“We’re here, aren’t we?” Tom asked, losing patience. “If we were truly thieves, why would we be standing here? Are you purposely being obtuse?”
The man said nothing, just shifted from foot to foot waiting for his "rescuers."
“Should we just leave?” I asked.
“Nah, they’ll just put out a search for us and we did nothing wrong, why should we run? Plus, our getaway car is done.”
“Good point.”
Ten minutes later, two policemen walked through the door and braced themselves at the entrance.
“Henry,” one of the coppers said, but it sounded more like, ’Enry.
“I caught these two Yanks stealin’.”
“Oh my God!” I said, throwing my hands into the air. “For the last time, we were not stealing! When you came in, I was holding the phone!”
“Just a moment, miss,” Officer Two said. “Go on, Henry. Tell us what happened.”
“I come ’round ’ere,” he said, pointing to the impossible corner he emerged from, “ an’ this one was attemptin’ the register!”
Tom started to laugh. “Haven’t you any cameras? You can see for yourself. We were not stealing.”
“All right,” the first cop said, “what were ya’ doin’ ’hind there anyhow?”
“She told you correctly,” Tom explained. “Our car stalled a mile or so down the interstate there and we were looking for a phone. We came in, looked around for someone to ask since there’s no payphone and no one was here. We have to be in London by ten tonight and needed to call the rental company. That’s when we saw a phone just behind the counter. Granted, it wasn’t the smartest idea we’d ever had, but it’s the truth nonetheless. Here,” he said, pulling out the rental agreement. “You can check down the road, there should be a small car parked on the shoulder. I brought the contract to answer any questions they’d have.”
“Sounds reasonable,” Officer One said. “David, run down an’ see this car.”
“Right.”
Officer Two, David, left the store and left the parking lot to spy it out.
“You’re thieves,” the employee said, but he was losing steam because his once defiant chin now sagged near his chest.
“Are not,” I said.
“Are too,” he spit back.
“Are not!” I said.
“January,” Tom said, looking at me like I was the biggest idiot, shrugging his shoulders in question.
I shrank into myself at the immaturity of it, but I couldn’t help it! The guy was getting on my last nerve!
Officer David came waltzing back in, a pair of handcuffs dangling from his hand. “None of it, chap. There’s no car there.”
My mouth dropped to my own chest this time. “Not possible!” I exclaimed.
Tom, cool as a cucumber, said, “Then I’d like to report a stolen vehicle.”
“Come then,” Officer One said, gesturing to Officer David. “You too, miss. You’re both comin’ with me.”
All I could do was watch Tom, desperation seeping from every pore I owned. “Tom?”
“Just do as they ask, January. We’ll get this all straightened out.”
“Oh God! My mother is going to kill me. She always dreamed of my first arrest but theft isn’t exactly the charge she’d imagined.”