Dangerous Driving

It had been two weeks since the robbery at Alvin’s clinic, and no one had seen hide nor hair of the offenders since. At least, none of the Watchdogs. The criminals’ ability to disappear like a thief in the night gave clarification as to how that term came about.

Morrie was working his typical shift after getting the kids off to school. Midway through the day, he opted to grab a bite to eat nearby, rather than go home for lunch like he normally would. He had spent the morning in Tottenham and had a few more jobs in the area that afternoon, so the twenty-minute drive each way made going back home an impractical choice for lunch.

He pulled into the Tim Hortons along the main street, wanting a hot coffee more than anything, despite the rising temperatures outside. Food was a secondary concern. He parked his work van beside a black Mercedes Sprinter van with solid panels in the back. As far as work vehicles went, that was top of the line and he was jealous of the lucky person whose work splurged for such a luxury. His decrepit twelve-year-old Ram cargo van left a lot to be desired, but at least it started each morning without fail.

About halfway to the door, a gigantic man walked out of the building carrying a tray with three drinks on top of a box of baked goods.

Morrie came to an abrupt stop as he stared at the pale man. He’d never seen someone so massive in person. It was as if Justin’s childish drawing had sprung to life. There was no mistaking who the man was. Morrie blinked several times before pulling his phone from his pocket, earning him a glare from the big man, so he offered an awkward wave in response. When the giant continued past, Morrie took a few steps toward the coffee shop door, and snapped a photo of both man and machine, discovering the jumbo-sized man was climbing into the coveted Mercedes.

The vehicle’s brake lights came on and they pulled out of their parking spot, onto the road heading north—toward Alliston.

Morrie opened the Suburban Watchdog group chat that Justin insisted on and sent the photo to his friends.

Looks like they’re investing back into their business. Spotted just now in Tottenham with new wheels.

Within minutes, all three men responded back with different reactions.

Scar: Are you safe?

Corky: You didn’t talk to them, did you?

Fat Tony: Are you following them? Let us know where they go and we can meet you there.

After ordering his coffee and a toasted everything bagel with cream cheese, Morrie took a seat by the window overlooking the main street and pulled out his phone to reply.

Whitey: I’m fine. No, I didn’t talk to them and I’m not following them. I didn’t have the chance, even if I wanted to.

He unwrapped the paper surrounding his carb-heavy lunch, took a bite of his bagel as his phone started ringing. He chewed quickly, trying to swallow down his food to answer.

“Hello.”

“Why didn’t you follow them, man? That could have been the break we were looking for. Maybe they’re casing a place in Tottenham and that’s why we haven’t seen them.”

Morrie ripped off a small piece of his bagel, popping it in his mouth. He had a finite amount of time before his next appointment and couldn’t waste it on this conversation. “They pulled out right after I pulled in, Justin. I didn’t have a chance to jump back in my van and tail them. That would have been highly suspect if I did, anyway.”

“You’re right. Sorry, Whitey. I just really want to catch these guys after what they did to Alvin.” He huffed a sigh. “At least we know what they’re driving now. That’s good work.”

“That was the best I could do under the circumstances, but now we know what to watch out for.” He stuffed another bite of food in his mouth, unconcerned about manners, when it came to Justin. “Listen, I have to hurry to eat and get to my next appointment. We can talk tonight, okay?”

“Sure thing, Whitey. See you tonight.”

The excitement Justin was feeling having a break in their criminal hunt was palpable. Two weeks of searching, feeling like his countless hours driving around, being hot boxed by Karma’s farts, were all for nothing. The information from Whitey was a step in the right direction.

Justin stared at the grainy zoomed-in photo on his phone, committing the license plate to memory and determined to keep his eyes open in search of another break.

He continued on the rest of his day, working quickly and efficiently, scouring every sideroad and driveway he passed for signs of the big black vehicle. All the time he’d been searching for a black pickup truck, which was an exercise in futility because black pickup trucks and farm country went together like alcohol and bad decisions. Having something different to look for was a relief. There weren’t many Sprinters in the area.

Before he wasted more time searching for a vehicle that could be as easy to spot as a moving needle in a rolling barrel of hay, he made a stop at The Gadget Factory. There was something poetic about them possibly having a hand in the crew’s undoing. Almost like… Karma.

Justin left the store with his purchase in hand, and after speaking with the employees, one of whom was tied up in the brazen robbery months prior, he could confidently say he was willing to do whatever it took to bring the bad guys to justice.

Thursday evening, Justin stopped in to see his friend Alvin at his clinic, which appeared to have recovered from their robbery, but Alvin was still on edge. His nervousness and anxiety surrounding the break-in added fuel to Justin’s anger.

Karma and Fluffy danced around the small space in Alvin’s office as he handed Justin a tumbler of scotch. He sat down behind his desk, releasing a tension-filled sigh. “Things don’t feel the same in this place anymore. My staff are all scared, clients are afraid to come in here. We’ve lost so much business in the aftermath, even putting everything back together can’t make us whole again.”

Justin’s hand clenched his glass. “I’m sorry, Al. You didn’t deserve this. I swear on my daddy I’m going to catch these guys and make them pay for what they’ve done to you.”

“Oh, now. None of that crazy talk. The police said they’re taking care of it. We just have to trust that they will.”

“I’m serious. My neighbours and I have been after these guys since they destroyed the furniture store. Karma even saved some jewellery from the robbery last month.”

Alvin’s mouth gaped open as he looked between Karma and Justin. “How did she manage that?”

The decision to confide in Alvin became easier, seeing how distraught he was over his business being targeted. Justin wanted to put his friend at ease. He relayed the events from the jewellery store robbery from his perspective and explained why he and Corky were there in the first place.

“So you’ve seen these guys who the police across the province haven’t been able to catch?”

“Sure have. So has Scarlett. They came to our house.”

Alvin spit out the drink he was about to swallow. “What?”

“It’s a long story. Scarlett was jealous, kicked Karma out of the house, but she’s a loyal girl, so she didn’t leave. Crooks spotted her, tried to break into the house and she stopped them. Scarlett came out to see what the barking was about and saw the men.”

The good doctor is speechless. “Wha… how… but…”

“Everything is fine. But I promise you, Al, I’m going to stop these scumbags if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Don’t be going all Ninja Turtles on me now. The police have something to go on, and that’s good work, but you can’t put yourself in harm’s way.”

Justin’s eyes lit up at the comparison, flattered to be spoken about in the same sentence as his childhood heroes, but his determination defied logic. Nothing anyone told him would lessen his desire to see those men behind bars. “Don’t you worry your pudgy, shiny head, Al. I’ve got the best backup a guy could ask for.”

Alvin’s forehead developed twin creases between his brows as he looked at his tactless friend but said nothing.

“Well, I better get home. Ollie might need help with his homework.”

Alvin snickered, but Justin didn’t get the funny part.

“See ya next week, Al. Thanks for the drink. And don’t worry about a thing; the Suburban Watchdogs are on the hunt.” With that, Justin and Karma exited the office and left via the back door. They might not have had any new information, but Justin had a renewed fire in his gut, pushing him to put a stop to the crime spree. One way or another.