Page 63 of A New Era

“Can you step out of the car, please,” she orders.

“But…”

“Can you step out of the car,” she repeats more sternly. “Keep your hands where I can see them,” she says, taking two large steps back.

Keeping one hand up, I open the door and climb out, wondering what the hell is going on.

“Deputy Norris, search the car.”

Her sidekick swaggers over and it’s hard to keep my eyes on both of them.

“You won’t find anything,” I argue to no avail.

“That’s what they all say,” she mutters, not meeting my eye. “Have you been drinking?”

“No.”

“Are you on any narcotics?”

“No.”

“Sheriff, I’ve found something.”

In my naivety, embarrassment runs through me thinking he’s rifled through my lingerie bag.

“Don’t move,” the sheriff orders me, before joining her deputy.

Like I would and where would I go? I’m sure they’d give chase if I jumped back in the car and drove off and then what would happen to me? However, I wish I had quickly shot Leo a text before she approached the car.

“Well, well, our lucky day and you're not so lucky day. This looks to be a key of heroin.”

Heroin? My eyes shoot to the sheriff and she’s holding a taped-up package. My heart thrums erratically and my mouth goes dry.

“That’s not mine! I’ve never seen it before!”

“Of course you haven’t,” she smarts. “Cuff her.”

This is not happening. The deputy struts toward me, unclipping his cuffs from his belt.

“If it isn’t yours, then maybe it belongs to that fiancé of yours? Or someone else in his club?”

Any shred of hope I had this would be nothing but a misunderstanding vanishes. This is a setup, and she wants me to pin it on the club, or more specifically, Leo. I keep my mouth shut and say nothing.

The deputy shoves me against the side of the car and grabs my arms. He twists them up behind my back, slams the cuffs on me and leads me to the back of the police cruiser. Shame washes over me as he places his hand on my head and lowers me onto the back seat. I’ve never been arrested and since I know I don’t carry around heroin, I shouldn’t be in cuffs now.

“What about my car?” I ask stupidly.

“What about it?”

Neither she nor the deputy is obviously going to be any help, so I keep my head down and don’t ask any more questions. I know enough to know I’ll get a phone call and once I do, I can let Leo know what’s happening and where to pick my car up from. I want to freak out and I most likely would if I knew I didn’t have Leo who will sort this out when he hears about it.

At the police station, my shame grows as everyone stares while I’m being booked in. I’m almost faint with dizziness when the deputy instructs me to take my gloves off so he can take my fingerprints.

“Please, I can’t.”

“If you refuse, I’ll…”

Knowing I won’t win, I rip one glove off and then the other. I squeeze my eyes shut to his reaction. But I can’t shut off my hearing. His gasp rolls through my stomach and I want to puke.

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