... after an exhaustive early-morning Black Friday shift. He's been up since about 3 P.M. yesterday, and hasn't eaten since around 8 P.M., and his motor functions are getting sketchy. No matter; within the hour, he'll be eating an 11-ounce steak and thinking about how welcoming his bed will appear when he gets home. At least, he can do those things once he finds his car...
... Which has a busted window from when some faceless cocksucker busted it a couple of weeks ago in a failed attempt to steal his stereo...
... And whose keys are stuck in the ignition.
Now, keep in mind, he's at the mall, and it's Black Mother-
ing Friday. Every available parking space is taken. And this is a BIG parking lot. We're talking at least the breadth of a football field. And, somewhere amidst this goddamn desert of automobiles, is his own.
At least, it should be.
But I'll be goddamned if Led didn't spend half an hour traipsing up and down every single row of cars, waiting for the rising suspicion in the back of his head to be quelled with the recognition of his beat-to-shit decade-old Ford Wagon. That recognition never arrives, and Led is fearing the worst: that some (new!) faceless cocksucker has stolen his car.
He flags down the first cop he sees, and explains to him what he thinks may have transpired. Cop asks all the questions you expect a cop to ask in this situation, and even chuckles a little when Led tells him about the broken window and ignition key (and hey, who can blame him, 'cause to anyone besides Led, that's prettying funny). Cop puts out a little report over his radio for other security doods to keep an eye peeled for Led's ride.
Since the car is in Led's Dad's name, the Cop needs to speak to him to file the police report. Led tries to get Dad on the horn, and fails. As Led and Cop are exploring other options for how to proceed with this, Led notices a little something.
"Little" something. that. This was a hammer straight to Led's World's skull.
Led takes a good hard look at Cop's badge. Most notably the "Rollins" portion of it.
Rollins. The same Officer Rollins who, almost two years ago, threatened to take Led to jail when Led wouldn't tell him where the pot that he and his friend had been smoking in the mall parking lot right before planning to see a movie. The same Officer Rollins who stood at least four inches shy of Led a mere two years ago, but now topped him by about an inch or so. The same Officer Rollins who told Led that he didn't like being lied to, which is exactly what Led did in response to every inquiry made two years prior regarding the pot they'd stupidly decided to smoke in a parking lot absolutely littered with surveillance cameras. The same Officer Rollins who issued Led a ticket for paraphernalia when no pot could be found (Led and friend ain't that stupid), which Led had yet to pay.
That Officer Rollins.
It's a small world, made even smaller when the same shitty cops work the same shitty mall beats.
Led's a bit freaked. Those who know him well know that Led has an irrational fear of the police. Don't ask him to explain it, because he can't. Just like darkness and heights to some, the sight of polices Led's world up. And this was the one cop who could do the most in-up-tedness.
Thus far, Officeredtedness has spent most of our conversation seated in his car, using his comp to try and find any trace of mine. All of a sudden, he gets a response on his radio, though Led can't hear any of the conversation. Rollins gives Led a somewhat odd sorta once-over, closes the door of his car a little more, and hushes into his radio. Led wants nothing more than to hear what's on the radio.
Scratch that. What Led would like most is to know that whatever's being discussed on that radio has all to do with the location on his car and none at all with his previous turns with the Arlington Police Department.
Rollins hangs up his comm, steps out of the car, and with that same Clint-Eastwood-wanna-be-jerkoff smirk he have Led two years ago, points over Led's head (heh) and says:
"Your car is right over there, man. Have a nice day."
... Which has a busted window from when some faceless cocksucker busted it a couple of weeks ago in a failed attempt to steal his stereo...
... And whose keys are stuck in the ignition.
Now, keep in mind, he's at the mall, and it's Black Mother-
ing Friday. Every available parking space is taken. And this is a BIG parking lot. We're talking at least the breadth of a football field. And, somewhere amidst this goddamn desert of automobiles, is his own.At least, it should be.
But I'll be goddamned if Led didn't spend half an hour traipsing up and down every single row of cars, waiting for the rising suspicion in the back of his head to be quelled with the recognition of his beat-to-shit decade-old Ford Wagon. That recognition never arrives, and Led is fearing the worst: that some (new!) faceless cocksucker has stolen his car.
He flags down the first cop he sees, and explains to him what he thinks may have transpired. Cop asks all the questions you expect a cop to ask in this situation, and even chuckles a little when Led tells him about the broken window and ignition key (and hey, who can blame him, 'cause to anyone besides Led, that's pretty
ing funny). Cop puts out a little report over his radio for other security doods to keep an eye peeled for Led's ride.Since the car is in Led's Dad's name, the Cop needs to speak to him to file the police report. Led tries to get Dad on the horn, and fails. As Led and Cop are exploring other options for how to proceed with this, Led notices a little something.
"Little" something.
that. This was a hammer straight to Led's World's skull.Led takes a good hard look at Cop's badge. Most notably the "Rollins" portion of it.
Rollins. The same Officer Rollins who, almost two years ago, threatened to take Led to jail when Led wouldn't tell him where the pot that he and his friend had been smoking in the mall parking lot right before planning to see a movie. The same Officer Rollins who stood at least four inches shy of Led a mere two years ago, but now topped him by about an inch or so. The same Officer Rollins who told Led that he didn't like being lied to, which is exactly what Led did in response to every inquiry made two years prior regarding the pot they'd stupidly decided to smoke in a parking lot absolutely littered with surveillance cameras. The same Officer Rollins who issued Led a ticket for paraphernalia when no pot could be found (Led and friend ain't that stupid), which Led had yet to pay.
That Officer Rollins.
It's a small world, made even smaller when the same shitty cops work the same shitty mall beats.
Led's a bit freaked. Those who know him well know that Led has an irrational fear of the police. Don't ask him to explain it, because he can't. Just like darkness and heights to some, the sight of police
s Led's world up. And this was the one cop who could do the most in-up-tedness.Thus far, Officer
edtedness has spent most of our conversation seated in his car, using his comp to try and find any trace of mine. All of a sudden, he gets a response on his radio, though Led can't hear any of the conversation. Rollins gives Led a somewhat odd sorta once-over, closes the door of his car a little more, and hushes into his radio. Led wants nothing more than to hear what's on the radio.Scratch that. What Led would like most is to know that whatever's being discussed on that radio has all to do with the location on his car and none at all with his previous turns with the Arlington Police Department.
Rollins hangs up his comm, steps out of the car, and with that same Clint-Eastwood-wanna-be-jerkoff smirk he have Led two years ago, points over Led's head (heh) and says:
"Your car is right over there, man. Have a nice day."
