A Bounty of Pictures

Chapter 2

The words roll out with a strange easiness. Parker's hand rubs my back and the man raises an eyebrow, quickly talking on his radio, "Sergeant, 10-62A for a 187 in the front."

A door opens and a bald man appears in a hurry. "Chloe Jansen?" He asks and I nod. "Parker, nice to see you again."

Parker shakes his hand, "nice to see you again, Sergeant Harlow. Though the circumstances are not." I've never heard Parker trying to speak so proper and starched. Not even to his respectable grandfather.

We follow Harlow to an office with a single picture of his wife and son. His wrap around desk is almost spotless. A steaming mug sits in front of Harlow's chair. Parker's hand wraps around mine as we take a seat.

"A murder? Why don't you start from the beginning." He takes out a pen and pad of paper. I recount from the moment Parker and I heard about the clear skies tonight all the way to the moment we reached Sergeant Harlow's office. Harlow flips a fourth page in his pad and nods.

"You can have my camera. I don't know how the pictures turned out but you can still have a look." I place my camera on the desk.

"Thank you. Just fill out this form some time in the next twenty four hours." He hands me a packet of papers before asking someone to bring an evidence bag and gloves. "I'm truly sorry you've had to witness a tragic event. There's information on how to deal with incidents in the packet. I will call your parents and you're free to go."

"Could I have some paper towels, please? Some pop kind of exploded in my car. And could I clean it up while my parents come?"

"Sure. Just ask Joe at the front desk."

"I'll come with you." I jump up and leave with Parker before Harlow stops me.

Parker unlocks his mom's silver Kia with two rolls of paper towels in hand.

"I'm sorry I ruined your mom's car." I say watching him bend over with a huff.

"It's fine," he mumbles almost inaudibly I barely make out the mumble.

"No, it's not. I'll give you money tomorrow so you can get it cleaned."

"Chloe, it's fine. I mean it was an accident. And I know you'll try to blame yourself for the murder but it's not your fault. You couldn't have done anything to stop it." He stands up and looks me in the eye.

"Yes I could have."

He rolls his eyes, "don't give me that, Chloe. If you did do something I would be filing a missing person's report and your body would be somewhere being torn apart by vultures."

"But why am I still alive? One of the people saw me clear as day." Parker runs a hand through his curly brown hair and places another hand on my shoulder.

"I don't know. But you are lucky. You're going to be fine. Sergeant Harlow will tell your parents everything and I live right down the street from your house." I nod again. Car lights turn into the parking lot and I notice dads face in the drivers seat.

"My house at ten tomorrow." Parker says before I greet dad.