Billy.’
He sighed. ‘I’ll lose my job, whatever happens. Will I go to jail?’
‘We’re just investigating at this point.’ He wore a wedding band. She guessed children too. He was of that age. ‘You ever forgotten? Gears and brake?’
‘Forgotten to lock up once. Lost my CB. My radio, you know. But, no.’ A shake of his head. ‘Always set the brake. Never drive my personal car I’ve had a single beer. Don’t cruise through yellow lights. I’m not really smart and I’m not really talented at a lot of stuff. I’m a good driver, though, Officer Dance. No citations, no accidents were my fault.’ He shrugged. ‘But, truth is, yes, I was tired, ma’am. Officer.’
‘Jesus, look out!’ Henderson shouted, calling through the open office door.
Billy and Dance glanced back and ducked as something zipped over their heads. The rock bounded over the asphalt and whacked the tire of another rig.
‘You fucking son of a bitch!’ the man who’d thrown the projectile shouted.
A group of a dozen people – mostly men – were walking fast up the incline from the direction of the club. Another flung a second rock. Dance and Billy dodged. The throw was wide but if it had hit it would have cracked a skull. She was surprised to note that these were people who were well dressed. They seemed middle class. Not bikers or thugs. But their expressions were chilling: they were out for blood.
‘Get him!’
‘Fucker!’
‘You’re the fucking driver, aren’t you?’
‘Look! Over there! It’s the driver!’
‘Police,’ Dance said, holding up her ID, not bothering with specific authentication. ‘Stop right there.’
Nobody paid the least attention to her.
‘You asshole! Killer.’
‘No,’ Billy said, his voice choking. ‘I didn’t do anything.’
Suddenly the group was joined by others striding fast from the impromptu memorial site near the roadhouse. Some started running. Pointing. They numbered about twenty now. Faces red with anger, shouting. Dance had her mobile out and was dialing 911. Dispatch would have taken too long.
She heard: ‘Police and fire emergen—’
Dance gasped as a tire iron spiraled straight for her face.
CHAPTER 9
Billy tackled Dance as the metal rod zipped past.
They both collapsed onto the ground. Then he yanked her to her feet and together they hurried toward the company’s office door. She completed her call, officer needs assistance, and twisted back, shouting to the approaching mob, ‘This is a police investigation! Disperse now. You will be arrested!’
And was greeted with another missile – a rock again. This one connected, though obliquely, with her left forearm, not far from the watch, which had shattered in the CBI parking lot. She cried out in pain.
‘Arrest him!’ called the burly blonde woman, whose fiancé had been so badly injured.
‘Arrest him? Fuck him up!’
Now the crowd caught up with them. Several of the men pushed Dance aside and shoved Billy backward, their palms slamming into his chest.
‘You are committing a felony! There are police on their way.’
One man sprinted up and got right in their faces. Livid, he stuck a finger in Billy’s chest and raged, ‘You parked there to take a crap or something! Ran off. Fuck you, Officer! Why isn’t he under arrest?’
‘No, no, I didn’t do anything. Please!’ Billy was shaking his head and she saw tears in his eyes. He rubbed his chest from one of the blows a moment ago.
Others were swarming around them now. Dance held her shield up and this resulted in a momentary stay of the madness.
Dance whispered, ‘This’s going to blow up. We’ve got to get out of here now. Back to the office.’
She and Billy pushed around those immediately in front of them and kept walking toward the door. The crowd followed behind them, a hostile escort. She told herself: Don’t run. She knew if they did the crowd would attack once again.
And though it was impossibly hard, she kept a slow, steady
He sighed. ‘I’ll lose my job, whatever happens. Will I go to jail?’
‘We’re just investigating at this point.’ He wore a wedding band. She guessed children too. He was of that age. ‘You ever forgotten? Gears and brake?’
‘Forgotten to lock up once. Lost my CB. My radio, you know. But, no.’ A shake of his head. ‘Always set the brake. Never drive my personal car I’ve had a single beer. Don’t cruise through yellow lights. I’m not really smart and I’m not really talented at a lot of stuff. I’m a good driver, though, Officer Dance. No citations, no accidents were my fault.’ He shrugged. ‘But, truth is, yes, I was tired, ma’am. Officer.’
‘Jesus, look out!’ Henderson shouted, calling through the open office door.
Billy and Dance glanced back and ducked as something zipped over their heads. The rock bounded over the asphalt and whacked the tire of another rig.
‘You fucking son of a bitch!’ the man who’d thrown the projectile shouted.
A group of a dozen people – mostly men – were walking fast up the incline from the direction of the club. Another flung a second rock. Dance and Billy dodged. The throw was wide but if it had hit it would have cracked a skull. She was surprised to note that these were people who were well dressed. They seemed middle class. Not bikers or thugs. But their expressions were chilling: they were out for blood.
‘Get him!’
‘Fucker!’
‘You’re the fucking driver, aren’t you?’
‘Look! Over there! It’s the driver!’
‘Police,’ Dance said, holding up her ID, not bothering with specific authentication. ‘Stop right there.’
Nobody paid the least attention to her.
‘You asshole! Killer.’
‘No,’ Billy said, his voice choking. ‘I didn’t do anything.’
Suddenly the group was joined by others striding fast from the impromptu memorial site near the roadhouse. Some started running. Pointing. They numbered about twenty now. Faces red with anger, shouting. Dance had her mobile out and was dialing 911. Dispatch would have taken too long.
She heard: ‘Police and fire emergen—’
Dance gasped as a tire iron spiraled straight for her face.
CHAPTER 9
Billy tackled Dance as the metal rod zipped past.
They both collapsed onto the ground. Then he yanked her to her feet and together they hurried toward the company’s office door. She completed her call, officer needs assistance, and twisted back, shouting to the approaching mob, ‘This is a police investigation! Disperse now. You will be arrested!’
And was greeted with another missile – a rock again. This one connected, though obliquely, with her left forearm, not far from the watch, which had shattered in the CBI parking lot. She cried out in pain.
‘Arrest him!’ called the burly blonde woman, whose fiancé had been so badly injured.
‘Arrest him? Fuck him up!’
Now the crowd caught up with them. Several of the men pushed Dance aside and shoved Billy backward, their palms slamming into his chest.
‘You are committing a felony! There are police on their way.’
One man sprinted up and got right in their faces. Livid, he stuck a finger in Billy’s chest and raged, ‘You parked there to take a crap or something! Ran off. Fuck you, Officer! Why isn’t he under arrest?’
‘No, no, I didn’t do anything. Please!’ Billy was shaking his head and she saw tears in his eyes. He rubbed his chest from one of the blows a moment ago.
Others were swarming around them now. Dance held her shield up and this resulted in a momentary stay of the madness.
Dance whispered, ‘This’s going to blow up. We’ve got to get out of here now. Back to the office.’
She and Billy pushed around those immediately in front of them and kept walking toward the door. The crowd followed behind them, a hostile escort. She told herself: Don’t run. She knew if they did the crowd would attack once again.
And though it was impossibly hard, she kept a slow, steady
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