Cell phone. Wallet. Keys. All taken.
“You know, you almost had us there,” the bald officer said from the passenger seat. There was something interesting about this man—he could arrest you and still make you feel like an old friend of his.
“Yeah, well.” Mason bit his lower lip. “I’m an innocent man.”
Both officers laughed.
“You don’t need to convince me, Mr. Black. If it were up to me, you could go on a killing spree and I’d let you off with a slap on the wrist. I saw you as a detective and admired you, for the most part.” He turned in his seat. “But the captain? She ain’t your best friend right now.”
Mason ignored the comment about his past. Although he hated to toot his own horn, he knew he had plenty of admiring followers. How could he not? He’d always done his best and always looked out for his colleagues. “Believe what you want. I’m still innocent.”
For the next few minutes, the car’s occupants were silent. Mason stared out the window as the street went by. They weren’t far from the police station now. Another ten minutes, depending on traffic conditions.
“So, what was it about?” asked the other officer, speaking for the first time since the arrest. His dark eyes flicked between the road and the rearview mirror as they stopped at a set of lights.
“What was what about?” Mason asked.
“Those numbers on the tracks. That was for you, wasn’t it?”
“No comment.”
He chuckled. “It’s not an official statement. I’m just curious.”
Mason considered telling him, but it was pointless. “No comment,” he said again.
“Well, I don’t envy you. This wall has your name on it, and it’s coming down hard.” The lights flicked to green. The driver switched gears and pulled out of the spot, carelessly turning his head over his shoulder to look at Mason again. “But if I were you—”
It happened in a heartbeat. Mason felt a jolt as his body contorted to the left. His cheek hit the seat, and only then did he hear the metallic smash. The windows shattered and rained glass all over him as the car flipped a somersault.
Everything went blurry then as his ears started ringing. His chest felt like it was on fire, the seat belt having tugged hard against the impact of the other car. Even his temple stung. Had he hit the seat belt buckle? It was hard to tell. All he knew, as he lay on his back in the upside-down car, was that the pain was like nothing he’d ever felt before.