Chapter 55
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Six months later
Officers Johnson and Holloway were heading down the highway out of town when they spotted a black sedan ahead of them, the driver seemingly unable to drive in a straight line. “Kind of early in the day for drunk driving,” Tyler said as they watched the car swerve. He was such an innocent to think drinking came with approved time slots.
“For some people, there’s no such thing as too early,” Vivian responded. She turned on the lights and tapped the siren repeatedly until the vehicle pulled over to the side of the road. From the back window, she could see a dark-haired driver with a blonde passenger. When she got to the car, the man rolled down the window. “Good morning, Officer. How are you?”
He had a charming European accent, dark curls framing his face. He wore oversized Louis Vuitton sunglasses with square frames. His companion looked to be a stylish woman in her fifties. While he spoke, she was checking her reflection in the visor mirror. “Did I do something wrong?” he asked.
Some officers were fine with this kind of question, but it irritated Vivian. This wasn’t a social call. Obviously he’d done something wrong or she wouldn’t have pulled him over. “License and registration, please.”
The driver leaned over and shuffled through the glove compartment, almost lying across blondie’s lap. He appeared to have trouble finding the car’s registration.
Vivian glanced back at the squad car, checking on Tyler, who’d stayed behind to update the dispatcher. Something about the driver struck her as familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him. It nagged at her.
“Sorry this is taking so long.” He sat up and made a show of empty hands. “I don’t seem to have my registration in the car. Guess I’m a little unorganized today. I was hoping you could let me off with a warning?” He gestured to the woman in the passenger seat. “My friend has an appointment, and I’m afraid we might be late. If you’d just let us be on our way, I promise to be more attentive.”
Suddenly it hit her. The hair was shorter and the sunglasses had thrown her off, but she was certain this was Anthony Bruno. She’d just checked the week before and the warrant was still outstanding. Current location unknown. He was a slippery little devil. “Driver’s license please?”
He patted his front and lifted off the seat as if to check for a wallet, then said, “I believe I forgot my wallet at home.” Such a lame excuse. She’d heard better from teenagers.
“Are you Anthony Bruno?”
“Who? No!” The words were a denial, but his tone said otherwise.
“Step out of the car, sir.”
He exhaled, as if considering what she’d said. Then, before she could react, he threw the car into drive and gunned it, his wheels spinning against the gravel. In seconds, it was careening down the road. She leapt back and ran over to the squad car. “We’ve got a runner.” She turned on the lights and the siren and they gave chase.
Tyler called it in, giving the license plate number and location. River Point was so small there wasn’t a fleet of cars that could come on a moment’s notice to block off roadways or set up spike strips. It was just them. They would have to call the sheriff’s office if he didn’t stop in the next few minutes.
“I asked if he was Anthony Bruno, and he just took off,” Vivian said. “I didn’t see a weapon. I think he just panicked.”
“Should I use the PA system?” Tyler reached toward the dashboard.
“Yes.” She leaned into the steering wheel, keeping pace with Bruno’s car. Oddly enough, he wasn’t going that fast, so she was in no danger of losing him. Right now they were only a few car lengths behind him, the perfect distance to use the address system.
“Anthony Bruno, this is the River Point Police Department. Pull to the side of the road immediately.” Intentional or not, Tyler’s voice had deepened through the loudspeaker, making him sound completely authoritative.
Still, Anthony Bruno kept going.
Vivian sped up and pulled alongside him so close that the cars were only inches apart. Tyler used the PA system again and motioned for him to pull over, but Bruno just shook his head. Vivian did a mental assessment. There were no other cars on the road, but that might not last long and driving on the wrong side of the road was risky. She had an idea.
She drove ahead of him and veered to the right, forcing him to turn down a side road that she knew led to a dead end.
Following, she came in right behind him, blocking his car. Vivian and Tyler both jumped out of the vehicle, their weapons drawn.
This was the most excitement she’d ever seen in all the time she’d served as a police officer in River Point.
When they led Mr. Bruno back to the squad car in handcuffs, his blonde girlfriend called out, “Don’t say a word, darling! I’ll call my attorney and we’ll get you out of there.”
“I love you, Camille,” he said as Tyler guided him into the back seat. “Wait for me!”
“I will, darling. I will! Be strong.”
Vivian shook her head. Some women were so gullible.