thought could plant roots, the receptionist notified me that the sheriff’s meeting was over. It was now time for me to plead my case.
“How are you today, Serina?” Sheriff Daniels asked when I walked into his office.
“I’m doing ok, but I’ve got some bad news. I’m here to pick up my subpoena.”
“Huh?”
I told him the story about signing Serina K. on my homework and that I learned that a person must go to court to legally change their name. I also told him about the trouble with Suzy and Mr. McCarthy, my spat with Autumn, and about some of the issues I’ve faced during the investigation of the time capsule break-in”
“I’m just tired of running. I don’t want to end up busting blocks for the rest of my life like that guy outside.”
“What guy outside?”
“The guy that I was talking to who was arrested for shoplifting.”
“He’ll get some jail time, but he won’t be busting blocks for the rest of his life.”
“That’s good to hear. He seemed like a nice guy. I still hate that he has to go to jail just because he forgot his wallet.”
“He seemed to forget his wallet at five other stores too,” Sheriff Daniels said.
“Wow. I didn’t know that he had forgotten his wallet that many times. Has he got like amnesia or something?”
“His mental faculties are perfectly fine,” he said. “Let’s talk about your dilemma.”
I won’t have to spend any time in jail, will I?”
“As long as it’s not a legal document, you can sign your name anyway that you want to. That is, of course, as long as the school doesn’t have a problem with it.”
“They haven’t said anything so far. I only started signing my name as Serina K. so I wouldn’t get confused with the other girl named Serina at my school.”
“I think everyone in Bradford knows who Serina K. is,” he joked.
“I’m not trying to be famous or anything. I just want to make a difference in people’s lives.”
“You’ve definitely brightened my day, Serina. No one has ever come into the police station requesting a subpoena before. I wish everyone was as forthcoming as you.”
“Am I free to go?”
“You’re free to go.”
“One more thing,” I said as I was walking out of his office. “Have you figured out who broke into the time capsule?”
“Unfortunately, we haven’t. We’ve had a few suspects, but nothing panned out. I heard that you had taken up the cause. As a matter of fact, I sent one of my officers out to investigate the traffic jam at the elementary school a few weeks ago. When he came back, he said that a couple of kids were asking everyone their whereabouts the night of the break-in. I’m guessing the couple of kids were you and Sara. Have you got any information that might help with the case?”
“I haven’t got anything concrete, but I’ve got a feeling that it was someone in the Doodle Soup contest. I hope to be able to prove it tomorrow.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“Stay tuned. If I’m right, you’ll need to be there to arrest them.”
He looked at me suspiciously and said, “Promise me you’ll try not to create too much commotion.”
“Don’t worry. I have a plan,” I said.
“That’s what worries me,” he said.