Crossing County Lines
by Sean Monaghan
'It's done?' Chris said as Toby sat down.
Toby sniggered. 'Just like you said. It'll get flattened.'
Chris glanced around. Already seated on the plastic chairs, talking amongst themselves, were most of the Gilbert County cops. Some gave Chris sideways glances.
'Alan will be pissed,' Toby said.
'Well, I owe him. Anyway, he won't know. His buddies are my alibi.'
'And it's just a joke.' Toby licked icing off his index finger.
Chris smiled. Yeah, just a joke.
* * *
Bill Carter was hauling a load of blasting caps along Route 18 when he saw a cake straddling the centerline near the entrance to Claudia's Herb Farm. They had weddings up there, but why would the cake be in the middle of the road? He slowed, then drove past. It had icing rosettes and tiers. A plastic bride and groom on the top.
As he accelerated away he slipped out his cell and phoned Tim.
* * *
Chris watched Alan adjusting his lapels in front of the congregation. His best man was trying to help him with his nerves. Laughable, Chris thought. He should be nervous. Michelle wouldn't stick around. Especially when her wedding day went to hell.
Chris had spent nights in the cells over misdemeanors. It was Alan's fault, so today was payback.
* * *
'You drove past it?' Tim yelled.
'Hey, I ...' Bill went quiet.
'We've had bomb threats and you drive a truckload of explosives past a... a...'
'A wedding cake,' Bill said. 'At least I phoned it in. You're the sheriff, you can-'
'Just leave it to us.'
'Okay, thanks Tim. I-'
'Don't drive past any more mysterious packages. Sheesh.' The sheriff hung up.
* * *
Chris watched the ring go on Michelle's finger, saw her grinning face. Wait till she found out her cake had been splattered by someone's pickup.
Alan and Michelle started along the aisle together. Michelle was beaming, teeth glinting in the sun. She caught Chris's eye and waved. Who'd have thought her smile could get bigger?
* * *
Tim parked his cruiser behind Milton's. Milton was leaning against the hood, eating an apple. He glanced over at Tim.
Getting out, Tim looked back to see their new bomb truck coming up the rise.
'Hey Milton.' Tim looked along the road. It was a cake, all right.
'Sheriff.'
'Why aren't you setting up a perimeter?'
'No point.'
'What?'
Milton fired his apple core into the ditch and pushed himself off the car. 'It's in Gilbert County.' Milton pointed down at the cake. 'See the driveway? Claudia's place. The restaurant and lodge. She's on our side of the county line. The cake is past the driveway. Gilbert County jurisdiction.'
Tim sighed. So wound up over a cake, just because kids had been making prank calls and someone had Molotoved Ike's hunting store. 'Give them a call, get them out here.'
Milton snorted. 'I did. Most of them are at a wedding.' He pointed.
Through the trees Tim saw a marquee and people. Bridesmaids?
'And there's been a fire in town. Gilbert, I mean. So anyone who's left isn't coming way out here just for a cake in the road.'
'You mentioned our situation? Bomb threats?'
'They've had a fire.'
Tim wished he was laid back like Milton, even if Milton irritated him.
Then it made sense. Cops all in one place. 'Get the robot.'
* * *
Chris stayed in the receiving line. When he got to Alan, he took the offered hand.
'Thanks for coming,' Alan said.
'Sure.'
Alan didn't let go. 'No, really. Thanks. I know we've had our ... well, you're family. It wouldn't be right without you.'
Chris looked into his brother's eyes, surprised that he could hold steady. 'Yeah. Sure. I ...'
'You're all right, you know.' Alan glanced around. 'The guys are looking out for you. I know they're tough, but ...'
'It's for my own good?'
'We had to do a lot of growing up. I was lucky.' Alan hugged him and Chris was surprised to find himself hugging back.
* * *
The little bomb robot hurtled under remote control as fast as Tim could manoeuver it. Traffic was stopped on their side, but the Gilbert side was open. Why would a cake be a bomb? Who could understand the insanity of bombers anyway?
'You know,' Milton said. 'We're going to be in paperwork up to our asses.'
'And you'll be helping.'
* * *
Then Chris was in front of the endlessly grinning Michelle.
'Chris.' She swept him into her arms and whispered in his ear. 'I know you don't like being around these guys, they've busted your chops and worse for so long. You've done so many juvenile things since we met,' she kept holding him in a sisterly way, 'but you've been growing up. I know it took a lot of maturity to come today. You're so important to Alan. He wouldn't be...' she paused and he realised she was crying a little. 'He wouldn't be who he is if he hadn't grown up with you.'
He pushed her away and ran.
* * *
Tim parked the robot, watching the screen. 'What should we be looking for again? Where's the chart?'
'Someone's coming,' Milton said.
Tim looked up and saw someone running down the driveway. 'Crap,' he jumped from the truck and pulled his gun, running down the blacktop.
* * *
Chris was breathing hard. The cake was okay. A strange tracked farm machine was parked there. Why would it have have a video camera? Someone in the distance was yelling.
Chris grabbed the cake and headed for the dining room as fast as he dared. If he was lucky, he could make it before the receiving was done.
Something about that machine, though. Not a farm machine. Bomb disposal. Weird.
* * *
Tim slowed, watching the kid carry the cake away. He holstered his gun.
'Guess it really was a wedding cake,' Milton said.
'Guess so.' Hell of a day, Tim thought. A wedding cake in the middle of the road.
copyright 2009
BIO: Sean Monaghan lives in a big rural town surrounded by numerous outdoor venues suitable for the weddings, group functions and office team-building retreats. More details (about him, not the venues) at his website www.venusvulture.com.
