Tyler Anne Snell - The Deputy's Witness

“Well, this is probably going to sound ridiculous,” she started, “but I think there’s a bomb under my seat.”

Chapter Five

The deputy squatted down on the other side of the door so that his gaze was level with hers. Under any other circumstances she probably would have been distracted by the proximity, but right now her mind kept going to what might or might not be beneath her seat.

“You’re going to have to elaborate on that one for me.”

Alyssa licked her lips. They were already drying out despite her lipstick.

“Okay, so when I sat down I heard something click,” she started. “I hadn’t turned the car on yet, so it confused me. Then I heard two more clicks and actually felt those coming from under me. Under my seat. And then I saw the light.”

“The light?”

Alyssa moved her head to try to motion to the floorboard. She still wasn’t about to move the rest of her body if she could help it. Her hands were on her lap, fused together with sweat and nerves. In the movie, once Danny Glover’s character had gotten off the toilet it had exploded. And she was not about to blow up in a Honda.

“I can see the reflection of a red light blinking on the floorboard,” she answered. “It’s faint but it’s there. And it hasn’t stopped blinking.”

The deputy didn’t ask for permission, not that she was going to begrudge him for the invasion anyway, and moved his head in through the window to look toward her feet. Alyssa caught a whiff of either shampoo or body wash that smelled intoxicating as he moved into her personal space. Some kind of musk and spice infusion. Something she definitely shouldn’t be distracted by at the moment.

“I know I could be overreacting, but I guess I’ve just seen so many movies and TV shows where clicks and flashing lights equals bombs,” she admitted. The fear that had tensed her every muscle was now starting to feel a little silly. “And if it isn’t a bomb, which it probably isn’t, I’ll just be mortified for life.”

The man pulled out of the space and back into a squat next to the door. His expression gave nothing away.

“Can I open your door?” he asked, voice even.

Silly thought or not, the request scared Alyssa.

“If there’s a bomb under your seat, opening the door shouldn’t trigger it,” he added.

“But if it does?” she couldn’t help asking. A drop of sweat rolled down the side of her face. It was so hot.

The deputy’s expression stayed neutral when he answered.

“Then, I promise you, we won’t know the difference.”

Alyssa felt her eyes widen.

“I don’t know if I’m happy with that logic.”

The man didn’t apologize for it.

“I won’t do it if you don’t want me to,” he said. “I just need to take a closer look.”

Alyssa chewed on her lip but nodded.

“What’s your name?” she tacked on. The man raised his eyebrow. “Just in case we do blow up.”

“Caleb Foster.”

“I’m Alyssa Garner,” she introduced. “I would shake your hand, but I’m terrified that if I move I’ll—Well, you know...”

Caleb flashed a smile. It didn’t last long.

“Then let me do the moving for now,” he said. Alyssa watched as his attention focused on the car door’s handle. Her muscles tensed further.

Please don’t let us blow up in my Honda.

But nothing went kaboom when the deputy opened the door wide.

Alyssa let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

“Okay, well, if it’s a bomb it’s not connected to the door,” he pointed out. He moved closer to inspect the space between the seat and him. “I can’t see anything here.” He met her gaze. “I’m going to try to look under your seat now, okay?”

Alyssa nodded, even though she was already trying to do the logistics of that in her head. She was on the shorter side and had her seat closer to the dash because of it. Which meant Caleb Foster was about to get really close to her.

He dropped to his knees on the concrete, braced himself with one hand on the inside of the door and then very slowly hunched over so that his head was near the floorboard. Alyssa felt his breath against her bare legs as he moved between them to get a better view.

The most irrational fear that she’d missed a spot while shaving flitted through her head. When Caleb popped back up after only a few seconds, she wondered if she really had. His expression was the definition of neutral.

“So, was I being ridiculous?” she asked, hopeful.

But that ray-of-sunshine feeling lasted only an instant.

Deputy Foster pulled out his phone, but he took a moment to look directly into her eyes.

“I need you to keep doing what you’re doing a little longer, okay?” he said, tone calm.

“You want me to keep sitting still,” Alyssa spelled out, just to make sure they were on the same page.

Deputy Foster nodded.

Before she could stop it, her breathing went off the rails. It was one thing to think there was a bomb beneath your seat while also thinking you were being a bit insane. It was another for a man of the law to tell you to keep sitting perfectly still.

It was real now.

“So there is a bomb under my seat?” she asked around two short breaths.

“There’s something under your seat, yes,” he hedged.

“But is it a bomb?”

“I don’t know for sure, but—”

Alyssa sucked in a breath and had the deepest urge to grab the man by the collar of his shirt. “You answer me right now, Deputy Foster. Do you think there’s a bomb beneath my seat or not?”

He seemed surprised by her outburst, but who could blame her?

This time the deputy didn’t hedge.

“Yes,” he said. “I do. Which is why I need you to keep calm until we can deal with this. Okay?”

Despite his answer Alyssa decided to panic. Or, at least, her body did. The heavy air in the car, the heat of the day and the sheer thought of having survived a gunshot to the back only to be blown up in a parking lot were all too much to take. Her heartbeat wasn’t just galloping anymore—it was full-out trying to exceed the speed of light. Its pursuit was having a chain reaction on what was left of her calm. Her breathing was no longer erratic. It was rushed, clumsy and impossible to conquer. It was starting to make her vision blur.

The urge to swipe her glasses off and completely freak was escalating. She wanted to try to scramble out of the car and escape the heat and fear that were tripling at an alarming rate. If the deputy hadn’t been between Alyssa and the door, she might have attempted an escape plan.

But the deputy was there.

And his eyes were enough to hold her in place long enough for his words to reach her.

“Alyssa,” he said, moving as close to her as he could without making contact. “From what I’ve heard, you’ve handled a lot worse than this.” His lips quirked up into a grin. “All you have to do right now is sit still, okay? You think you can handle just sitting?”

The way he said the last part, like he was looking down on her for her worry, made something snap within her. Like he was the parent and she was a child who was being ridiculous. She took a deep breath, exhaled and took another one before she answered.

“Yes, Deputy,” she said with a little too much attitude. “I think I can handle it.”

Deputy Foster’s grin grew.

It made her feel better. If only for a moment.

“I’m going to take a few pictures and then I’m going to make a lot of calls,” he said.

“You aren’t going to leave, are you?” she asked, already panicked at the thought.

The deputy shook his head. “I want you to know one thing for certain, Miss Garner. I will not leave you.”

Alyssa hadn’t realized how good that promise would sound.