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Run.
The idea was tempting. But he had reasonable explanations for all the bad facts. He was a trained lawyer. He could explain the situation, even offer to help the authorities. He’d put them in touch with Potomac, which had much greater resources than a small, rural police department would.
He eased off the gas, and the car decelerated.
“What are you doing? You can get around them,” Leilah urged.
“They’re prepared to shoot us.”
“So, what, you think you can talk your way out of this?”
Yeah,he thought,I do.
What he said was, “I know I can’t if we’re dead.”
“Ryan, this is not a good idea.”
The police car directly behind the Subaru closed the distance between them and hit its siren with a short, loudwhoop, whoop.Ryan turned on his right indicator signal and pulled over to the shoulder. Leilah pounded the dashboard in frustration. He put the car in park but left the engine running. Then he dropped the gun to the floor of the car, praying the safety was still on, and kicked it under his seat.
The officer took his time clomping up to the Forester. Ryan watched him tap the left tail light.Old school.He could work with that. He buzzed the window down, then placed his hands at ten and two on the steering wheel and waited.
The officer leaned down and peered into the car. “Evening, folks.”
“Officer.” Leilah offered a tight smile.
“Good evening, officer,” Ryan said.
“Do you know why I pulled you over?”
“I’m not sure I do.”
Ryan was a law and order guy, but he knew all the traffic stop tricks and had no intention of walking into a trap.
“License and registration, please.”
Ryan kept his hands on the wheel as he explained. “Sure thing. My license is in my wallet in the bag in the passenger footwell. My passenger will retrieve it, okay?”
The cop aimed a flashlight into the car, temporarily blinding Leilah before aiming it down at her feet to light up the duffle bag. “Go ahead, ma’am.”
As she unzipped the bag, Ryan focused on breathing calmly.
Please don’t let him glimpse the wad of cash.
She surreptitiously shoved the roll of bills further into the bag as she removed the wallet. She held it up so the police officer could watch her open it and remove Ryan’s license from the ID window. As she passed it over, Ryan’s fingers brushed her. She was trembling.
He handed it to the officer, who held it under his flashlight’s beam.
“Okay, Mr. Hayes. You’re a long way from Shenandoah Falls, Virginia. What brings you up here?”
“We’re just visiting the area.” Truthful, vague, noncommittal.
“Mmm. Registration?”
“It’s in the glove compartment.”I hope.
The cop nodded at Leilah, who exhaled heavily as she opened Chelsea’s glove box.
“This isn’t my car,” Ryan volunteered while she rifled through the documents in the box.
