First, the cop made a big show of shining the light all over him, taking in the ink on his neck, his hands, his chest above the neckline of his beater, his lower arms below his sleeves. Squinting against the light, Cooper stood still and let it happen.
The trooper stuck his flashlight back in its loop on his vest. “Hand over your ID.”
Cooper did what he was told. Everything was in his right hand, so the trooper got the rental paperwork, too. He frowned at it, then realized what it was and pored over it all like it was the Pentagon Papers or something.
He slid Cooper’s papers into his vest. Not a good sign. “Up against the side of the truck. Now.”
Again, Cooper complied without question—and he wasn’t surprised when the trooper didn’t bother to give him two seconds to do it but instead grabbed him by his shirt and shoved him at the truck, then kicked his legs wide and proceeded to give him an extremely thorough pat-down. In a situation where such a remark wouldn’t get him probably shot, and definitely arrested, he might have asked if they were engaged now.
At least the asshole had had to holster his weapon to get so friendly.
Holding him to the truck when his mild sexual assault was over, the trooper finally asked, “Where are you headed?”
“Nevada. Laughlin.”
“Moving there?”
So many sarcastic comments rushed to Cooper’s head one almost slipped out. He caught it in the nick, though, and simply answered, “Yes, sir.”
“Do you know why I pulled you over?”
Slow night in the desert? Cooper thought. But he said, “No, sir.”
“Eighty-five miles an hour. In a U-Haul. Pulling a trailer.”
Eighty-five was table stakes. Here in New Mexico it was only ten over the limit. But yeah, the U-Haul, which he’d taken to calling Bessie, had been shaking a little with the effort, true. Also, he’d intended to keep his speed in the don’t-give-em-a-reason range. It was possible all those Monsters had him a little hyped up.
Now that he was thinking of all he’d been pouring down his throat, he needed a piss.
“Wow. Sorry, sir. I didn’t realize. I’ll keep a closer eye on the speedometer.”
Before the cop could tell him he didn’t need to worry about that because he wouldn’t be seeing that speedometer for a while, his radio croaked.
“Two-niner, dispatch. Come in.”
The trooper took his hand off Cooper’s shoulder and said, “Dispatch, this is two-niner. Go ahead.”
“Got a multiple involvement collision on Route 23, Rudy. No backup to your location. Do not engage. Over.”
Listening, Cooper held back a smirk. Trooper of the Year over here had called for backup and then jumped ahead of it. Now backup wasn’t coming. Clearly, they knew enough about him to decide he was dangerous, which could mean bad trouble—or could mean a clean getaway, depending on the guy holding him to the truck right now.
“They need me there? Over.”
“Will let you know. Over.”
“Received, dispatch. Out.”
For maybe a full minute, nothing happened. Cooper stood spread-eagle with the side of his face pressed to the truck. Rudy the Trooper stood right behind him, holding him there. As far as Cooper could tell, Rudy hadn’t drawn his weapon again, so that was good. But what the fuck would happen next?
What happened: Rudy backed up. “I’m writing you a citation for speeding and reckless driving.”
Relief flooded Cooper’s veins as he turned around. “Understood.”
The cop’s eyes darted up from his ticket-writing-thing, and he gave Cooper a hard look, like he was sure that one word was hiding disrespect. Of course it was, but Cooper maintained a placid, unchallenging expression, and Rudy gave up and went back to writing.
Cooper began to relax a little, which made the need for a piss intensify, but he’d fucking let it run down his leg before he tried to water the desert in front of Rudy the Wonder Cop and get hauled in for that. He’d relieve himself when he crossed the state line. He’d be relieved in a lot of ways then.
Finally, Rudy handed him his paperwork and his bonus citation, then gave him another hard look. “Limit’s seventy-five, and that’s fast enough. Word’s out about you. Go over again and it won’t be a ticket you get. You hear?