Sheriff Maria Santos marched down the center aisle, holding an arrest warrant signed by a federal judge.
“Dexter Hawthorne,” she announced over the murmur of the crowd. “You’re under arrest for embezzlement, fraud, environmental crimes, and criminal negligence resulting in massive property damage.”
The handcuffs clicked loudly. A local reporter shoved a microphone in Dexter’s face. “Mr. Hawthorne, do you have anything to say to the families whose homes are destroyed?”
“This isn’t my fault!” Dexter shrieked, his arrogant facade completely shattered. “Nobody could have predicted this! It’s a natural disaster!”
I held up my phone to the microphone and played a recording of Dexter from a town hall meeting just weeks prior. ‘That man’s swamp is an ecological disaster. The dam is coming down, and it’s going to improve all of our property values.’
The crowd erupted. “Your ignorance doesn’t qualify as a natural disaster, Dexter,” I said.
