“Uh-uh,” Mrs. Estes said. “She stayed right where she was at, behind the counter. I was gonna ask her for a paper towel to wipe up the mess, but before I could, that woman come up front to pay. I believe she had a Slurpee in her hand. And right then, that man she come in with, he started walking real fast up to the front too, acting like he was gonna leave the store. Anna hollered at him, told him he needed to pay, and that’s when he kind of took off. He had a bottle stuck down in his pants, and it fell out and smashed on the floor.”

“And then what?” Drue prompted.

“All hell broke loose. Bitty was crying, because she was scared and mad at the same time, and Anna, she went chasing after the man, and then that poor lady, her feet come right out from under her and she slammed backwards, hit her head hard on that concrete floor. That Slurpee went flying too. I was afraid to touch her, ’cause she looked bad hurt. That’s when I dialed nine-one-one. We stayed right there with that lady until the ambulance and the police came, and then I paid for two ice cream cones for Bitty and we left and we ain’t been back.”

Drue thought for a moment. “Did the lady fall before or after the man dropped the bottle?”

Mrs. Estes closed her eyes and pondered the question. Finally, she nodded. “Right before.”

Drue glanced over at Zee, noticing that he’d quietly placed his phone on his lap and had been recording the interview. He nodded silently.

“Did anybody else come into the store while all that was happening?” Drue asked, hoping she’d tied up all the loose ends in Delores Estes’s witness account.

Mrs. Estes dabbed at her neck. “No. It was just me and Bitty until that white lady and the man come in. And Anna, but she works there.”

“You didn’t see the white lady try to take anything, did you?”

“What? No, I didn’t see nuthin’ like that. She had a wallet in her hand, I think, getting ready to pay for her drink.”

“Fine,” Drue said, feeling grateful and encouraged. “That’s good to know.”

Zee cleared his throat. “If it’s all right with you, we’re gonna type up our notes about our conversation today. Like an affidavit. Would you be willing to sign that?”

“I reckon so. If it’s the truth like I told you.”

Drue smiled broadly. “Okay, I think that’s all the questions I have for now, Mrs. Estes. I want to thank you so much for talking to us today.”

“That’s okay. I try to be a good Christian, you know?”

Mrs. Estes pushed the screen door open to let her visitors pass. “Which law firm did y’all say you work for again?”