Page 147 of Enthrall
Blood pounded in my ears. With my indicator on I navigated across three lanes and pulled to a stop on the hard shoulder. Despite wanting to hide my face in my hands, I acted like nothing was amiss. I buzzed my window down and placed both hands on the wheel and watched the officer approach. My right wing mirror was still flipped back from its collision with Chrysalis’s foliage.
The cop leaned low and peered into my window. “Turn off your engine, Ma’am.” He flipped open his notebook. “Driver’s license and registration.”
He barely glanced at my license. “Ms. Mia Lauren?”
“Yes.”
“Step out of the vehicle, please.”
“Why?”
“Step out and lock your vehicle, please. Bring your valuables.” He glanced behind him at the speeding cars. “Careful please.”
Gripping my right arm, he guided me around the back of my car and toward his patrol vehicle. Its light still flashed. Clutching my handbag into my chest I cringed; other drivers were catching this. The officer opened the rear door and gestured for me to get in. Somewhere in the far reaches of my mind I tried to remember if this was routine. Wasn’t he meant to give me a ticket and send me on my way? His partner, a young officer with a kind face, turned in his seat to peer back.
“Your car will be towed,” he said. “No need to worry.”
His colleague climbed back into the driver’s seat.
“There’s nothing wrong with my car,” I said. “I got the oil fixed.”
They swapped a glance with each other.
“Please put your seatbelt on,” said the young officer.
“Have I done something wrong?” I said.
We took off smoothly and merged into in the slow lane. The other cars on the freeway gave us a wide berth. Abandoning my Mini felt horrible, as though somehow I’d let it down.
The young officer turned and held out the contents of a yellow candy packet. “M & M?” He offered me one.
Half in a daze, I reached in and took one. “Was I speeding?”
“Yes,” he said, reaching into the bag himself and popping a candy into his mouth.
Upon the central console flashed my driver’s license photo. The officer driving punched a few buttons and cleared the screen. The radio crackled and he replied in short bursts of lingo.
The M & M was melting in my palm. I peered down at the small red oval of stickiness.
“Which one would you take?”Scarlet had asked. “Red or blue?”
I popped the candy into my mouth and sucked away on this surrealistic moment.
We sped down the other side of the freeway, heading fast in the opposite direction of Napa Valley, and my heart ached with my failure to even get out of L. A. I considered phoning Richard but then again his meeting could keep him busy for hours and I wasn’t sure if I really wanted him knowing about this. Though his private detective would probably find out.
We were back on the street now, swiftly gliding through traffic and passing shops, homes, and pedestrians. We drove for too long and seemed to pass several counties, along with their police stations. This was so drawn out. I cursed myself for not taking more care with my speed. We headed into the hills.
“Ma’am,” said the young officer. “May we drop you off here?”
I tried to read his expression to see if I’d heard him right. We were approaching Chrysalis. The car glided up the sprawling driveway with Chrysalis rising above the arch of the hill. This revolving nightmare promised never to cease.
Dominic and Cameron were chatting away on the front steps of the house. With my seatbelt off, I waited for the car to come to a stop and the officer to unlock my door.
I flew out of there and stomped toward Cameron. “Did you send them to arrest me?”
Cameron arched an eyebrow.
“Did you?” I said.
