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He rolled it down and said, "About ti as before They saw your truck leaving the scene of the last call andto let them be So the story is, staff headed to Colorado You’re taking us as far as Teec Nos Pos Albert’s got tiht?"

"Well, yeah, but, shit, don’t you have the drugs in the back?" Albert asked

"They’re hidden Don’t worry Let them look" The police car showed up as I said this I tapped the door a couple of tiet a drink, be right back"

"I’ll be da to jail for this!" Albert yelled

Frank held out a hand and shook his head "Cool it, nephew It’ll be okay"

"Uncle Frank, what the hell--"

"I know he looks like a dumbass pretty boy, but, trust me, there’s more to him than that Just calm down and play it like he said"

Albert seethed but subsided Grateful for Frank’s vote of confidence, I strode to the convenience store entrance as the police car pulled up right next to the truck and two officers got out One went running to the back of the drugstore and the other approached Frank’sBetter hiured

The convenience store smelled of stale tobacco and bleach solution, with a top note of all-beef hot dogs and stale buns Granuaile was standing next to the fountain drink rabbed one from her and murmured the plan in case we needed it, as I filled my cup with unsweetened tea Turned out we needed it

The police officer aiting for us as we exited the store He was a wee bit pudgy around the gut, stark physical evidence that police as uys Frank and Albert were out of the truck and standing near one of those freezers full of bagged ice Both doors to the truck were open

"Morning," the officer said to us froestured to the truck "Were you two riding in this vehicle?"

"Yes Is there a probleuys We handed them over without a word He considered them carefully for a time and then looked up at us "Where you folks headed?"

"Colorado," I said "We hitched a ride out of Flagstaff"

"Told ya, Gabe," Frank said

"An’ I heard ya, Frank," the officer said without turning his head, annoyance clear in his tone I fought to suppress a smile Frank had followed the plan Tell the officer a simple story, and then ould come out of the store and independently verify the story If he was truly suspicious, he’d assuht, and that was true Detective Kyle Geffert would never believe anything out of the mouth of Atticus O’Sullivan But this officer was in a hurry, just covering the bases, and not especially worried about what appeared to be a dumbass pretty boy and his sister; our simple story, therefore, told simply, took on the veneer of truth, especially when it corroborated what Frank said--and Frank was somebody he knew and probably trusted as a hataałii I tried to look as duuileless as possible

"Need you folks to stand over there," he said, gesturing to the ice cooler, "while I search the vehicle"

"Oh Okay" Without questioning, I meekly shuffled over to stand next to Albert and Frank, and Granuaile followed silently There was no need for us to talk to Albert and Frank If ere hitchhikers, ouldn’t commiserate like friends Officer Gabe stood there a moment to size us up, and then he ducked into the truck cab He straightened afroot a whole lotta nails here What they for?"

"Tree house," Albert volunteered "For runted and resulove coiant stash of drugs He didn’t see anything in the truck bed either

"All right," he said, waving at the truck "Everything seems to be fine Sorry for the inconvenience Have a nice day" Without another word, he turned and went to join his partner at the back of the drugstore More sirens were approaching--an ambulance, no doubt, for the unfortunate pharmacist who’d been rendered unconscious by a mysterious apparition

Albert waited until Officer Gabe was out of earshot and then turned to me "Where’d you put ’eo have a nice day, build a tree house or sos were precisely where I’d left theed

"But you still got ’eht?"

"Absolutely"

"Well, how’d you hide ’erinned, he turned to his uncle "Where’d you find this guy? He’s too weird forfor Albert to drive us to Frank’s house, where Frank fetched his old six-shooter for me to use

We had one more stop tobox store we picked up two five-gallon paint buckets, a largespoon, and two bottles of olive oil Frank also snagged some food for lunch and soan