Requiem

the whole town came and little Katie seemed so small, her usual busy body lying so still, and her friends lined the aisle, all the way back to the Baptismal font, but Officer Staggs didn't know if that was a good idea, bringing such little kids to see the dead, and there was Jen the mom and Jack the step-dad, his fists still clenched while every one in town knew who did it, who was responsible, who broke into Jack's electrician shop, leaving no prints, but lacing food with poisons meant for Jack, taking little Katie away instead, such a painful dying, and no matter what Officer Staggs tried to think or tried to look at or tried so hard to pray for, he couldn't stop his tears, and he knew Jack might decide now, might charge out the door and run down the man who did this, the man who professed love but who killed instead, who terrorized his kids, his wife, and ran away (some said to Canada, others said New Orleans)and Staggs would try to stop Jack, reason with him, but it might not be enough, might not have magical persuasion in his voice to stop a good man from revenge.