Chapter Twelve
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“What’s going on?”Bristolasked, swiveling to look out the back window.
“No clue.”She’d been doing five or six miles over the speed limit.Not enough to warrant being pulled over.Maybe she had a taillight out or something that she hadn’t noticed?
She turned off the engine and rolled down her window as the male deputy strode over to her.“Hi.Something wrong?”
The deputy stood back a few paces, one hand on the butt of his weapon.“Licenses and registration, please.”
“Sure.”She and Bristol both handed over their driver’s licenses, along with the car registration.
He checked everything, peered at them to confirm ID.“I need you to pop your trunk.”
What?“What’s the probable cause?”
He looked at her sharply.
“Used to be a cop.You can’t search my vehicle without a warrant or probable cause.”There were no visible weapons or drug paraphernalia, and he hadn’t produced a warrant.So yeah, he wasn’t searching for anything.Maybe he was new and overzealous.
His jaw tightened.“You and this vehicle match the description of a suspect reported involved in a drug deal a few miles east of here twenty minutes ago.”
What?“That’s impossible, you’ve made a mis—”
“Open the trunk.”
She weighed her options.Didn’t see any point in arguing and escalating this, and as soon as he saw there were no drugs or stolen goods in the back, he’d drop this and let them go.
She hit the release button.Watched in her side mirror as he went around and started looking inside the trunk.
“What’s happening?”Bristol whispered.
“Don’t know.”But this couldn’t be good.This guy was really gung-ho.It felt like he was looking for something specific.
Her suspicions were confirmed a few minutes later when he returned, grim-faced and his hand on the butt of his service weapon.“Step out of the vehicle and keep your hands where I can see them.”
What the hell?Cassie and Bristol shared a shocked look, then complied.“You’ve made a mistake.We just came from the Albertsons up the highway.”
“I’m putting you both in the back of my vehicle.”He gestured for them to move toward the cruiser.Cassie walked toward the patrol car with Bristol right behind her, feeling numb.
The deputy opened the back door.“Watch your heads.”He waited until they were both seated, shut the door, and got on his tac radio.
“Cass, what the hell’s going on?”Bristol whispered.
“I don’t know,” she answered, trying to stay calm as she watched him.There had to be some kind of mistake.
The deputy finished his conversation and got behind the wheel.“Not only do you and your vehicle match the description of the suspect, I just found drugs in your vehicle,” he said.
Shock ripped through her.“What are you talking about, I don’t have any—”
He raised his hand, held up a small, clear plastic bag of pills for her to see.“Then explain why I just found this in your trunk three minutes ago.”
She stared at it, the blood draining from her face, and her heart kicking hard against her ribs.She shook her head.“No, that’s not mine.We just stopped for groceries at—”
“I’m taking you both to the station for questioning.”
