Green Desert - Chapter 8.6.1 - Tamé

I parked my truck behind the stuck patrol car. This was insane, calling me out here in the middle of the night. I turned off the engine, but not the headlights. The cops sure did think they could order anybody around, anytime they wanted.

I climbed out of the truck, leaving the door open, and stretched my back. At least it had finally cooled off, down to a reasonable temperature.

A patrolman, tall and blond, walked up to me.

“What’s the trouble?”

“We got stuck.” His face was stiff, his eyes blank. “But we got another problem now. Lieutenant Vorıso is dead. Two gunmen in the gully dead, too. I. . . I can’t leave till the investigators show up.” He looked on the verge of tears.

“So you want me to leave you here?” I couldn’t just take his car, stranding him with three corpses.

“No. You must stay.”

I groaned and rubbed my scalp. They pull me out here after dinner and then force me to hang out with three dead men and a depressed cop. I’d have to charge them triple for this.

“Okay, fine. I’ll stay.”

The teary-eyed patrolman nodded.

“Do you need anything?” Hopefully he didn’t need me anywhere near the bodies. They could stay right where they were, for all I cared.

He sniffled and shook his head, turned away from me.

“Well, I might as well get the car hooked up.” I climbed back into the cab and started the engine.