Part 14 (1/2)
h.e.l.l, she was going to laugh again, and if she laughed she'd start to cry. ”Makes sense to me. But if we're going to Wal-Mart you should have turned at that light.”
”h.e.l.l.” Liddy braked and swung into the middle turning lane.
”Sorry about this, but I'm from California.”
Marian had just enough time to grab the arm rest before Liddy whipped into a U-turn. Liddy certainly knew how to drive, terrify-ing though it was.
”Oh, f.u.c.k me! f.u.c.k-is that a cop?”
Marian glanced. ”All I see is the bar of lights on top of the car, but, okay, now that they're lit up, yes, I'd say that was a police car.”
Liddy pulled over to the curb and fumbled in her front shorts pocket for her wallet.
83.
Trying to be helpful, Marian asked, ”Can I get the registration out of the glove box?”
”Sure,” Liddy muttered. She rolled down the window.
Marian could hear only half the conversation, but Liddy was peppering each sentence with enough ”sir” and ”yes, officer” to please a drill sergeant. Liddy took the registration Marian held out, then opened the driver's door.
The officer stepped up on the running board to s.h.i.+ne a flashlight inside. Liddy flipped a switch and the interior lights came on.
After a moment, Marian said, ”Oh, hey, Johnny.”
”Friend of yours?” Johnny Trelow's stern expression softened slightly.
”Yeah. She's from California. I should have warned her about U-turns. The law's different here I'm sure.”
Johnny stepped down to the pavement again and said sternly, ”If you'll promise me you'll make her go to motor vehicles for a basic book-”
”I'll make sure she does,” Marian said solemnly. The noise Liddy let out was a blend of irritation and relief.
”Next time,” he added, ”go around the block if you have to.”
”Yes, officer,” Liddy said meekly.
As his boots crunched back to the car behind them, Liddy closed the door. ”What just happened?”
”Johnny and I were in the last year of the history program together. I eventually became a librarian and he became a cop.”
”History degree? Ah, now that's useful. I've got one of those myself.”
”There ya go. Smart career move.”
”Tell me about it.” Liddy's sigh was heavy.
”That's why I'm getting a second master's in library and information science.”
”That's why I'm doing other people's research for them. Why is he still there?”
”Waiting for you to pull out into traffic again. For your safety.”
84.
”h.e.l.l. Okay. If I can stop shaking.”
”Johnny's not a redneck.”
”I'm from Berkeley. All cops are bad, in theory.”
Liddy carefully pulled out into traffic and only spoke after the patrol car pa.s.sed them. Marian gave Johnny a cheery wave, which he acknowledged with two fingers to his brow.
”I owe you big-time,” Liddy said.
”It's okay. He might not have written you a ticket anyway, given the out-of-state plates and that you weren't being a jerk.”
”My biological father may not have been around to teach me much, but he did impress upon me that being rude to a cop would only get you remembered in court.”
”And he got you this car.”
”Vehicle, please,” Liddy scolded.
The laugh escaped before Marian could shut it down.
”That's better,” Liddy said. ”Laughter is good for you.”
Marian choked back the sob that followed. Her throat was very tight as she said, ”So I've heard.”
Liddy turned into the Wal-Mart lot and coasted to a stop behind the Beetle, now very lonely under the trees.
”I think your car would fit in the cargo area of this one.”
Another laugh bubbled out and Marian dropped her head into her hands, choking between tears and hysteria.
”You're not okay, are you?”
She shook her head. ”But I will be.”