09-03-2021, 01:57 PM
Music was still trickling out from the wreck’s shattered windows, and the siren call lured Near’s gaze away from Jude. He’d had his share of fender benders but had never totaled a car -- not that it was something he’d been hoping to one day add to his never-have-I-ever game, but there you go. Experience. He really had no idea how it was supposed to proceed from here, especially since it was a rental car and not his own. Was it better? Worse? Did his insurance even cover this? (He’d had to give a copy to the rental people so ...)
“Which town?” the driver asked, and she didn’t sound confused, exactly; more like all the towns in the world might be an option.
They should call the cops. That much was obvious. Step one. The cops would come and scatter flares and cones around and figure out a tow truck, whip out the breathalyzers and toss Near in jail, nail him with a DUI, which frankly wouldn’t be the most objectionable thing to happen to him this evening. He felt for the shape of his phone in his pocket and paused.
“Just a sec,” he called to the pickup woman, then glanced at Jude and said, more quietly, “Maybe we should burn it,” offhanded as if it were a joke or something as inconsequential as flicking the light off upon leaving the room -- he wasn't sure which himself, only that it felt, under the circumstances, like a totally rational thing to suggest.
“Which town?” the driver asked, and she didn’t sound confused, exactly; more like all the towns in the world might be an option.
They should call the cops. That much was obvious. Step one. The cops would come and scatter flares and cones around and figure out a tow truck, whip out the breathalyzers and toss Near in jail, nail him with a DUI, which frankly wouldn’t be the most objectionable thing to happen to him this evening. He felt for the shape of his phone in his pocket and paused.
“Just a sec,” he called to the pickup woman, then glanced at Jude and said, more quietly, “Maybe we should burn it,” offhanded as if it were a joke or something as inconsequential as flicking the light off upon leaving the room -- he wasn't sure which himself, only that it felt, under the circumstances, like a totally rational thing to suggest.