I Wonder If I Care as Much

Chapter Nineteen

Gravel crunched and broke underneath the pair of shoes that walked among it. His car was a few meters away parked by some tree. A flashlight glowed in his right hand, and a badge shone right on his heart. His duty of patrolling that night was a couple of streets some miles away, and he decided to take a drive up the old roads by the forests. He never would have expected to see a car on the old road but he knew better than to assume this night was different than any other night to the kids. The Hearse though was a special sight.

Shining his light in the front window there was nothing. No people, except an old radio on the dashboard still playing. The policeman wasn't surprised. Clicking the light off he moved to the back window and knocked. It took a few seconds for it to roll down, and when it did he clicked the light on again. "Somethin' wrong?" Angus asked.

"I was just heading up north when I saw your car here, you uh-having any trouble?" Angus shook his head and motioned at the girl.

"You mind keepin' your voice down, she's still asleep." The flashlight shone on Hannah's face, who was fast asleep, still in her pink bathrobe and wrapped up in a spare blanket Angus had found under the seat. Her head rested on Angus' chest, her nose pressed up against his shirt. The open window didn't help, but turning the car on would leave them stranded. "There's no trouble, though I wouldn't put it past this wagon to have some on the way home."

"You're dressed?" he asked. Angus cracked a grin.

"Bit cold outside, isn't it, sir?" The policeman brought his flashlight away from the girl's face.

"I'm real sorry, I've come across cars before parked like this and-it's usually not so civil in the backseat." Angus widened the grin.

"Don't worry about it, we're both too tired anyway." He didn't feel like bringing up Sherrie.

"I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Nah, I was havin' a bit of trouble, more so than the car. Guess the radio static doesn't help much." Even without the flashlight, the policeman could see Angus' face.

"Hey, I know you," he said, quietly.

"You uh, never thought to see a guitarist parked in the middle of some road like this, did ya'?"

"Never...I mean, I guess it doesn't surprise me, now that I think about it..." Angus smiled down at Hannah and brushed her hair.

"She's just a good friend of mine," he explained. "Just went for a drive together...hey, by any chance you know what time it is?" The officer held up his left wrist.

"It's about...half past two." Angus closed his eyes. "You two just visiting?"

"I'm visitin' her, she lives here. Well, not in this area, but in town. Tour was over so I thought I'd stop by."

"The rest of the band with you?"

"They're in the trunk," he said making the officer laugh. "Kiddin'. My brother is, he's at the hotel, probably sleeping better than I am," he laughed again. "The other guys are back home."

The officer had leaned up against the Hearse. "You guys staying long?" He doubted he ever would have a chance like this again to talk to someone famous. He didn't regret taking the turn on the dirt road.

"Uh, maybe a few more weeks, it depends on certain things, ya' know." Those certain things happened to be named Travis. Angus was tempted to tell the officer everything he had been doing to Hannah, but he didn't know where to start, or if he should wait for a drop in the conversation. Hannah stirred. She would have nowhere to go if Travis was taken away to jail, her income wasn't enough to pay off the house. Angus felt another yearning in his heart. One he couldn't tell the reason for.