Straight to Steemit Novel: Sojourn: Chapter 3 - The Roadside

Preamble

This is the third chapter in my straight to Steemit Novel Project.

Past Entries
Chapter 1 - The Road.
Chapter 2 - The Evening Road.

A new chapter will be added in six days time. The cover image may change from week to week. (No new cover this week!) All images used in this project will be captured by myself as original photographs.

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3 - The Roadside

Dusk. A street leading to a highway ramp in Norfolk. A broken-down Cabriolet, water dripping from the under carriage. Three police cars. A heavily armoured SWAT Vehicle. A hive of firearms, siege equipment and a hastily erected barricade. A TV broadcast van. An ambulance. Shadows danced to the strobing emergency lights. If there were four walls around the scene, it would be dress up night at a seedy bar.

It wasn’t. This was how the sun was saying goodbye on the first day of my road trip as its tendrils of fire faded over the horizon. No tow truck had arrived. It had felt like hours elapsed, but it had been maybe twenty minutes at most since the cabriolet burnt its last fuel. Violet was by my side. I could see her shifting uncomfortably. Her arms were folded for warmth. The wind had picked up again, and with the ground still damp from the rain and, every time a car passed there was a mist of water propelled toward the footpath.

The reporter, Malcom, stood before me. He was uncharismatic, and not he sort of man you would describe as polite. It looked like his confidence came from a quiet desperation, the sort I’d feel would be required to interview strangers all day long. “Please sir, a moment of your time?” He was insistent, that was for sure.

“No,” I said, attempting to remain steadfast.
“The people need to know what happened here.” He motioned to his rear, where the police siege on the house was in full flight. Violet had a suggestion. “Why don’t you ask the police back there?” He ignored her. I disliked him immensely, almost irrationally, just because he was in my face, asking me questions.

“You said you were a tourist.”
“I did, and as such, I don’t wish to give you a story or anecdote or report.” He didn’t seem phased by my repeated attempts to get him to go away. “Please, leave me alone.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m not answering your questions.” I smiled. That was a good answer. Violet affirmed this with a laugh. It was good to hear her laugh.

The man in the plaid shirt spoke. “Leave the man alone!” The reporter ignored him too. He seemed to be good at ignoring people. He was growing frustrated, the lines in his forehead deepening. There must have been a voice in the earpiece that was barely perceptible in his left ear. He abruptly turned his back and headed toward his camera man.

“The car is no good?” The man in the plaid shirt spoke again. “You’re on a holiday huh?” He was actually asking the same questions as the reporter, but wasn’t going to broadcast it everywhere, so it seemed like a good idea to share the plight with another human being. It would probably be a story that I’d tell a few times.

“Yes. Car’s pretty much fucked.” I spoke more casually around this man than the reporter. Violet then added. “We should have a tow truck on the way soon.” The man was disinterested at this statement. He had his own agenda. “You two certainly are an odd bunch of fruit,” He thought we were a couple?

“How’d you two meet?”
Violet answered. “I had an ad online to axe murder strangers from exotic locations…” She punched me gently in the arm. “This idiot was stupid enough to answer.”
I liked that she had become playful, flirtatious again, the reality of the situation was sinking in. I was going to die. Or maybe, she was just putting up a strong face for the stranger. It was my turn to laugh, I hadn’t expected her to start cracking jokes again this soon.

“You folks watch out once that tow gets here. Don’t stay on this side of town. It’s not safe.” Gee, really? Not safe, feels perfectly safe, what with a police raid going on a mere stone’s throw away. I asked, perhaps a little too keenly “The police don’t take action like that often?” I motioned back over to the scene, where the armoured officers had disappeared, most likely clearing the house room by room, searching for whatever or whoever they were searching for.

“They don’t, but drugs I tell you, they’re everywhere!” He seemed to be back to his crazy, ranting self. It was an uncomfortable conversation. I just wanted to get out of the situation.

Vinnie. The tow truck driver. Where the hell was this man? Would it be the fifty percent chance of making it to the lodge that was booked well in advance? Knowing my luck, probably not. Violet had started talking to the crazy man, and I heard her use pharmaceutical sounding words, as though she was trying to alienate the old man out of the conversation. It seemed to be working.

A short time later, I heard him say, “If you guys need anything, a drink of water, or whatnot, come knock on my door!” He staggered back towards his home, and as the door closed, I could hear the distinct click of a dead lock, the slide of an iron bar, and a security alarm beep a confirmation that it had been armed. The man definitely seemed overly paranoid.

I looked at Violet. “Thank you,” She returned a confused gaze to me in response, arching a brown eyebrow. “For being you.” I finished the sentence, and the confusion disappeared from her face. She spoke, “I didn’t think you felt like being particularly social, so I got rid of him.”

For a moment, I wondered if there would actually be an axe in the back of her vehicle when we inevitably emptied the luggage from the rear, where-ever it was that we would end up that night. “You didn’t chop him up with an axe though.” I joked. I was very glad she understood my sense of humour. We bounced off each other well.

“I hope that tow truck gets here soon.” I was growing impatient, and I could see that she was uneasy, especially with the long day she had been through. She had worked a few hours at the pharmacy, dispensing antidepressants, painkillers, and antibiotics to the ill-fated of the town prior to the drive. She was starting to look tired. She kept a strong veneer up for the time being.
“When he does arrive, I will kill him! For being late!”
“Gotta put that axe to use, Violet. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you had one in your car somewhere.” I flashed a smile, enjoying the ongoing exchange.
“How did you know?” Her eyes widened in surprise, and it was clear that it was a joke. I did kind of hope that there was an axe there. Somehow, bizarrely, it would make me feel safer.

A horn honked. The hiss of a pair of well worn brakes pierced the air. It was a shiny, red tow truck. It parked in front of the cabriolet, dwarfing the crippled vehicle. The door swung open. Could this be Vinnie? A boot emerged from the cabin of the truck, and descended onto the polished chrome step. My eyes followed the boot to the typical blue overalls that clothed the driver.

It was a woman. Not a man named Vinnie. We wouldn’t be going to the lodge or the lighthouse tonight. We’d need to make our way somewhere else. She carried a clipboard and approached confidently. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she had sharp features. “Howdy.”

“Hi,” Violet said. “Thanks for coming.”
“I don’t get paid let cars stay on the side of the road,” The embroidery on her nametag read Meredith. She had a soft, sweet voice, not what you’d expect from a woman who drove a two-tonne tow truck every day. Her eyes remained sharp.
“Some paperwork, we’ll drop you off at a local hotel, and I’ll take this beauty to the garage for inspection. Just need the insurance policy number and an autograph.” Violet got the information that was required. The form was filled, and Meredith loaded the car onto the back of the tow truck using a winch. I stayed out of the way.

Once the vehicle was secured, Meredith took over. “Hop on in, guys,”
“Can you drop us at a hotel that has some decent rooms?” Violet asked the question with a quiet desperation, it was clear that she needed a rest.
“Sure can, we’re spoiled for choice here.” The truck rumbled into life, and we slowly progressed past the police scene. The members of the armoured SWAT team were emerging from the house. Whatever they were expecting to find there, they didn’t find. Police tape was being rolled out around the property. One of the men at the scene was wearing a suit, and talking to the reporter in front of the camera. He was getting his story. The gurney from the ambulance and two paramedics were entering the property.

Maybe we’ll hear about it at the hotel later tonight. Second gear kicked in as the truck accelerated toward the hotel. It was a short trip. Maybe ten minutes, at most. When I expressed concern about room availability at the hotel, Meredith was quick to reassure me that there would be no problem. “Why would people want to stay here?! The only reason we’ve got hotel rooms in this town is so that the navy boys have somewhere to stay when they’re off duty – we’ve got the port nearby, and it’s cheaper for them to stay here than travel back home. They’re deployed at the moment. My husband, he’s in the force.”

A tow truck driver that didn’t like the town they worked in. “I’m sorry.”
She blinked. “What for?”
“You have to put up with people in shitty situations every day, all day, car crash, car breakdown, car fire, illegal parking, whatever. People must tell you everything that ever went wrong.”
“You get used to it.” She was positive. “For every car that I tow, I pass a dozen more that will one day need a tow, people don’t realise what they need until they don’t have it!”
Violet joined the conversation. “You’ve probably had this conversation a thousand times, huh?”
“I’m not counting,” she replied, as we approached the hotel car park. “Plus, its good experience for when I become a psychologist.”

Meredith explained what would happen next, and told Violet to hassle the insurance company if things didn’t play out as the script should have. I clambered up onto the rear tray of the tow truck to extract the luggage from the vehicle. There was still pools of water inside the vehicle that hadn’t drained out properly. It seemed that everything that was in the trunk of the car had remained dry.

Violet’s suitcase came first, then mine. There was a tool set in a corner, below the suitcases. I grabbed it, as I wasn’t sure if I would see the car again. Violet had gone to the passenger’s side of the car and was emptying the glove box, and centre console. Meredith waited patiently while the car was emptied of personal effects and items.

There was about another suitcase of stuff by the time the glove box, center console, backseat, and trunk was emptied. Efficiently, a hotel employee had arrived along with a luggage trolley to let everything be brought inside. He silently wheeled it toward the lobby. “Better luck folks,” Meredith waved goodbye and climbed back into the truck. Violet was heading after the hotel employee toward the lobby. I joined them.

There was a television in the lobby. A man’s face swam amidst a hive of activity behind him. It was the reporter from before. There was a shot of the street, and somehow the cameraman had managed to capture the broken-down cabriolet. There was no sound from the TV, so I had no idea if he was speaking about the pesky tourist that declined an interview.
A receptionist greeted Violet as the bellhop disappeared discretely. She wore more make up than what was probably healthy. She and Violet conversed regarding a room, and I hovered, knowing it would be my responsibility to pay for the room. Violet didn’t get paid until next Tuesday, she had said, and all the money from her pay was to be devoted to the road trip.

“Whats our budget?” Violet asked me, openly.
“So long as we have a room, with a couple of beds, and its warm, I don’t care.”

I handed her my credit card. I was fed up with human interaction for the time being, and was eager to get changed, and discuss with Violet what would happen next. “Three nights,” Just in case it takes until Monday for the car issue to get a solution.

An assessment would have to be completed before anything else could happen and it wasn’t like I could just go and buy a new car in a foreign country. I had considered it a few times, but logic caught the better of me.

Violet made eye contact and there was a certain softness in her eyes. She could see that I wasn’t coping all that well with the events of the day. She looked pretty drained herself, in need of some sort of emotional support. She and the receptionist kept negotiating. There was a shop in the lobby, across the deeply mass market, plush carpet and faux marble hallway that cut through the lobby toward the elevator.

Chocolate. That’ll be a nice thing to give her. I meandered away and brought some chocolate with the little cash I had in my wallet, and a bottle of water. I got my change, and an overly-luxurious plastic bag in which to put the items I had purchased.

I returned to the lobby, and Violet was ready to go, with room keys. Together, we maneuvered the luggage trolley to the elevator, shoes and socks squelching against the freshly cleaned hotel carpet. The wheels squeaked as they turned. We came to the room. She swiped the card, with a smile. “After you, Walter!”

I entered the hotel room. It was dark, as the curtains were drawn. When I finally found the light switch, I could take in the room. There was only one bed. There was only one bed.. My mind was frantic, as I looked toward the couch, realising that there wasn’t one, just two arm chairs, not even a sofa. Maybe it’s a two bedroom room?
“There’s only one bed?” I wasn’t sure if it was a question or not.
“I know,” Violet seemed comfortable at the prospect. I wasn’t; I had slept on the couch the night prior. My back ached slightly. I had wanted romance, but didn’t expect her to be this forward. That, or I was being incredibly awkward. Maybe I’d misread the signals.

I didn’t misread the next one, as she engulfed me in a deep kiss. I didn’t expect it, and pulled away shortly thereafter. She had a crooked smile, and her eyes seemed like they were looking for something in mine. “Thank you for not punching that obnoxious reporter.”

I laughed. It was a nervous laugh. There was only one bed.

The luggage trolley was still in the hallway. I suggested that we get its contents into the room, and that took a little longer than expected with all the loose vehicle paraphernalia that lay on its shelves. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a trail of debris, and wet footprints in the hallway. I didn’t care.

The hotel door closed on the end of the first day.

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