Read Online The Pineville Heist by Lee Chambers - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lee Chambers
Ads: Link
asked, “What's going on, Aaron?”
Aaron wiped at his dirty face in frustration and answered, “I don't know.”
“Did you even see something out here or is this just another of your…”
“You don't believe me either? Thanks a lot, Miss Becker.” Aaron looked away from Amanda and scuffed his toe against the dirt.
Carl was back. “The Sheriff wants to talk to you,” he said, with a serious tone. “He just wants to ask you some more questions about what happened.”
Sucking in his courage, Aaron knew that he would need to dig into his reserves; Tremblay wasn't done with him yet. Without another word, he headed for Tremblay's cruiser. Amanda and Carl watched him walk away like a man on death row, on his way to the chair.
Aaron stopped at Tremblay's window. He looked down at the Sheriff, who stared straight ahead, stone-faced.
“Get in,” Tremblay said, through the open window. He pointed to the back seat.
Aaron slid into the back, closing the door just as Tremblay started the engine. “I thought you were just going to ask me some questions,” Aaron remarked, trying–and failing–to appear unconcerned.
“At the station, not here.”
Aaron's stomach sank, along with his courage. They were going downtown.
The cruiser pulled away, leaving Carl and Amanda arguing at the edge of the woods.
thirteen
The red glowing tinge of a setting sun bounced off the roof of Tremblay's cruiser as it sharked through the streets of Pineville, with sirens in the place of a predatory fin. The cruiser chased the smaller fish, the civilian cars, to their hiding places on the side of the road. As the cruiser swam past, the drivers breathed sighs of relief that the sirens were not meant to capture them. At least not for today.
Aaron watched this game of justice and civility, cat and mouse, shark and fish. He found it unfair. “The Law” could force people to obey traffic symbols but could do nothing for his two friends.
About to burst with frustration and concern for his friends, Aaron tapped on the wire cage between Tremblay and himself. Tremblay turned almost imperceptibly. Without saying a word or looking at Aaron, Aaron knew he had the Sheriff's full attention.
Aaron considered what he was about to say. Did he really want to tell the Sheriff about the money? That he knew about the bank robbery? Would that make him a suspect? He opened his mouth to talk, just as the cruiser prowled into the parking area and stopped at the groaning mouth of the station's main doors. Tremblay flicked off the engine and adjusted the rear-view mirror to stare at Aaron, sizing him up.
“You do realize making a false report is a serious crime,” Tremblay's words shot with intent to wound.
“But I didn't! I can prove it all happened just like I said,” Aaron pleaded, still clinging to any remnants of fight left in the depths of his body and soul.
Suddenly, Tremblay was the one who appeared to be cautious. “Prove it? How?”
Aaron drew in a sharp intake of breath. “I found the bank money.”
Tremblay immediately stiffened and turned to lasso Aaron with a steely glare. “The bank money?” His voice was different, strange, urgent, concerned, excited. Not the cardboard cutout Sheriff who talked about drugs in class. This was a motivated individual, with goals, dreams, aspirations, fears. Tremblay was human after all.
“Yeah,” Aaron said, feeling like he was finally getting someone on his side. Maybe Tremblay, of all people, believed him.
“If this is some sort of…”
“I'm telling the truth. It was in a backpack under the canoe.”
“Then why the hell didn't you say something back there?” Tremblay cursed, about to start the engine again.
“Because it's not back there anymore.”
Tremblay froze. “Where is it, Aaron?”
“I brought it to the school with me.”
Tremblay cranked the key in the ignition so fast that Aaron thought the entire car might flip over with the sheer breakneck momentum of the hand's turn.
Aaron wiped at his dirty face in frustration and answered, “I don't know.”
“Did you even see something out here or is this just another of your…”
“You don't believe me either? Thanks a lot, Miss Becker.” Aaron looked away from Amanda and scuffed his toe against the dirt.
Carl was back. “The Sheriff wants to talk to you,” he said, with a serious tone. “He just wants to ask you some more questions about what happened.”
Sucking in his courage, Aaron knew that he would need to dig into his reserves; Tremblay wasn't done with him yet. Without another word, he headed for Tremblay's cruiser. Amanda and Carl watched him walk away like a man on death row, on his way to the chair.
Aaron stopped at Tremblay's window. He looked down at the Sheriff, who stared straight ahead, stone-faced.
“Get in,” Tremblay said, through the open window. He pointed to the back seat.
Aaron slid into the back, closing the door just as Tremblay started the engine. “I thought you were just going to ask me some questions,” Aaron remarked, trying–and failing–to appear unconcerned.
“At the station, not here.”
Aaron's stomach sank, along with his courage. They were going downtown.
The cruiser pulled away, leaving Carl and Amanda arguing at the edge of the woods.
thirteen
The red glowing tinge of a setting sun bounced off the roof of Tremblay's cruiser as it sharked through the streets of Pineville, with sirens in the place of a predatory fin. The cruiser chased the smaller fish, the civilian cars, to their hiding places on the side of the road. As the cruiser swam past, the drivers breathed sighs of relief that the sirens were not meant to capture them. At least not for today.
Aaron watched this game of justice and civility, cat and mouse, shark and fish. He found it unfair. “The Law” could force people to obey traffic symbols but could do nothing for his two friends.
About to burst with frustration and concern for his friends, Aaron tapped on the wire cage between Tremblay and himself. Tremblay turned almost imperceptibly. Without saying a word or looking at Aaron, Aaron knew he had the Sheriff's full attention.
Aaron considered what he was about to say. Did he really want to tell the Sheriff about the money? That he knew about the bank robbery? Would that make him a suspect? He opened his mouth to talk, just as the cruiser prowled into the parking area and stopped at the groaning mouth of the station's main doors. Tremblay flicked off the engine and adjusted the rear-view mirror to stare at Aaron, sizing him up.
“You do realize making a false report is a serious crime,” Tremblay's words shot with intent to wound.
“But I didn't! I can prove it all happened just like I said,” Aaron pleaded, still clinging to any remnants of fight left in the depths of his body and soul.
Suddenly, Tremblay was the one who appeared to be cautious. “Prove it? How?”
Aaron drew in a sharp intake of breath. “I found the bank money.”
Tremblay immediately stiffened and turned to lasso Aaron with a steely glare. “The bank money?” His voice was different, strange, urgent, concerned, excited. Not the cardboard cutout Sheriff who talked about drugs in class. This was a motivated individual, with goals, dreams, aspirations, fears. Tremblay was human after all.
“Yeah,” Aaron said, feeling like he was finally getting someone on his side. Maybe Tremblay, of all people, believed him.
“If this is some sort of…”
“I'm telling the truth. It was in a backpack under the canoe.”
“Then why the hell didn't you say something back there?” Tremblay cursed, about to start the engine again.
“Because it's not back there anymore.”
Tremblay froze. “Where is it, Aaron?”
“I brought it to the school with me.”
Tremblay cranked the key in the ignition so fast that Aaron thought the entire car might flip over with the sheer breakneck momentum of the hand's turn.
Similar Books
