the empty road - 4. the trooper

by bofa xesjum

part four of forty

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headlights. yellow headlights. bright yellow headlights. what absolutely rotten luck! get out of the car! a trooper with a big hat. covering the ground with long manly strides. mrs hartwright and the prince exit the car. collins remains crouched behind the car, on the alert. he is concealed by the raised trunk of the car. but the trooper is not as dumb as he initially seems. he draws his pistol and shouts, come out with your hands up! collins obeys, as the trooper produces a flashllght and trains it on him. poor john prester’s body remains on the ground, to all appearances still quite dead. if the trooper sees the body , he does not say so, and mrs hartwright speaks.. i am most sincerely happy to see you , officer, it seems my husband is somewhat indisposed. the trooper’s name is larry varney, and is trained and ready to mean business at all times. larry does not like the looks of mrs hartwright and the prince , and does not conceal his disdain. but he keeps his flashlight and his focus on collins, and asks him to step out into the road. larry gives no indication that he has noticed the body of john prester lying in the dirt behind the car. next