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commented Dale.

    “It looks like it might be coming down harder now. You don’t think we’ll get held over because no one can get in, do you?” Rob asked.

    “Bite your tongue. The very last thing I wanna do is have to work a double or triple shift.”

    After another five minutes, they pulled up at the accident and both officers got out of their cruiser. It was the typical—one car had stopped at a traffic light, and the next two cars behind it couldn’t stop, causing a three-car pileup.

    “Check with the second- and third-car occupants, make sure no injuries are on board, and get all their information,” Dale said.

    Dale went up to the first car and got the story of what happened, which they already knew just from looking at the accident scene. Rob wrote down all the information for the drivers, gave each one the information, and instructed them to call their insurance companies and let them work it out.

    Rob stopped traffic until they got the three accident vehicles free of each other and out of the way as the plows came into the area. Rob and Dale got back in the cruiser and decided to try to find a place to sit for a bit. They backed into the entranceway of one of the local banks that was closed and sat there. Dale wanted to be out of the way of the drivers who wished to risk their lives by driving like idiots.

    “So, I heard you got divorced about five or six months ago. Bet that was tough, huh?”

    “Well, it sure wasn’t a picnic,” Dale answered. “I hope you’ll never have to go through it. It leaves a hole in ya, and I think it’s gonna take a while to fill it.”

    “Sorry that it happened to you. Being a cop is a stressful occupation on a marriage.”

    “You married?” Dale asked.

    “Nah. Haven’t met one yet that really rang all my bells, so to speak. I’m young, so I’ve got a lot of time, and I don’t wanna make any mistakes. Oh, not saying that you made a mistake, just saying if I act too quick, it will probably be a mistake for me.”

    “No offense, I think you’re being smart. Sow your wild oats first, and then settle down when you’re ready.”

    “Yeah, well for right now, I’d just like to get through the day. I’m obviously gonna miss my workout at the gym today—and probably tomorrow—due to this shit,” he said as he looked out the passenger window.

    “You work out every day? That’s a bit much, no?”

    “Not at all. I’ve got a good build, and I wanna keep it. Once you have it and lose it, it’s even harder to get that discipline back to get the body back in shape.”

    “Hard to tell in the uniform with the vest on. It hides the shape.”

    “Yeah, out here we all look the same,” Rob said and laughed.

    The rest of the shift dragged on with periodic attempts to make at least one pass by the few businesses that were still open but in the process of closing up for the duration. Near-blizzard conditions had blown into the area, and an hour before the end of the shift, they received a radio call from the sergeant.

    “Dale, you and Rob are going to have to stay on duty probably until morning. The area is locked down tight and the roads are impassable. I know it sucks, but we’re all stuck until this weather lifts and the plows can open at least the main artery. The town has made sure to keep the station plowed. Any urgent reasons you two can’t remain?”

    “Fuck!” Rob said.

    When Dale was sure Rob wasn’t going to curse again, he keyed the microphone. “We got it covered, Sarge, but I gotta tell you, not sure what good it will do for us to come into the station. If we get in, we won’t get back out to answer any calls. You got any suggestions? We can’t just sit in the car for twenty-four hours. We’ll run out of fuel.”

    “What’s your present location?”

    “We’re just outside the mall at the moment, slipping and sliding.”

    “Okay, right near your location is a motel. You guys get a room there—one room, not two—park the cruiser, get warm, eat if they got food, and I’ll have dispatch call you guys in the room if you’re needed. Sound good?”

    “Who pays for the room?”

    “You’ll get reimbursed for it, no problem.”

    “Okay, we’re good with it. Headed to the Fox Motel now.”

    “Ten-four.”

    “Well, at least we can get out of these uniforms before they start to go south on us. Should we try and wash our shirts in the sink or something?” Rob asked.

    “And what are you going to do if we get