Page 18 of Snow Going Back

‘Because Ihadto!’ he retorted accusingly. ‘There’s a damnditchacross that verge.’ He pointed to where the truck would have naturally ended up had he not changed course. ‘It was either roll it in the ditch, hit you, or hit the tree and pray it only damaged the bodywork.’ He shook his head and dropped it to his chest. ‘Either way, you’ve cost meconsiderablytoday.’

Kate stared at him with furious disbelief. She opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but before she could, the short, sharp blast of a police siren screamed out from right behind her. She jumped nearly out of her skin at the unexpected sound and they both turned around.

The squad car was just a few feet away and an amused-looking police officer leaned out of the window, watching them from behind a pair of dark aviators. The rude truck driver groaned. Kate took a deep breath and regained composure. The officer stepped out of the car and walked towards them leisurely, readjusting his gun belt and hooking his leather-clad thumbs into the front belt loops.

‘Well, well, well,’ he said with an oddly wide grin. ‘What have we here?’

Kate glanced at his badge. ‘Officer Healy, hi. My name is Kate Hunter.’

‘Hello, Kate,’ he replied in a cheery tone.

She smiled but watched him warily. She didn’t know much about American police officers, other than that they were stereotyped on the TV as donut-loving car-chase enthusiasts, and as the outsider here, she knew she held an immediate disadvantage. She needed to explain what happened before the other driver could twist things. ‘Officer, I was crossing thisintersection after the appropriate pause on the stop line, when thislunatic, who came from?—’

‘Heknows,’ the rude driver said, cutting her off.

Kate’s head whipped round, and she glowered at him before turning back to the officer. ‘He was way back there,’ she continued, nodding down the road, ‘when I…’

‘He knows,’ the driver repeated impatiently, interrupting her again.

Kate made a sound of frustration and glared at him once more, opening her mouth, determined to finish her sentence. ‘I…’

‘It’s OK, ma’am.’ Officer Healy halted her with his hand. ‘I know. I saw it all.’

‘Oh. Right.’ She blinked and cleared her throat.

‘Like I said,’ the rude driver said flatly. ‘Douche’s been hiding in the bushes just waiting for a free meal ticket.’

Kate glanced at the officer, but he just shook his head unfazed.

‘Oh, Langston, you really do make thingsso easy.’ He unhooked a thumb and reached for his handcuffs. ‘Walk to me and turn around.’

‘Bite me, Healy,’ he replied, complying anyway.

The driver met her gaze as the officer cuffed him, his piercing blue eyes shooting out hot daggers above the unkempt beard that covered the bottom half of his face. Kate shook her head and looked away. The guy could have killed them both. He was lucky all he’d damaged was the truck.

‘Failing to come to a full stop at an intersection, dangerous driving, insulting a police officer,’ Officer Healy reeled off with a low whistle. ‘That’s a lot you’ve given me this time, Langston.’

‘You’d better get my truck over to Marl’s garage ASAP, Healy,’ the man she now knew as Langston growled.

‘You’re in no position to be making demands,’ Officer Healy replied.

He’d been walking Langston towards the back of the squad car, but Langston abruptly stopped. ‘Ineed itfortomorrow,’ he said in a low, angered tone.

Healy stared back, his smile dropping, and Kate wondered if he was about to snap. But after a tense pause, Healy just glanced downwards with a sniff.

‘I’ll have it to Marl by lunchtime, alright?’ He pushed Langston towards the car and reached to open the back door. ‘Now get in.’

He pushed Langston’s head down and closed the door, walking back towards Kate with the wide grin back in place.

‘I’m sorry you had to experience that, ma’am. As both you and your vehicle are unharmed, I’ll just need to take your name and number for the record and you can be on your way,’ he told her.

‘Will you not need a statement?’ she asked, pulling her wallet out of her pocket. She handed him one of her business cards, which he glanced at and pocketed with a nod.

‘Shouldn’t do – it’s all pretty straightforward, and my dash cam caught it all,’ he replied. He pushed his aviators up his nose and glanced back at the squad car. ‘I’m just glad I was around when it happened. Langston’s a mightyunsavouryfellow, I’m afraid.’

Langston narrowed his eyes at Healy through the window, clearly able to hear everything they were saying.

‘Who knowswhatmight have happened were I not here.’

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