by Laura DeLuca
“We’re still screwed,” Carmen muttered from the backseat. “I mean … did this thing even pass inspection?”
“Would you two shut up?” Justyn snapped and rubbed his eyes. “Dammit. This is the last thing I need right now.”
Justyn reached across Rebecca’s lap to pull his insurance card and registration from the glove compartment. Rebecca observed his hands shaking and found it odd when he was normally so calm and collected. He was still digging in his pockets for his wallet when two serious-faced officers approached the car window. One of them was younger, maybe in his twenties, and despite his thick neck and bulky muscles, he hung back and allowed a thinner, older officer with a clean-shaven head to step up to the window.
Justyn struggled to get the ancient creaking glass to roll down using the manual handle. The older officer eyed him critically and adjusted the gun holster on his belt as he waited. He peered through the window with his lips set in a tight frown. His icy-blue eyes studied them each in turn. Maybe he was wondering why they were wearing such heavy makeup and had fancy hairdos along with their jeans and T-shirts, but he was definitely giving them some strange looks. Rebecca suddenly felt as self-conscience as she had at her very first audition. She wished she could sink into the leather interior and disappear. The cop must have been pretty good at interrogations, because before he even opened his mouth, Rebecca had the insane urge to confess she had stolen a lollipop from a convenience store when she was seven.
“License and registration, please.”
His voice was gruff and commanding, and he was hardly appeased when Justyn handed him the required documents almost instantly. He scarcely gave the papers a second look before handing them to his partner, who scampered back to the squad car like an obedient lap dog. Meanwhile, the older cop continued to study them as though they were rats who had just crawled out of the gutter. Rebecca could feel the car shake a little as Tom and Carmen nervously adjusted their weight in the cramped backseat. After a few minutes of stressful silence, Justyn couldn’t stand it any longer and finally cleared his throat to speak.
“Excuse me, officer?” He kept his voice polite, but Rebecca knew he was utilizing his acting abilities. She sensed the underlying tension, especially when the policeman’s only response was to lift an eyebrow. “Can I ask why you pulled me over? I don’t think I was speeding.”
The cop spat on the ground. “Your taillight is out,” he said, brusque and straight to the point.
Justyn was honestly flabbergasted. “I had no idea,” he explained. “I promise I’ll get it taken care of as soon as I get back home.”
It didn’t appear the man was going to acknowledge Justyn at all. He wasn’t even observing him anymore. Instead, he was examining Rebecca and the other passengers as well as the interior of the vehicle. His beady eyes were making her feel more and more uncomfortable. She wondered if the cop’s attitude was typical for any stop or if he was of those older people who hated the younger generation for no particular reason. Whatever his reasons, he watched them all with a suspicion that bordered on sheer distaste. Rebecca was relieved when the younger officer finally came back, looking almost as jumpy as Rebecca felt, and handed the paperwork back to his partner.
“Everything seems legit, Officer Weston,” he mumbled.
The older policeman accepted the papers, and then handed them back to Justyn, his face still set in a stiff frown. “I’m going to let you go this time with a warning, but if I see you come this way again with that taillight out—hey, wait a minute!”
Justyn and Rebecca both jumped at the sudden and unexpected rise in volume in his voice. “What?” Justyn asked. “What’s wrong?”
“Do you think I’m blind or just stupid?” The cop’s eyes narrowed and the once-expressionless face grew more serious and even a little angry. “I saw what you did. Would you care to explain what you just shoved under your seat?”
“What? Whoa!” Justyn’s mouth fell open and his hand flew from the steering wheel in defense. “I have no clue what you’re talking about. I didn’t do anything.”
“I don’t know who you think you’re fooling, kid. I saw you hide something under your seat and it definitely looked like paraphernalia to me.”
Rebecca was certain her heart stopped. She felt it rise into her throat, and for a minute she thought she was going to hyperventilate. Did he say paraphernalia? As in the kind that went with drugs? That was insane. Justyn didn’t even take aspirin because he thought it was polluting his body. He certainly wouldn’t be hiding illegal drugs under his seat. It was so ridiculous, Rebecca was struck speechless. Thank goodness Justyn was able to defend himself because Rebecca couldn’t vocalize and even Carmen and Tom were stunned to complete silence.
“What? Gods, you have to be kidding me!” Justyn exclaimed. “There are definitely no drugs in my car.”
“I didn’t see any—” the younger officer started to speak, and Rebecca actually thought she could breathe again, but Officer Weston quickly cut him off with a cold stare. He turned to his partner with obvious indignation. His face turned beet-red though his tone remained moderate and controlled.
“Are you questioning me, Cusella? Remember who’s the rookie and who’s the decorated officer here.”
Officer Cusella immediately bowed down to his superior. He even took a few steps back and lowered his head in submission. “Sorry, Officer Weston. I didn’t mean any disrespect, sir.”
“Good.” He turned back to Justyn, completely ignoring Rebecca and her white-lipped friends. “If you’re telling the truth and there’s nothing in there, I’m sure you wouldn’t have a problem with us searching the vehicle.”
“Man, don’t you need a warrant or something for that?” Tom demanded from the back.
“No, Tom, it’s fine.” Justyn was aggravated, but compliant. He addressed the cop next. “I have nothing to hide. Go ahead and search if you want, but you’ll only be wasting your time.”
Officer Weston pressed his lips together so tightly Rebecca was sure they would pop from the pressure. “I don’t think I like your tone.”
“I don’t think I like your accusations, sir!” Justyn retorted. “I haven’t done anything to deserve this treatment.”
The policeman glared at him for a full minute before allowing his face to become expressionless and professional again. “If you’re giving me consent to search the vehicle, I’ll need you to step out of the car. All of you.” He turned back to his partner. “Cusella, call for backup. If we have to bring them in, we’ll need more than one squad car.”
“This is sooo ridiculous!” Carmen complained. “This is profiling, you know! Profiling!”
Justyn seemed to agree. He threw open the door with such force Rebecca was amazed it didn’t fall from its rusty hinges. She was much gentler with her own exit, and she wished everyone else would shut up and stop complaining. She didn’t want to make the situation any more complicated than necessary, and it was obvious Justyn’s aggression and Carmen’s mutterings were only making the cops more suspicious.
“Stay here,” Officer Weston commanded. “This shouldn’t take long if you’re telling the truth.”
Tom and Carmen climbed out behind Rebecca and the four of them stood on the corner of the road. Officer Cusella guarded them while Weston stuck his head under the driver’s seat of the Mustang. As they waited, Justyn took hold of Rebecca’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. It made her feel a little bit better, but she still hated the whole situation. Rebecca had never been pulled over before, and she felt like a criminal. It was nerve-wracking and embarrassing. The few people who passed by gawked at them through their car windows, and Rebecca hoped no one they knew would witness the escapade. Rumors spread quickly and got exaggerated easily in little towns like Cape May.
Aside from feeling mortified, Rebecca wasn’t really worried. Officer Weston could search all he wanted. The worst he would find in Justyn’s car was spare change. There wasn’t even any trash on the floor. Once they realize
d they made a mistake, the cops would send them on their way. Maybe they would even offer a grudging apology. All Rebecca had to do was stand there and wait for it all to be over and…
“Here it is! I’ve got it!”
Officer Weston’s monotone voice sounded almost excited when he called out, breaking Rebecca’s reverie. He reappeared a second later carrying a plastic bag and wearing an unbearably smug look on his wrinkle-free face. Inside the baggie were a dozen smaller packages, each containing an unfamiliar pinkish-white powder along with about a half-dozen syringes. Rebecca had never experimented with drugs or seen them up close and personal, but the needles were a big hint to the identity of the substance. Her legs started to wobble when she realized what the mystery bags contained.
“Heroin,” Officer Weston announced, confirming her guess. “And with this amount, it doesn’t look like it was meant for recreational use. I’ll wager we’ve got a dealer on our hands.”
Four jaws hit the concrete in perfect sync as the policeman waved his prize in their stunned faces. At the same time, a second squad car materialized out of nowhere on the desolate road. The lights were flashing, and the sirens blared as they pulled in beside their comrades. The two new officers, who weren’t much older than Officer Cusella but looked a lot meaner, stepped out of the car. Rebecca and her friends suddenly found themselves surrounded by four accusing faces.
“What the hell?” Justyn suddenly exclaimed once the shock had worn off. “There is no way you got that out of my car! There is simply no way!”
“I pulled it out from under your seat,” Officer Weston confirmed, giving Justyn a hard stare. “Your car. Your seat. It’s not a big leap for me to assume the drugs must belong to you too. Why not admit it, son? The courts will go a lot easier on you if you confess.”
Justyn shook his head. “It’s not mine!”
“Is that right?” The cop stepped a little closer to the group and stopped in front of Rebecca. Even though he didn’t touch her, she felt herself flinch under his accusing gaze. “I suppose you’d rather pin this on one of your friends? Maybe your pretty little girlfriend here?”
Rebecca could almost hear Justyn’s teeth grinding. “Leave her alone. She has nothing to do with this.”
“Well, you know, I believe that part of your story at the very least. A sweet little thing like her.” He eyed Rebecca up and down. “She looks too innocent to be involved in any of this. Probably one of those silly girls with a bad-boy syndrome. The thing is, if we don’t have a confession, we’ll have to arrest every last one of you on possession charges until we get his mess straightened out.”
“What?” Carmen exclaimed. “That’s bull! You can’t do that!”
“Are you sure one of you doesn’t want to fess up? It seems a shame for all of you to go down for one man’s crime.” He gave Justyn a meaningful stare.
Justyn still looked furious, like he would rip the heads off every one of them if he believed he could pull it off without consequences. However, it was Tom who spoke in their defense.
“Screw you!” Tom shouted. “None of us would touch that crap! We’re clean! Test us!”
Officer Weston gave Tom a dirty look before turning back to his partner. “I think we need to cuff this one first. Make sure you read him his rights. We don’t want any rookie mistakes getting these kids off on a technicality.”
Rebecca was too shocked to even feel fear, but she saw Carmen’s face turn white when one of the officers unhooked his cuffs from his belt and moved in closer to Tom. Officer Cusella took hold of his arm and started to recite the standard verbiage with a trembling voice. He appeared almost as uncomfortable as Tom.
Must be his first arrest, Rebecca thought to herself. It was hers too, and for some reason, the thought was almost funny. She might have laughed out loud if Carmen’s sudden cry hadn’t stopped her from the hysterical outburst.
“No! Don’t touch him! Leave him alone!” She flung herself toward Tom, but one of the new cops grabbed her in mid-leap. He leered at her as he restrained her arms. “This is police brutality. I’ll sue you!” she swore. “I’ll sue every last one of you!”
“Come on now, sweetheart,” the cop said with a snicker. “You don’t want to add resisting arrest and assaulting an officer to the list of charges, do ya? You’re in enough trouble already.”
“It’s all right, Becca.” Justyn squeezed her hand as they watched the scene unfold. “Please don’t cry. I’ll fix this. No one is going to touch you.”
Rebecca hadn’t even realized she was sobbing until Justyn pointed it out. She had considered herself to be the most collected of them all, but the dampness she suddenly felt against her cheeks brought her back to reality. Rebecca watched in silent horror as her best friend was put in handcuffs. Tom was already restrained, and the cops were moving in closer. Soon Rebecca felt not only fear but sheer panic. It was like a wall of blue uniforms was closing in on her. Just the thought of one of them putting their thick, beefy hands on her was repulsive. She couldn’t breathe. She was a blubbering, hysterical mess. She suddenly felt the same kind of fear she had experienced back in the woods of her college campus when her professor attacked her. Justyn saw that panicked look in her eyes and he acted on it.
“Enough!” Justyn bellowed.
Strangely enough, everyone froze. Officer Cusella stopped reciting in midsentence, relieved for the interruption. He let his hands fall away from Tom’s wrists. The others waited with expressions that were half annoyance and half amusement. It was Officer Weston who finally spoke.
“Do you have something you’d like to say to us, son?” he asked, almost cordially.
Justyn didn’t reply at first. Instead, he glanced down at Rebecca, cupped her cheeks in both hands, and locked eyes with her. What she saw there was a desperation she had only seen once before, back when she had suspected he was her real-life phantom and he was trying to convince her it wasn’t true.
“Whatever happens now, Becca, remember I love you more than anything. Please don’t lose faith in me.”
Officer Weston was tapping his foot impatiently and cut off any chance of Rebecca being able to stutter a reply to Justyn’s heartfelt plea. “Forget this crap,” he bellowed. “Let’s get them all to the station so we can book them.”
“No, wait!” Justyn took a step forward. “Let them go. You found the drugs in my car. That must mean they’re mine, right?”
“Is that some sort of half-assed confession, kid?”
“Dude, don’t do it!” Tom called out. “We’ll get a lawyer. This is bogus! Don’t say anything!”
Justyn ignored him. “If I confess, will you let my friends go? No charges? They all walk?”
Officer Weston nodded. “They’ll have to come in for questioning, but no charges will be pressed if you admit the drugs are yours and your passengers knew nothing about them.”
Justyn released a sigh of resignation. “Fine. I’m your man. Take me and let them go.”
Officer Weston flew across the cement and had Justyn pinned to the back of one of the squad cars before Justyn even finished the sentence. “I knew it was you,” she heard him whisper. “I can always pick out the losers.”
Officer Weston was nowhere near as mild or nervous as his partner had been. He slammed Justyn hard against the metal as he mumbled about the right to remain silent. Rebecca barely heard him. She probably would have collapsed in a heap if Carmen and Tom hadn’t been released and able to come to her aid. It took the combined forces of both of them to keep her steady. Rebecca couldn’t believe what was happening. Did Justyn really confess to being a drug dealer? Was her fiancé getting put in handcuffs? This couldn’t be real. Any minute now she was going to wake up screaming in her bed. It was only Justyn’s pained cry that finally made her accept the reality of what was happening.
“Aghh.” Justyn cursed when he was thrust into the car for the second time. “Give me a break, would you?”
“Police brutality!” Carmen shouted right in Rebecca�
��s ear. “Unlawful discrimination!”
Her protests only instigated the cop even more. Justyn grimaced and cried out again as Weston twisted his bad arm behind his back with much more force than necessary when he was completely cooperating. Seeing the man she loved in pain finally spurred her into action. Rebecca broke away from Tom and Carmen and almost flung herself at the officer before Justyn caught her gaze and shook his head. In his eyes she saw the same plea he had made only seconds earlier.
“I’m fine, Becca,” he promised. “Everything is going to be fine. Just don’t lose faith in me.”
Rebecca understood. He had sacrificed himself for them. She had to let things play out without interfering or that sacrifice would be for nothing. So as much as it broke her heart, she stood back and watched Officer Weston shove Justyn into the police car. With sirens blaring, the police carried her fiancé away. Then Rebecca threw herself into Carmen’s arms and sobbed.
Chapter Twelve
“Becca?” The whispered voice jolted Rebecca from the verge of sleep. “Here, I brought you something.”
Rebecca blinked a few times, fought back a yawn, and tried to focus on the officer sitting across from her. She couldn’t believe she had almost dozed off in the middle of the police station. After hours of interrogation, they had left her in a corner, and she was so tired, her eyes slipped shut for a minute.
The voice snapped Rebecca away from the prospect of any pleasant dreams and back to a harsh reality, and she found a young policeman staring at her with curiosity. It was the same man who had been with Officer Weston at the traffic stop. The cop was as jittery as he had been back on the road. He kept running his hands through dirty-blond hair, even though it was buzzed short. Rebecca eyed him warily as he stepped closer. She had spent hours telling one of his co-workers she had no idea where the drugs came from and she was sure Justyn had nothing to do with them. Now it was close to three o’clock in the morning, and she was exhausted and starting to feel a little lightheaded. She longed for her soft, cozy bed almost as much as she yearned for the security of Justyn’s arms. She wanted to yell and scream at the cops who were denying her access to her fiancé. But when the young man handed her a cup of water and gave her a sympathetic smile, she found herself getting emotional and teary-eyed instead of angry.
