A group of police officers waved the penlight and reactively I gradually reduced the speed of the car.
Yes, I heard about the incident on the radio this morning, that must've been the reason why the traffic is so heavy. But still, it's a Saturday night, everyone one the road must be ticked off that a search had to be happening now at all times. Of course, the police officers themselves must be unenthusiastic as well, having to probably work overtime on a weekend. Whoever the murderer is, they managed to piss off the entire population of Highway 1.
Come to think of it I have never experienced even once a drinking crackdown. Would I need to breath into the strange looking instrument that was supposed to measure how much alcohol I drank? Surely the cops won't pull me over for a can of mild beer. Wait, is the Breathalyzer even sanitary; I'm sure the Federal police cannot afford to change the filter of the Breathalyzer for each driver they come by, especially on a highway where thousands of drivers pass by the hour.
As I got closer my anxiety grew, even though I knew the cops won't pull me over for a can of beer; the police have a talent for making even the innocent feel guilty.
Even then I felt uneasy. What if, in a strictly hypothetical situation, where was a dead body in my trunk?
Will I get caught?
No it's fine, there are thousands of drivers that pass by the checkpoint each hour, there is no reason the police would single me out. To the police I'd just look like a harmless salaryman, trying to get home from slaving away at his workplace in a cubicle. A dead body in a trunk? That's unimaginable. In this almost daydreaming state of mind I unconsciously looked at the trunk and found something so horrific that I felt a chill going down my spine, like an electric current.
The open signal was on for the trunk.
What? When was the trunk open? I don't remember ever opening the trunk.
Even though I knew logically there was no way anything was in the trunk the urge to check inside grew. The whole idea of a corpse in my trunk was merely a daydream, something that was supposed to be harmless. All sorts of illogical thoughts raced through my mind, perhaps someone opened the trunk and placed a dead body within it? or maybe someone climbed into my trunk and died inside! My two hands clinched the steering wheels so hard that I made a visible mark on the leather covering of it. Perhaps I should get off the car and check? No, that'd raise even more suspicion from the police. If i got off now to close the trunk it would only arouse curiosity for the police for my trunk. Anyways, what is there to be scared about? The whole thought of a dead corpse in the trunk was merely a daydream I should be focused on getting home and cooking something for me to eat.
Time was running out, now there were only two cars infront of me. The blood froze in my body and I could feel myself getting colder and paler by the second. If the police saw me like this it'd surely arise suspicion.
The driver of the car right in front of me got off, he must've been drunk. It's unfortunate for him but this was an opportunity for me. I slow got off the car only to find that the I caught the gazes of two policemen. I forced myself to smile and took out a smoke from my backpocket and pretended to search for a lighter. I knew there was one in my backpocket but I ignored it purposefully. I searched all around the front seats to find the lighter, then the backseat, and finally the trunk. I made a helpless expression and walked slowly to my trunk, one policeman already turned his gaze elsewhere and the remaining cop seemed to have lost interest in my endeavours.
There was a thin opening between the trunk hood and the car; I took a little peak inside, there was absolutely nothing. I let out a quick sigh and took the lighter from my backpocket and proceeded to smoke the cigarette, with my hands still trembling from fear. I purposefully slammed the trunk door so that the policeman could hear it and put out the light, it was time for my car inspection.
"Hello sir, we'd like to check your ID"
I let down a small gulp.
He entered my ID into his small computer, there should be nothing wrong.
"Sir please open the trunk."
I made a calm face and open the trunk.
You can look for it all you want, there's nothing in the trunk.
Soon I heard the trunk door close.
"Have a great day sir."
"Thank you."
He motioned to the policemen behind him to let me through.
It's a success; because I turned his attention to the trunk he would have never imagined the corpse was on the floor of the passenger seat.
