Resolution: Day 12

Word Count: 72,043

Summary of Events:

Shelton went to visit his oldest sister, who he felt understood him the best, but was upset to find that even she didn't seem to see Georgiana's character as more important than her social standing. Georgiana and Shelton went out with friends again; this time they were at a dance hall, but because Shelton was too concussed to dance and Georgiana didn't know how they ended up sitting and talking instead. Shelton was called by the police with a lead on one of his stolen possessions; on the streetcar there he was surrounded by two men who shot at him and chased him out of the streetcar . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Immediately he went south to the next intersection, circling the block to go back the way that would take him to the police.

Circling the block, however, didn’t allow him to get far enough away from his pursuers that they stopped trying to shoot him, even though he didn’t feel any pain that suggested he might actually have been struck.

He darted into a pawn shop — suspecting that was where Sgt. Oake was waiting for him — and momentum carried him against the counter.

“Did you run all the way here?” Sgt. Oake asked.

“What else do you do when you’re being shot at?” Shelton asked.

“Shot at!” Sgt. Oake exclaimed.

“They didn’t want me to get off the streetcar,” Shelton replied.

Sgt. Oake whirled around when the door opened. Shelton did too and saw his two pursuers startle at the sight of the officer before making to run.

“Halt!” Sgt. Oake shouted, holding his police-issue sidearm in both hands. “Drop your weapons and put your hands up!”

Exhausted from the running, the men obliged and Sgt. Oake cuffed the two men together before getting the pawn shop proprietor to send for another officer.

“Show him the watch,” Sgt. Oake ordered once the summons for another officer had been made.

The proprietor took Shelton over to a cabinet filled with all kinds of jewelry and such, much of it looking old and tarnished. He recognised his watch before the proprietor had drawn it out of the case.

Shelton popped it open and looked at the familiar engraving. He compared its time with that of the clock on the wall. It was still right on time.

“Is it yours?” the proprietor asked.

“Yes it is,” Shelton replied.

“Do you recognise either of these two?” Sgt. Oake asked.

“No sir,” Shelton and the proprietor said in unison.

“Come show them the watch,” Sgt. Oake said.

Shelton obliged, showing them the inside and outside.

“Either of you two recognise it?” Sgt. Oake asked.

Both men shook their heads.

“What were you shooting at him for?” Sgt. Oake demanded.

Neither man spoke.

“I wouldn’t think my parents would stoop to hiring hitmen to kill me because I won’t break off my engagement,” Shelton said. “I mean, we’re not getting along on the best of terms right now, but it’s not that bad.”

“You can’t think of any other reason anyone might pursue you?” Sgt. Oake asked.

“Unless maybe they’re mad at Father for locking up one of their friends,” Shelton replied. “I mean, criminals aren’t prone to liking judges.”

“We’ll see what they have to say for themselves yet,” Sgt. Oake said.

Shelton nodded. He definitely wanted to know what was going on with all of this, as he really didn’t know any reason why he would be pursued by gunmen aside from the reasons he’d mentioned.