seemed to be putting
his radio back in its slot when he looked up at her.
"You
can't just go arrest Carlton because someone at the Qwik-Mart saw him last
night with dirt on his face. That's ridiculous."
"It's not
ridiculous, Ms. Ryan," he said. "It's probable cause. We'd be negligent
not to investigate."
"So where
are you going?"
"To the
address of the delivery he's on, Seaton School for Christian Girls. And I've
already dispatched a uniformed unit."
"Would
you please wait a minute!" she insisted. "This is a mistake!"
"If it's
a mistake, then we can make that determination after questioning. So if you
don't mind, I've got to get out there now."
"I'm
going with you," she huffed.
"Ms.
Ryan, please. It's police business. You can't-"
Jane slipped
around to the other side of the car and got in. She slammed the door closed.
"You're
persistent, aren't you?" Steve observed.
"I'm
Carlton's boss. It makes sense for me to be there."
"All
right, fine." He pulled off. "But I don't want you getting in the way,
I don't even want-"
"Besides,
I want to be there to see you eat your words," Jane added. "For
goodness sake. You're all up in arms because someone saw him dirty. Did you
ever think that maybe he had a flat tire."
"What was
he doing out at that hour?"
"It's a
free country, isn't it? He's got to be to work by six in the morning anyway,
which means he's up by five at least. We all get up early in this job. Maybe he
was simply out for a drive. You ever done that?"
"I've
never done that only to be reported later to the police as being covered in
grave dirt," Steve replied.
"He
didn't say grave dirt! He said he was dirty. So what?"
"The
clerk said the man had bits of soil on him. And he positively identified the
man as Carlton Spence."
The more Jane
thought about it, the more laughable the situation became. Of course, there was
nothing funny about what had happened, but the idea of a low-key guy like
Carlton getting involved in some cult and digging up a grave was preposterous.
Steve didn't
say anything as he drove. The silent type? For some reason, though, he didn't
strike her that way except for maybe when he was at work. He's a good-looking
man, she caught herself thinking. Intense eyes. Lean, not overtly muscular but
in shape. In spite of the heat, he kept the air-conditioning off and the window
down, his blondish hair waving in the wind. When he put his sunglasses on he
looked even more attractive, enigmatic, perhaps-but more like a cop. She
smirked at herself. What am I thinking? The nip of guilt panged her. The last
thing I should be doing is sizing a guy for his looks after all that's happened
here lately. Jeez...
He looked over
at her, eyes hidden now. "Could you put your seat belt on, Ms. Ryan?"
Jane rolled
her eyes. "The Seaton school is less than five miles away!"
He looked back
at the road ahead. "It's a state law."
Jane laughed.
"Let me guess, you're going to arrest me."
"No, but I'll
give you a $500 fine if you want."
She held on
the words a moment, looking back at the side of his face. I guess he's serious,
she realized.
Jane buckled
her seat belt.
All business,
she presumed. She didn't see a ring on his left hand, not that she'd really
looked that consciously.
Would you get
off it?
She returned her mind to the
current predicament-a complete calamity. She could never even imagine such a
thing. But one thing she was sure of:
Carlton has
nothing to do with any of this.
Steve's radio
hissed in a burst of static, then a voice came on, "Unit One, this is Unit
Six. Do you copy?"
"Go
ahead," Steve said after pushing on the intercom.
"I just
pulled up to the school's dormitory. There's a mail truck there."
"Is
Spence in it?"
"No, sir.
No one in the vehicle. No sign of anyone around the vehicle. He's gotta be
inside the building."
Steve thought
through some static. "All right, check it out. Proceed with caution. This
might be nothing, but you never know. My ETAs about five minutes, but I
his radio back in its slot when he looked up at her.
"You
can't just go arrest Carlton because someone at the Qwik-Mart saw him last
night with dirt on his face. That's ridiculous."
"It's not
ridiculous, Ms. Ryan," he said. "It's probable cause. We'd be negligent
not to investigate."
"So where
are you going?"
"To the
address of the delivery he's on, Seaton School for Christian Girls. And I've
already dispatched a uniformed unit."
"Would
you please wait a minute!" she insisted. "This is a mistake!"
"If it's
a mistake, then we can make that determination after questioning. So if you
don't mind, I've got to get out there now."
"I'm
going with you," she huffed.
"Ms.
Ryan, please. It's police business. You can't-"
Jane slipped
around to the other side of the car and got in. She slammed the door closed.
"You're
persistent, aren't you?" Steve observed.
"I'm
Carlton's boss. It makes sense for me to be there."
"All
right, fine." He pulled off. "But I don't want you getting in the way,
I don't even want-"
"Besides,
I want to be there to see you eat your words," Jane added. "For
goodness sake. You're all up in arms because someone saw him dirty. Did you
ever think that maybe he had a flat tire."
"What was
he doing out at that hour?"
"It's a
free country, isn't it? He's got to be to work by six in the morning anyway,
which means he's up by five at least. We all get up early in this job. Maybe he
was simply out for a drive. You ever done that?"
"I've
never done that only to be reported later to the police as being covered in
grave dirt," Steve replied.
"He
didn't say grave dirt! He said he was dirty. So what?"
"The
clerk said the man had bits of soil on him. And he positively identified the
man as Carlton Spence."
The more Jane
thought about it, the more laughable the situation became. Of course, there was
nothing funny about what had happened, but the idea of a low-key guy like
Carlton getting involved in some cult and digging up a grave was preposterous.
Steve didn't
say anything as he drove. The silent type? For some reason, though, he didn't
strike her that way except for maybe when he was at work. He's a good-looking
man, she caught herself thinking. Intense eyes. Lean, not overtly muscular but
in shape. In spite of the heat, he kept the air-conditioning off and the window
down, his blondish hair waving in the wind. When he put his sunglasses on he
looked even more attractive, enigmatic, perhaps-but more like a cop. She
smirked at herself. What am I thinking? The nip of guilt panged her. The last
thing I should be doing is sizing a guy for his looks after all that's happened
here lately. Jeez...
He looked over
at her, eyes hidden now. "Could you put your seat belt on, Ms. Ryan?"
Jane rolled
her eyes. "The Seaton school is less than five miles away!"
He looked back
at the road ahead. "It's a state law."
Jane laughed.
"Let me guess, you're going to arrest me."
"No, but I'll
give you a $500 fine if you want."
She held on
the words a moment, looking back at the side of his face. I guess he's serious,
she realized.
Jane buckled
her seat belt.
All business,
she presumed. She didn't see a ring on his left hand, not that she'd really
looked that consciously.
Would you get
off it?
She returned her mind to the
current predicament-a complete calamity. She could never even imagine such a
thing. But one thing she was sure of:
Carlton has
nothing to do with any of this.
Steve's radio
hissed in a burst of static, then a voice came on, "Unit One, this is Unit
Six. Do you copy?"
"Go
ahead," Steve said after pushing on the intercom.
"I just
pulled up to the school's dormitory. There's a mail truck there."
"Is
Spence in it?"
"No, sir.
No one in the vehicle. No sign of anyone around the vehicle. He's gotta be
inside the building."
Steve thought
through some static. "All right, check it out. Proceed with caution. This
might be nothing, but you never know. My ETAs about five minutes, but I
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