Perfect Impurrfections

Chapter 20

I Didn’t do it Officer

                The day of her date arrived making Crystal a little nervous.  She had been out of the swing of things for two weeks now and she wasn’t sure she could get back out there.  If her other two dates hadn’t been such complete disasters, then maybe she wouldn’t be as nervous as she was now.  Turning around in front of her mirror Crystal checked to make sure everything looked alright.  She had purchased a new cute cocktail dress and shoes that morning.  She had even felt pretty when trying it on.  Looking at herself now she wondered if it was a little to fancy for a first date.  Deciding it was too late now to change she grabbed up her light sweater and clutch from the bed.  She was surprised to find Anna and Lewis sitting on her couch when she came down the stairs.  She had thought Casey was going to watch B.B. for the night.  Apparently plans changed.  Anna wolf whistled at her as Crystal obliged in taking a spin around for her. 

                “You don’t think it’s too much?”  Crystal asked worried she overdid it for the night.

                “Absolutely not.  And if your date doesn’t go well at least you’ll look good as you walk away.”  Her friend offered bringing out a nervous chuckle from Crystal.  Lewis looked at the two of them in silence taking in their friendly banter.  He said nothing as he turned his attention back to fending off her cat who had apparently decided Lewis would make a good bedfellow.  Crystal rolled her eyes at the two of them handing the water bottle to Anna so she could defend her boyfriend. 

                “You’re not using the same cab company as last time, are you?”  Anna asked as Crystal shook her head.

                “Nope.  I found a new one.  They’re a little more expensive then the last company but hopefully they’ll be a better quality.”

                “You get what you pay for.”  Lewis threw in drawing the attention of both of the women.

                “There’s nothing wrong with saving a little money Lewis.”  Crystal told him as she pulled on her sweater.

                “I don’t see why you don’t just get a regular cab and save on the expense of the dress.”  His statement left Crystal without words for a moment.  She understood he was far from being poor but even he had to understand.

                “I’m looking for someone to spend the rest of my life with here.  I can’t show up looking like a hag.  I use the cheaper cabs so I can save the money for my wedding not the date.”  She pointed out but from the vacant look in his eyes she knew she had lost him.

                “I just don’t get it.”

                “We know hon.  It’s okay.”  Anna cooed at him before waving Crystal out the door.  She didn’t want to be late after vowing to put her best foot forward tonight.  Walking down her steps she glanced over only to see Casey and his girlfriend standing outside.  Determined to ignore them Crystal turned her attention back to the curb where any minute now her ride should pull up.

                “Aren’t you all dressed up.  Got a hot date tonight?  I don’t miss those days one bit.”  His girlfriend tittered at her making Crystal want to rip out her tongue.  Turning her eyes to Casey she glared in his direction.  Receiving the hint, he moved to shuffle the woman back inside.  It had been what was agreed upon.  Crystal had won that game of pool and as payment Casey had to keep his trick far away from her.  A request that had shocked him at the time, but he agreed none the less.  As he hustled back inside the cab pulled up to the curb.  Crystal approached it a little wearily remembering her last two rides before.  Opening the back door, she didn’t note any unpleasant odors.  Ducking inside she checked to make sure there were no other passengers as well.  She was sure she had developed some kind of mental illness but due to her grandfather’s actions she couldn’t ask Dr. Miller anymore.  As it was, she had to mail the pillow back after she had washed it certain the man wouldn’t want to see any of her family face to face for the foreseeable future.  Giving the cabbie the address Crystal sat back in her seat bemoaning the loss of her access to the neighborhood shrink.

                A short while later they were on the freeway as she felt the speed of the car begin to pick up.  Looking out the windows she was trying to see the motorists that they were passing.  To her surprise she saw many flying past the windows as the driver sped down the road well over the speed limit.  Scrunching her brow in concern she turned to the front taking a glance at the speedometer.  A gasp left her as she saw the needle pass 95 with no signs of stopping.  She wanted to get to her date, but she wasn’t in that much of a hurry.

                “Excuse me could you please slow down.”  Crystal tried to entreat but the man brushed her hand away from where she had been tapping his shoulder.

                “Sit back and shut up lady.  I can’t see the cop out the back.”  Crystal flew back in the seat as fear gripped her chest.  She peered out the back window to see not one, but four squad cars in pursuit of her cab.  All with their lights flashing.  They must have been too far back when the chase began for her to not notice the lights right away.

                “Get down I can’t see.”  He barked at her making Crystal shrink down in her seat.

                “Perhaps you should pull over.”  She suggested timidly watching as he swerved in and out of traffic.

                “I’m not pulling over.  I can’t get caught.”

                “It’s just a speeding ticket.  It’s not the end of the world.”  She stated trying to sound calm though her voice was shaking.

                “Lady I have a ton of product in here.  Now sit back and shut up.”  Crystal’s eyes widened with horror as her eyes danced around the backseat.  She didn’t see any drugs laying around, but by the cabbie’s demeanor she wasn’t going to second guess him.  Scooting over in the seat she grabbed the seat-belt fastening herself in just in case.  She watched him in the rear view mirror as his eyes darted frantically up to it.  She was beginning to freak out as more police cars joined the chase nearly surrounding the cab.  The driver floored the pedal managing to stay just ahead of the pack.

                “Please stop the car I want to get out.”  She wailed scared beyond reasoning.

                “Lady if you want out, you’re going to have to jump.  I’m not stopping this car just for them to shoot me.”

                “I don’t want to die either you moron.”  She screamed out.  Crystal looked around the cab trying to find something to help her.  Her eyes landed on her forgotten purse on the seat beside her.  Taking her cell phone out she texted Anna and Lewis hoping they could get in touch with the police to let them know she was in the car.  She would have just called 911 herself if she didn’t think it would have set the driver off to do so.  She had been looking forward to her date for days now and this was what happens?  Crystal sat in her seat stewing over how the cab driver messed up her evening.  The more she thought about it the angrier she became.

                The car made a horrendous noise as it slid down the road sideways.  Crystal looked out the window to see they had crossed some kind of barricade.  There were strips of metal laying haphazardly across the road and Crystal could only guess they had run over a spike strip.  Whether the cabbie wanted to stop or not it looked like the police were going to make him.  The cab driver cursed as he pulled hard on the wheel trying to correct the path of the car.  The patrol cars followed their trajectory down the freeway that was now clear of any other cars.  Crystal looked around outside the windows wondering when that had happened.  Her cell phone had just begun to ring in her hand when everything inside the car went dead.  She had heard of the police being able to shut down electronics before but had never seen it happen.  As the car came to a stop Crystal unbuckled herself and barreled out of the vehicle.  The cabbie wasn’t far behind her in his exit, but he made the motion to bolt in the opposite direction.  Crystal’s anger came boiling back with a vengeance as she swung out her leg before she could think about it connecting with the driver’s knees.  The man flew forward just barely managing to stop his body from laying flat with his hands.  Not yet appeased Crystal took another kick aiming for his soft stomach effectively lifting him off of the ground a foot before dropping him flat.  The man lay there grabbing his middle and wheezing for breath as the police officers descended upon them.  News vans had come to a stop just outside the perimeter reporting at the scene.  Helicopters flew over head lighting up the little group as bright as day.  Crystal cried out in joy as she watched the officers swoop in to arrest the driver.  Before she could move to safety another officer manhandled her from behind before pushing her up against the car.  Another officer read Crystal her rights as the first one proceeded to pat her down.  The whole thing hit home as the cool metal of the hand cuffs clicked into place around her wrists from behind.

                Too in shock to do anything else, she walked with the officers as they escorted her to the cruiser.  The last glimpse she got of the whole thing was of a group of reporters as they talked into cameras.  One of the officers pushed her head down guiding her into the back seat while he held his hand over her head to prevent her from hitting her skull on the frame.  Closing the door after her he tapped on the roof letting the officer inside know she was contained.  She watched him walk away back into the foray of police that were looking over the vehicle.  Her eyes drifted back to the reporters as they drove off and she couldn’t help thinking, well at least she had looked good as she walked away.