Page 4 of Losing a Piece of Me

My eyes move to the rearview mirror. “Fuck! Already?”

I flick my cigarette out of the window and slowly pull to the side of the road.

An old man exits the vehicle and walks up to the side of my car, adjusting the belt around his large waist. He taps on the window and I roll it down the rest of the way.

“Alexis Grant, I’ll be damned. I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Hi, Officer Willis. How are you on this lovely day?” I say politely with my eyes straight ahead, refusing to look at him. This old geezer has had it out for me ever since I was twelve-years-old. Ever since he suspected me and Striker of stealing the police car he left the keys in. He never could prove it was us, especially since it now resides at the bottom of the town lake.

“Skip the pleasantries, Grant. What do you think you’re doing back here?” He smooths down his thick black and gray mustache.

Who does he think he is? He doesn’t own this town. I can come here anytime I damn well please. I turn towards him in anger and say, “I’m here for my sister’s engagement dinner. Is that okay with you? Or have you become the town mayor since I left?”

His response is a low grunt. “How long you staying?”

“Just this weekend, and then I promise I will be out of your hair,” I say with my hands in the air, like I’m throwing in the towel. If he wants this town so bad, he can have it. I don’t even want to be here, and yet here I am, already being harassed by the town sheriff.

“Let me know when you leave, I’ll escort you out… again.” He turns to walk away, but stops. “And don’t even think about meeting up with Murphy. He’s been in enough trouble all on his own.” Now that he thinks he’s gotten the last word, he resumes walking to his car.

“Okay, Barney.” It slips out of my mouth before I can stop myself.

The words stop him in his tracks. He comes back to me and leans down, resting his hands on the side of my car. “What did you call me?”

I stifle back a laugh. “I didn’t call you anything. Maybe it’s time you retire, Officer Willis. It’s dangerous for a man of the law to be going senile.” My laughter is contained, but I can’t hold back my smile.

“That’s it, step out of the car.” He opens my door for me.

All humor is gone now. “What? Why?” I reach out and close the door, refusing to move.

He stands up straight. “You’re under arrest. Now, get out.”

“For what?” I yell back, a little too loudly.

It takes him a minute to think of a good answer. “Obstruction of justice. Now, if you don’t get out of that car it will also be for resisting arrest.”

“Are you serious? I’ve barely made it twenty feet into town and you’re going to arrest me? If I didn’t know any better, I would say you’re still holding a grudge against me. Even though we both know that I had nothing to do with your old police cruiser.”

That clearly struck a nerve. The police cruiser, which I may or may not have sunk, was a gift from the town, a reward for his many years of dedicated service. He points his finger at me angrily. “We both know that you and Murphy stole that cruiser. Get out of the car, NOW!”

I take a deep breath before grabbing my purse and opening my door.

The handcuffs are securely around my wrists before I can even think of anything else to harass him about, and he yanks my purse from me.

I calmly head to the police cruiser and take a seat in the back while he stands outside and calls a wrecker to pick up my car.

My dad is going to have a field day with this one.

Chapter 2

“Striker, slow down man,” Jordan calls from behind me.

I toss my tool belt into the back of my truck and swing open the door. “No, fuck that. I don’t have to take his shit. I’m done with this bullshit job anyway.”

I jump in the truck and turn the key. Jordan is at my window before I can shift into drive. “You know he is just going to call you in a couple of days when he cools down. Why go through this shit again?”

I can’t help but to smile. I shake my head. “No, not this time. I got the loan, I’m starting up my own company.”

“No shit? Really?” He is just as excited as I am. He hates working for Vick as much as I do.

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