Wicked Circle

And it seemed John Hampton was heading back to Cleveland.

Kurt followed him, wondering if he could even make an arrest based on a warrant for a suspect identified as human. He decided to leave that to someone else to decide. The real question was, How am I going to stop him while he’s still in my jurisdiction?

Then the fool gave him cause. He did a quick stint of seventy-five in a forty-five.

Kurt rolled down his window, slapped the magnetic base of his police beacon on the roof, and flipped it and his siren on.

“Your grandmother is going to kill me.”

Johnny’s voice grumbled from the radio. Aurelia had been making notes, and perked up.

“What?” the kid said.

Then Aurelia heard the siren.

“Cool!” the kid said.

“Not cool,” Johnny said.

“You’re pulling over? This car could outrun the cop’s car! C’mon! C’mon!”

“No,” Johnny said firmly.

Aurelia picked up her phone.

The Maserati drove onto the shoulder in front of Kurt, who waited. He wasn’t in a uniform, but he had a badge and handcuffs. The warrant for the arrest of John Hampton had been issued years ago, but warrants never expire.

Would he resist? What if he secured him into the cuffs and into the back of the car, then he did that at-will transformation thing? Kurt had no other choice.

Kurt Miller got out of his Crown Victoria and, with his hand on his weapon, he approached the car. Two good paces from the driver’s door, he halted, set his feet and drew the gun. “Step out of the car, now!”

Nothing happened, so he repeated himself.

The door opened.

“Keep your hands where I can see them.”

John Newman, or Hampton, eased from the car, with his palms outstretched. “I know I was speeding,” he said. “It was stupid. I was showing off for the kid.”

“Kid?”

John motioned with his head toward the car interior. Kurt peered through the back window and saw Evan worriedly watching him. Damn it!

“Since you’re not in a cruiser or a uniform, could I see some ID, Officer?”

“I’m a SSTIX investigator.” Kurt tossed his badge wallet to Johnny.

John caught it, examined it. “SSTIX? Since when did they make arrests for traffic violations? And do you always draw your gun on speeders? Or do you enjoy scaring kids?”

“Put your hands on the roof of the car.”

John did. Kurt put the gun into its holster. As he frisked him, he noticed that John focused on the Crown Victoria. “You were following me earlier.”

Kurt slapped the cuffs onto the tall man’s wrists. “You’re under arrest for an outstanding warrant. Your cooperation won’t be as scary for the kid as your defiance would be.” He then recited the Miranda warning. It surprised him that John didn’t resist at all.

“What warrant? And how do you even know who I am? You haven’t asked me for my name yet, and I don’t even live here.”

Kurt steered him toward the Crown Victoria. “Maybe not anymore, John, but you used to.” Kurt gave John a push to indicate he should go toward the green car.

John proceeded as bidden, silent for the distance. Maybe he’s stunned. After shutting the Crown Victoria’s door, Kurt returned to the Maserati. He retrieved his badge wallet from the roof of the car, then opened the door closest to Evan and, crouching down, showed the badge to him. “I’m Kurt Miller, a federal investigator,” he said. “We’ve met before. I’m a friend of your grandmother’s.”

“Are you gonna cuff me too?”

“No. But I do need you to get into my car with your dad so we can go to the station.”

“My dad?” Evan’s mouth hung open.

They haven’t told him. Double damn it. “Sure. If he’s driving and you’re in the backseat buckled in, that means you’re his son, right?”

Evan’s face hardened and he stared at his shoes. “He was only speedin’ ’cause I begged him to ’cause it’s such a cool car.” He crossed his arms. “It’s not his fault. It’s mine.”

“You need to come with me. At the police station, we’ll call your gram. She’ll pick you up.” She may never forgive me for this.

Evan slid out, shut the door.

Kurt offered him his hand.

“I’m not a baby,” Evan said.

They walked toward the Crown Victoria on the side that was furthest from the road. “I’ll move my files and you can sit up front in my car.”

“No. My gram says I always hafta sit in the back.”

“Does your gram tell you to obey officers of the law?”

“Yeah. And she says it’s a law that kids sit in the back.”

Kurt ground his teeth. Evan was still a brat. He didn’t think that John had any reason to hurt the kid, but letting Evan sit in the back might give John an opportunity should his cooperation fail out of desperation.

Evan suddenly rushed to the car.

“Hey!”

Before Kurt could get there, Evan had climbed in the front and slammed the door. He sent files skidding to the floor as he twisted and hit buttons, partially lowering windows and successfully locking the doors.

Kurt glowered through the window at him and demanded, “Unlock these doors, now!”

“No!” Evan stuck out his tongue.

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

Johnny sat in the back of the Crown Vic wondering what he’d done to end up with a warrant. It didn’t matter, really. This detective plainly knew something about him, something that could provide information that would lead him to his family. He was willing to go to the station . . . or wherever a SSTIX agent took you . . . to find out. He was confident that the Zvonul could get him out and cover the incident if necessary.

Besides, he didn’t want to give Evan the impression that breaking the law didn’t have consequences.

Suddenly the boy scurried into the car and locked the agent out of his own car.

So much for that idea. “What do you think you’re doing?” Johnny asked.

Evan turned the car off and grappled to get the keys out of the ignition. “I’m helping you.”

Johnny shook his head. “This isn’t helping.”

Evan crawled into the back beside him. “There’s got to be a key to the cuffs on here. Then we can drive away!”

“You’re pretty smart to figure that out.”

Evan beamed.

“But breaking the law and messing with a detective isn’t smart.”

“Not in the least,” the detective confirmed. He stood near the barely open passenger rear window with his arms crossed, obviously pissed off. His gun was still holstered at his side.

Evan flipped the keys around on the ring.