Chapter 4

The man gave him a disgusted look. “Well, first, I’m not an officer. I’m a highway maintenance worker.”

“Uh-huh.” Philip leaned back to regain some territorial space.

The man moved in a little closer. “Second, I got a question for you.”

“Sure.”

“Didn’t you see those orange cones back there, jerk-off?”

“Why, uh, no,” Philip said with a bit of a stutter. He looked over to gauge his mother’s reaction. She mouthed the words “driving lessons.”

“Hey, buddy,” the worker said, “come out here, will ya? I wanta show you something.”

Cars and trucks continued to whiz by in the slow lane. Philip had to remind himself this was L.A., where no one seemed to obey speed limits. He waited for a break in traffic then slowly opened his door and got out.

The man was standing at the rear of the rental car and pointing down the road to a series of overturned cones and a set of tire tracks weaving across the freshly oiled surface. “See now?” he said.

“Sorry, sir. I’m not used to driving here.”