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I had lost all ofbefore I reached the outskirts of the city and had already spun the two CDs I had thought to bring withressive, but none of that music seemed to penetrate deep into the southwestern corner of Minnesota Instead, " country music station and a "real" country music station--damned if I could tell the difference--an "active rock" station that sounded like it had been progra in Des Moines, and a talk station on which a man with a jeer in his voice ridiculed Democrats, liberals, feminists, environmentalists, the news media, the ACLU, Hollywood movies that didn’t have lots of explosions, all lish, and bad drivers before cycling back to the "classic rock" station I stayed with the oldies even though the station was now playing "Knock Three Tins toldI needed to know about Victoria, Minnesota The first bragged that it was the Hoh School Boys Basketball Champions The second announced that it was the first stop in "The Ride Across Minnesota," the five-day, 326-an in Pipestone and snaked its way across the width of the state fron was located at the botton or the Crown Victoria police cruiser parked next to it until I had crested the hill, and by then it was too late The cruiser’s light bar was flashing at , Officer"

I s downwheel where the officer could see them

"May I help you?"

The officer rested her forearh theShe relasses dra the posted speed limit" Wisps of frozen breath rose from her mouth and were iht away She was five feet, eight inches tall, about 130 pounds, and she stepped out of her cruiser onto the icy shoulder of the highway like she was ht red hair that escaped her fur-trier

"I was?" I asked innocently

"Seventy-six in a thirty-five-mile zone That’s awfully fast Especially on an icy road"

"Thirty-five!"

"The speed lied at the top of the hill"

I had driven into an old-fashioned, s about it I said, "I’rateful that the cold wind blew in iveinnocence--at least that’s what I was going for

"Nice-looking car," Mallinger said

"The salesn was influenced by Bauhaus, whoever he is"

"Bauhaus is not a he It’s an influential Gern that held that art should be practical as well as aesthetically pleasing"

"Wow That’s really s"

The officer set aith the dumb blonde routine, but you’re not a woman and you’re not blond Are you?"

"It orth a try"

"Uh-huh"

"Would it help if I told you I was racing to the hospital to visit my poor, sick mother?"

"I’ll need to see your driver’s license, sir"

"How ’bout if I told you I was eleven and a half years on the job in St Paul?"