True believer - Nicholas Sparks [103]
“What happened?” Alvin repeated, his voice rising. His eyes took on a crazed look. “You want to know what happened? I’ll tell you what happened! This whole place is nuts, that’s what happened! First, I get lost trying to find this stupid town. I mean, I’m driving down the highway, pass a couple of gas stations, and keep going, right? Since there doesn’t seem to be a town? And the next thing you know, I’m lost in the middle of a swamp for hours. I don’t find the town until almost nine o’clock. And then you’d think someone could give me directions to Greenleaf, right? I mean, how hard could it be? Small town, the only place to stay? Well, I get lost again! And that’s after some guy at the gas station talks my ear off for half an hour—”
“Tully,” Jeremy said, nodding.
“What?”
“The guy you talked to.”
“Yeah, whatever . . . so I finally get to Greenleaf, right? And the gigantic hairy guy there isn’t exactly friendly and sort of gives me the evil eye, hands me your note, and sticks me in this room with all these dead animals—”
“All the rooms are like that.”
“Whatever!” Alvin grunted. “And, of course, you’re not even around—”
“Sorry about that.”
“Would you let me finish?” Alvin hollered. “So, okay, I got your note and follow your directions to the cemetery, right? And I get there just in time to see the lights, and it’s fantastic, you know. Like for the first time in hours, I’m not pissed, right? So I head down to this place called Lookilu for a nightcap, which seems to be the only place in town open at that hour. And there’s only a couple of people in the whole place, so I get to talking to this gal named Rachel. And it’s going great. We’re really hitting it off, and then this guy walks in, looking like he just swallowed a porcupine . . .” He nodded toward Rodney. Rodney smiled without showing his teeth.
“So, anyway, a little while later, I go out to my car, and the next thing I know this guy is tapping on my window with his flashlight and asking me to step out of the car. So I ask why, and he tells me again to get out. And then he starts asking me how much I’ve had to drink and that maybe I shouldn’t be driving. So I tell him I’m fine and that I’m here working with you, and the next thing I know I’m locked up for the night! Now, get me out of here!”
Lexie looked over her shoulder. “Is that what happened, Rodney?”
Rodney cleared his throat. “To a point. But he forgot the part where he called me a big dumb Barney Fife and said that he’d have me brought up on charges for harassment if I didn’t let him go. He seemed so irrational that I thought he might be on drugs or get violent, so I brought him in for his own safety. Oh, and he called me a stupid musclehead, too.”
“You were harassing me! I didn’t do anything!”
“You were drinking and driving.”
“Two beers! I had two beers!” Alvin was looking maniacal again. “Check with the bartender! He’ll tell you!”
“I already did,” Rodney said, “and he told me you had seven drinks.”
“He’s lying!” Alvin shouted, his eyes swiveling to Jeremy. He looked through the bars, his face panicked between his hands. “I had two drinks! I swear, Jeremy! I would never drive if I had too much. I swear on my mother’s Bible!”
Jeremy and Lexie looked over at Rodney. He shrugged. “I was just doing my job. “
“Your job! Your job!” Alvin shouted. “Arresting innocent people! This is America and you can’t do that here! And this isn’t ending! When I get through with you, you won’t even be able to work security at Wal-Mart! Do you hear me, Barney! Wal-Mart!”
It was clear that the two of them had been going on like this most of the night.
“Let me talk to Rodney,” Lexie finally whispered.
When she left with the deputy, Alvin fell silent.
“We’ll get you out of here,” Jeremy reassured him.
“I don’t belong in here in the first place!”
“I know that. But you’re not helping yourself.”
“He’s harassing me!”
“I know that. But let Lexie handle it. She’ll take care of it.”
Out in the hallway, Lexie looked up at Rodney.