COVER ME – THE SEQUEL

It’s Sunday night. I’m starving. I’ve had a piece of pizza and dinner to eat all day. I skipped breakfast and lunch. My body knows this and doesn’t let me forget it.

I managed to resist my hunger pains until around 12:45am. I knock on Patrick’s door. We decided to go McDonald’s.

On the way there, we pass by L-Lot in front of SJC. We notice that there’s a car in the lot with the ignition and lights on, ready to leave. It’s a little late for L-Lot traffic, but whatever.

We go to McDonald’s, eat, and walk back. It’s about 1:40am or so now. We pass by L-Lot on the way back. The same car is still there with its lights and ignition on. There’s a dude in the driver seat, but it’s kinda hard to see much else. The car is about 25 – 30 feet from us. Patrick and I both think this is strange. It’s a long time to be idling in the lot.

“Erwin, let’s check it out.”

“Why do we always find strange cars in parking lots?”

We walk down the path a bit so that we’re behind the car. It is odd that the car hasn’t moved since we left. Patrick says we should approach the car. I tell him I think that’s a bad idea.

We decide to go back to SJC and grab our standard car inspecting equipment. Minutes later, we’re back in front of SJC, me with a tennis racquet and flashlight, and Patrick with an aluminum hockey stick.

Patrick wants to approach the car, but I want to take a more cautious approach. We decide to circle the car using the paths on either side of L-Lot. It gives us plenty of separation between the car and us, but allowing us to see into the car.

Patrick and I do the circle. I can’t see anything, the windows seem tinted. Patrick says he thinks he sees the driver moving his head once in a while, but other than that, he’s motionless.

This is getting weirder by the minute. I decide this is probably better left for Campus Security. We retreat back to SJC. Patrick doesn’t want to call. I ask him why.

“Because I don’t want to give away my name. They’ll steal my identity.”

I tell Patrick that I’ll deal with him later. We go back to my room and I call security. I describe the situation to them. They tell me they don’t deal with vehicular issues. I’m instantly transferred to the RCMP on campus. Whoa.

I give them my report and they ask me for my name, address, and phone number. Patrick is freaking out in the corner because I’ve given away all my info. He starts looking for aluminum foil to deflect the signals from the spy satellites overhead.

The dispatcher tells me they’ll send a car out.

Patrick and I race to the second floor kitchen. It faces L-Lot and a has great vantage point from which to see it play out.

We get to the kitchen. The lights are out. We keep it that way. I make my way to the window. It’s a spectacular bay window that affords us a great view of the lot. I feel like I’m on the bridge of some ship.

The car is still there. Lights and ignition on. We hop onto an adjacent table and wait. And wait. Five minutes go by and no car. Where the hell are they?

Then I see the lights of a car coming down the road next to L-Lot. It’s an RCMP cruiser! Instead of going into L-Lot though, it cruises right by it and stops at the entrance of the Fraser Parkade, which is also in front of SJC.

“No, no, no!!”

I feel like John McClane in Diehard when he’s watching the fire trucks turn back.

The cruiser is just stopped.

“We should go down there and tell him.”

“I ain’t going down there. Those are the cops.”

I run downstairs to the front entrance and dash across the street to the cruiser. I go up to the driver side window.

“Oh hey, were you the one that made the call?”

“Yes, it’s over there, right there.”

“The silver sedan?”

“Yes.”

“Ok, I’ll take a look.”

I run back to SJC and back up into the kitchen. Patrick joins me.

“Um, I was right behind you buddy.”

From the window I see the cruiser slowly pull into L-Lot. He slowly goes behind the car, then pulls into a spot parallel with the car several feet away. He then pulls out and turns his cruiser so that it’s now pointing directly at the side of the silver sedan.

Suddenly, the driver of the silver sedan hops out. So he wasn’t dead. He comes around his car towards the cruiser. He looks ok. The constable gets out of his vehicle as well.

They both are standing and talking. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it sure wasn’t this.

The talking goes on for a minute longer. Then the silver sedan guy goes back into his car. The car goes no where. The constable gets back into his cruiser and drives off.

And that was it.

Patrick is amazed.

“What? That’s it? What the hell was that?”

I remember all the work I have to do.

“Oh well… I gotta get back to my work.”

What a bit of a letdown. I go back to my room and I get in my PJs. Ten minutes later, my phone rings.

“Hello.”

“Hello, Erwin, are you the one that met me outside?”

“Yes.”

“This is Cory from the RCMP. I just want to tell you what happened. The driver was ok, he wasn’t drunk or in need of medical assistance. He was just waiting for his brother and wanted to get some sleep. I want you to know that you did the right thing and that if you see anything else suspicious like that, please don’t hesitate to call us again.”

“Ok, thank you Cory. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

So, all that excitement for a dude waiting for his brother. This is why it pays to stay up late and go to McDonald’s. Take that early risers.