Here and Gone(6)

Audra’s knees weakened, and she put a hand on the lip of the trunk to steady herself.

‘Sir, I swear to God, that’s not mine and I don’t know where it came from.’

And that was the truth, wasn’t it?

‘Like I said, ma’am, we’re going to have a talk about that.’ Whiteside set the baggie on top of the blankets and reached for the cuffs on his belt. ‘But right now, I’m placing you under arrest.’





3


‘WHAT?’

Audra’s legs threatened to give way. Had she not been leaning against the car, she would have collapsed to the ground.

‘Mom?’ Sean had undone his seat belt and was leaning over the backseat, his eyes wide. ‘Mom, what’s happening?’

Louise stared back too, fear on her face. Tears made hot tracks down Audra’s cheeks. She sniffed again and wiped them away.

‘This can’t be,’ she said.

Whiteside’s features remained blank. ‘Ma’am, I need you to come with me to my car.’

Audra shook her head. ‘But … but my children.’

He stepped closer, lowered his voice. ‘For their sake, let’s keep this civil, now. You just do like I say and this whole thing’s going to go a lot easier for you and them. Now come on.’

Whiteside reached for her arm and she allowed him to guide her away from the back of her station wagon to the front of his cruiser.

‘Mom? Mom!’

‘Tell him it’s all right,’ Whiteside said.

Audra looked back to her car. ‘It’s all right, Sean. Look after your sister. We’ll get this straightened out in a few minutes.’

They reached the cruiser, and he said, ‘Empty your pockets onto the hood there.’

Audra dug into the pockets of her jeans, made a pile of tissues and loose change on the hood. Whiteside tossed the bag of marijuana on top.

‘That’s it? Now turn your pockets inside out.’

She did so, and he turned her by the arm so she had her back to him.

‘Hands behind your back.’

Audra heard the snick-click of metal, felt his hard fingers on her wrist.

‘You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney during interrogation; if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand?’

As cool metal wrapped around each of her wrists, the back door of the station wagon opened. Sean spilled out, landed on his hands and knees on the dirt.

‘Mom, what’s happening?’ he called as he scrambled to his feet.

From inside the car, Louise’s frightened cries, rising.

‘Everything’s all right,’ Audra said, but Sean kept coming.

‘Do you understand?’ Whiteside asked again.

Sean, running now, said, ‘Hey, let my mom go.’

‘Sean, just get back—’

Whiteside jerked and twisted the cuffs, shooting pain into Audra’s wrists and shoulders. She cried out, and Sean skidded to a halt.

‘Do you understand your rights?’ Whiteside asked once more, his mouth at her ear.

‘Yes,’ she said, the word squeezed between her teeth, the steel biting into her skin.

‘Then say it. Say, yes, I understand.’

‘Yes, I understand.’

‘Thank you.’ He turned to Sean. ‘Best get back in the car now, son. We’ll get this all settled in a minute or two.’

Sean raised himself to his full height, tall for his age, but he looked so tiny there on the side of the road.

‘Let my mom go.’

‘I can’t do that, son. Now go on back to the car.’ He jerked the cuffs again, spoke into her ear. ‘Tell him.’

Audra hissed at the pain.

‘Tell him, or this is going to get complicated.’

‘Sean, go back to the car,’ she said, fighting to keep the fear from her voice. ‘Listen, your sister’s crying. You need to go and take care of her. Go on, be a good boy for me.’

He pointed at Whiteside. ‘Don’t you hurt her,’ he said, then he turned and walked back to the station wagon, glancing back over his shoulder as he went.

‘Brave boy,’ Whiteside said. ‘Now, you got anything sharp on you? Anything that might cut me when I search you?’

Audra shook her head. ‘No, nothing. Wait, what, search me?’

‘That’s right,’ Whiteside said as he hunkered down behind her. He wrapped his big hands around her ankle and squeezed, moving the fabric of her jeans against his palms.

‘You can’t do that,’ she said. ‘Can you? A woman officer should do it.’

‘I can search you, and that’s what I’m doing. You don’t get special treatment just for being a woman. Was a time I could have called on the Silver Water PD for a female officer, just as a courtesy to you, not because I’m obliged to – I’m not – but not anymore. Mayor closed the P D three years ago. Town couldn’t afford it anymore.’

His hands worked their way up her calf and thigh, squeezing, exploring. Then he pressed the back of one hand up between her thighs, into her crotch, only for a moment, but enough to close her eyes and sour her stomach. Then across her buttocks, into the hip pockets, and down the other leg, before his forefingers probed down into her sneakers. Then he stood, hands brushing down her sweat-soaked back, around the front, across her stomach, skimming the outline of her breasts, up to her shoulders, down her arms.