The Hero Next Time: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 4)

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Sunny, Monday

The truck was still following them when they were on the other side of the bridge. It wasn't acting aggressively, however; it wasn't tailgating or trying to sideswipe them off the road. It did change lanes when Sunny did, and left no doubt that the person driving it was keeping his car in their sights.

"We have a tail," he said, as he began driving the straightaway of Stewardson Way.

"I know," Naira said. "I've been keeping an eye on him in the sideview mirror. He's not subtle. It's almost like he wants us to know he's following us."

"What should we do?"

"Something he won't expect. Pull over."

"Here?!" Sunny looked around at the area. There wasn't really a good place to stop. No intersections... wait, there was a driveway for a storage facility coming up. He wrenched the wheel and screeched into the driveway, hitting the brakes just before crashing into the rolling gate. If it had been wet like the night before, he might have ended up in the hospital like Lauren and Al, only it would have been Royal Columbian because they were in New Westminster. 

He only just had time to unlock his hands from the steering wheel before noticing that Naira wasn't in the car anymore; the passenger side door was wide open, and she was crouched behind it, gun aimed at the truck, which was parked behind them.

"Out of the truck! Hands where I can see them!" Naira screamed, louder than Sunny thought possible. They must train people to project their voices like that at the academy.

The man who emerged from the truck was huge, but luckily his hands were in the air. He looked terrified.

"Oh, shit," Sunny said. "Naira, wait! That's my friend Joe!"

"What?!" Naira squawked.

Sunny opened the driver's side door and stepped out. When Joe saw him, he sagged in relief.

"Jesus Christ, Joe!" Sunny said, coming forward and throwing his arms around him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Your wife called me and told me to come find you, you goof," he said, patting his back. "I saw you coming out of Birinder's street and turned around to follow you."

"You could have gotten yourself killed!" Sunny gestured to Naira, who was putting her gun back in her purse. "Don't you know she's just looking for an excuse to shoot someone?"

"Sorry! Sorry I scared you!" Joe called to her. "I take it you're Naira?"

"Fucking hell," Naira said, coming forward. "I take it you're one of Sunny's Mystery Gang?"

Joe chuckled. "Well, we don't have a dog, or a van, so I don't think that name fits."

Naira just stared at him. Sunny said, "Joe DiTomaso, this is the elusive Naira Sandhu."

Joe offered his hand. Naira took it briefly, but frowned and said, "How do I know that name? Do you know someone else on the force?"

Joe cleared his throat and said, "I'm a friend of Sergeant Joanie Mara."

Her eyes widened. "The Battle of Barnet! You were the one who ran through a war zone to get to her."

"You heard about that?" Sunny asked in surprise.

"Everyone in the Lower Mainland RCMP knows about that. Sergeant Mara's a legend. An off-duty police officer risking her life to free a kidnapped teenager? You couldn't write a better movie script!"

"That teenager is our friends' son. Rachel and Al. Al's the one in a coma from the accident."

Naira's face fell. "Oh. Shit. I'm sorry."