Overheard at Chipperfields' ... Part LXXII ...

The silence in the store was almost deafening ... the sizzle of the broken water pipe spraying on the exhaust system of the car ... the ticking of the car motor and the intermittent tinkle of glass falling to the floor were the only sounds as they followed J-- from the kitchen back into the wreckage strewn shop. They picked their way carefully through the debris, each of them looking awestruck at the carnage spread before them.

"Oh My Gawd," wailed Bonnie as she stepped past the ice cream cooler and the full extent of the accident became evident. Tables and chairs were scattered, the couches and counter were crushed under the weight of the car, and scattered everywhere was the remains of what moments ago had been a coffee shop brimming with beverages and refreshments ...

"Kinda puts the fire in a whole new perspective doesn't it?" snickered J-- as he poked at a soggy cinnamon wedge with his toe.

Jay-Dee and Dani snorted and supressed a smile.

As they stood the door of the car opened and three teenagers piled out on to the wreckage covered floor. They looked up and scurried over each other as they headed to the now gaping front windows and began running down the street.

"Hey," shrieked Bonnie dashing after them, "where are you going? Get back here ..."

Jackie, one of the EMS workers pulled her radio out and began talking into it, "Yeah, dispatch. I'm at Chipperfields, and we've had a bit of a problem." She stepped out on to the sidewalk and turned to watch the three teens flee, "Can you call the RCMP and let them know that a car just crashed through the front window and the suspects are running up the street?" She paused and held the handset up to her ear to listen to the reply. "They're running up toward the gas station ..."

Ross was pulling Bonnie back into the store as she continued to shout at the fleeing suspects running south on Main St.

"Dear, leave it to the police," pleaded Ross, "they'll deal with it."

"Yeah," added Kriss, "I know who they are ..."

"And where they live," added Abigail, the other EMS person quietly, "when the member shows up we'll get them where the kids are."

"Besides," added J-- with a grin, "they left their wallet and cell phone in the car." He leaned in the door and pointed to the items resting in the console.

A small crowd was gathering out in front of the store and people began talking and asking questions as they took in the vista of devestation spread before them.

Suddenly Jackie's voice cut through the din, "Will you all shut the hell up? I'm trying to listen to my radio and you're making too much noise ..."

Onlookers glanced at her nervously, but all of them suddenly silenced themselves.

"Thank you," Jackie said, shaking her head as she returned to her conversation on the radio.

"Maybe we should shut off the water?" asked JayDee noting the growing puddle of water that was spreading across the floor.

"Killing the power probably wouldn't be a bad idea too," observed Dani.

The two of them headed off to the back of the store to tend to that while The Rev and J--, lead Bonnie out to the street and to the passenger seat of their car.

"It's only a building," observed The Rev, "you can always rebuild it."

"Again," moaned Bonnie.

"We have the technology," offered J-- with a laugh, "we can rebuild him. Stronger, faster, more powerful ..."

"You watch way too much tv," said Ross shaking his head, on his face was a dumb-founded, "this is not some bionic man who needs to be rebuilt. This is a business."

"Oh I know," snorted J--, "but right now, you either laugh or you cry. And don't you think it is better to laugh?"

Ross stared at J-- and grinned slightly.

As the three of them stood by the open door of the car while Bonnie buried her face in her hands the RCMP car pulled up and threw on it's roof lights. The member stepped out with a smile.

"Bad day huh?" she asked as she strolled around the front hood of the car.

"Adds new meaning to 'Grand Re-Opening' doesn't it?" said J-- with a laugh.

The officer laughed as she walked over towards Jackie, who was still on the radio and the two of them began discussing with Kriss who the suspects were and where they went. As they spoke a second RCMP car pulled up, followed closely by a van from the Gas company. Across the street in the Hardware Store parking lot the editor of the town newspaper pulled up and hopped out of his car carrying his camera.

Ross looked around at the still increasing crowd and said, "Too bad we couldn't put on coffee for everyone ..."

J-- glanced around and laughed, "Yeah, we haven't had this big a crowd on Main Street since the Church fire ..."