Duffy drove the patrol car down to the high school stadium and saw the accident site, wreckers were pulliing away. His deputy, Miranda was just getting in her car. but got back out to come talk to him.
"Mostly fender bender but they took the tourist woman to the regional to make sure she is alright. Hamlin's suv plowed into her side, kids are all okay. Laura and Tonya were in the front and both were strapped in, thankfully."
"I'll call their moms and let them know," Duffy offered. "Seeya back at the station."
Marci was very grateful to hear the news but wanted to know where her daughter was. Duffy had to call Miranda on the radio, to learn both girls had gone to the regional hospital to make sure the lady was okay. His next call was to Laura's mom, Lana Hamlin. Lana and he had gone to the local high school at the same time, were in the same class even. She was always the unreachable cheerleader with brains and he was always the gangling doofus with no initiative.
He had never lost his longing for her, even after she went off to law school and came back married to her lawyer husband Alan. He became a wheeler-dealer in local politics while she opened a practice downtown.
"Hey Lana, it's Sherriff Duffy calling to let you know Laura has been in an auto accident but is okay. Minor damage to the cars and she is at regional checking up on the lady they ran into.
He told her he would meet her down there and drove off to the hospital. Finding them in the waiting room out front, Duffy asked how they were doing.
"Okay," Laura said. "Just shook up, still."
I called both your moms and let them know you were here," he related.
"Oh God, we're both grounded for life, I know it," Tonya volunteered.
"You guys weren't drinking, were you, I have to ask?"
They looked at each other a moment before both saying 'no' and looking down at their unbusy hands. Duffy's bullshit alarm went off, but it had been long enough after the wreck to do much testing, if Miranda hadn't done it already, and he doubted she had.
Their respective mothers came and hustled them both home and Duffy went back to the station. He had no sooner pulled into his office than Miranda was at the door, saying "Hey chief, ya better come see this."
She had a monitor out in the office and was cueing up a tape.
"I didn't think to look at this till I got back here, see what you think."
Hitting play, they were both transported back to the wreck site, shortly after Miranda drove up in her patrol car, the dash video providing the footage. The two girls huddled near the hood of her car, their conversation hushed but audible. Miranda had gone to check the other car.
"We can't mention the beer, whatever."
"Won't they test us or something? Two six packs is a lot."
"Not if we just act normal, a little hyped and worried."
Then Miranda came back to the car and talking shut down. She pressed stop and asked, "What can we do?"
He asked for the tape and told her he would think of something. And he did. He called Lana at the house, apologizing for it being late, and said he had important new evidence he wanted to show her. They agree to meet the next morning, Saturday at her office downtown.
Duffy had longed to get Lana over some kind of barrel since tenth grade and he really was going to enjoy the moment. She had no idea what was coming. They were alone in her office at ten. He had tried to lock the door behind him and she had arisen and opened it back up. He shrugged and sat.
He began with "Remember back in the day at school, you were the only cheerleader who kept to herself, didn't date any locals. And you had the most desirable body, even then."
