Chapter 104
She watched the townspeople. Their reactions had shifted from suspicion and misunderstanding to applause and praise, as if everything had turned into an absurd play.
Earlier, Beverly was surprised when Vicky's mother, who had once bullied her in school, apologized tearfully. "I'm so sorry, Beverly. It was all my fault when we were kids."
Beverly, with a calm expression, had replied, "It's okay. I've already forgotten about it."
And she truly meant it. Her childhood memories had been erased by Pennywise, and later by Randy. So, in truth, those memories were faint now. However, to Vicky's mother, it appeared as a gesture of great generosity, and she was filled with gratitude.
"Beverly, you're like a saint to our family!" she exclaimed.
"She's indeed an amazing person!" added the police chief, Brooke. "Without Beverly, this case wouldn't have been solved so easily. If it weren't for her, John might have caught wind and fled, or worse, put us all in danger."
The evidence from the supermarket had been gathered, and everyone was making their way back to the street. Vicky had already been taken to the hospital, and a crowd of curious onlookers had gathered outside.
"What happened?" someone asked.
"The real culprit behind the town's missing children has been found! It's John, the owner of the supermarket. We've rescued the missing girl, Vicky, and there's enough evidence to prove that John was a sick monster!" a voice from the crowd responded.
"What? He was that kind of person?"
"Dammit, Beverly worked in that supermarket too. Does that make her an accomplice?"
Suddenly, a snide voice cut through the crowd, drawing everyone's attention to Beverly.
"Who said that?! That's a ridiculous accusation!" Brooke quickly defended Beverly. "She's a hero! This case was solved thanks to her."
Vicky's mother also chimed in, "It's true! Beverly saved my daughter! And I even bullied her in school—I'm the one who should be ashamed."
"Exactly! Beverly is the one who deserves all the credit. Our police chief, Brooke, yes, this man here," Jackson added, pointing to Brooke, "didn't even have the guts to go into the supermarket! Thank goodness for Beverly, who went in like a Valkyrie… Oh, and let's not forget that the chief here initially accused Beverly of trying to steal something from the store. Can you believe it?"
Jackson's embellishments had the crowd buzzing, and in his retelling, the brave police chief suddenly seemed like a coward who was avoiding responsibility, perhaps even implicated in the crime.
Brooke's dark skin seemed to darken further with embarrassment. He mentally noted to put Jackson on leave once this was all over.
"Is that so?" someone murmured in the crowd.
"Beverly should be the police chief!" the snide voice called out again, drawing agreement from a few officers, much to Brooke's growing displeasure.
"Who's shouting nonsense?" Brooke barked. "Stop spreading rumors! In any case, Beverly will receive the recognition she deserves!"
Brooke led the crowd in applause, with other officers joining in, and soon the townspeople followed suit.
Beverly, unused to such attention, felt awkward. Though she was now something of a celebrity in the small town, her reputation wasn't entirely spotless.
There were whispers: "Isn't she cursed? She killed her father, then her husband, and now her boss is being sent to jail because of her? If she stays here, she'll bring bad luck to our town."
The sneering voice returned, seeming to come from close by, though no one could pinpoint its source in the crowd.
"Who's saying such cruel things?" Jackson jumped in to defend her. "Beverly's been through enough! Her dad was a disgusting pervert, her husband was an abusive monster, and her boss turned out to be a child predator! Is it wrong that she fought back?"
His words, delivered with passion, had the crowd nodding in agreement. But for Beverly, each sentence cut deep. She had always tried to stay positive, but hearing Jackson's words only made her feel even more depressed. Life suddenly seemed bleak and overwhelming.
Realizing he may have said too much, Jackson quickly tried to backtrack. "What I mean is, Beverly is a good person, but this town has a problem. Either you're surrounded by lazy drunks or psychopaths, abusers, pedophiles, and murderers..."
His words left the townspeople on the verge of outrage, and just as the tension mounted, another voice cut in loudly.
"Beverly is a hero! She's brought light to our town. Every bad person who crosses her path gets what they deserve!"
This new voice was loud and clear, different from the earlier sneers. This time, the crowd agreed with the sentiment.
"That's true, she really has done a lot of good."
"Yeah, someone like her should definitely be on the police force."
"Alright, everyone, let's disperse. We'll have more updates soon, and the local paper will cover the full story," a police officer called out, helping to break up the crowd.
Beverly was then escorted into a police car to go down to the station, where she would need to give an official statement. But even as the car started moving, she still felt a sense of disbelief. How had she become so well-liked so suddenly?
Leaning against the window, she looked outside, where all she saw were smiling, supportive faces.
In the crowd, Beverly spotted Cassie, her expression still dark. It seemed she had been lingering nearby the whole time. Oddly, though, despite the arrival of the police, Cassie hadn't tried to warn John.
Beverly also saw Randy, who was smiling and applauding with approval. She felt a surge of warmth and was about to wave at him when the car pulled away.
Then, Chief Brooke delivered some unexpected news. "John resisted arrest at his home. He tried to throw a rock at the officers—an electrified rock, at that! So, they shot him. Dozens of bullets fired from at least ten guns."
"Those bullets were exactly what he deserved!"