Chapter 24

11 p.m. Saturday

"Come upstairs with us," Regan offered the group at large – which had grown to include Joy Dalrymple, Katrina Littledove, Josh Carver, Katrina's best friend and her date.

"Upstairs?" Lisa Mitchell asked. Like Katrina, she was a scholarship student. She and her date had left a change of clothing in the trunk of the car because a room at the Renaissance for the night would equal their parents' take-home pay for two weeks.

Regan rolled her eyes.

"My mother," she said, shaking her head. "She got a suite so we could change clothes before heading to the university. It's overkill but I think she means well."

The young man who accompanied Katrina was a student at Lake Howard Prep – C-B's brother institution. He was more comfortable around wealth than Andy and Chris.

"Our stuff is in the car," Todd Versey said.

"Ours, too," Josh added. He glanced at Katrina, who shrugged her agreement.

"We'll go out with you," Andy said. "That will let Regan make sure that the occupants of the room are..."

"Finished getting naked and greasy," Regan said with a giggle. "I'm rooming with one of Andy's friends next semester. She and her boyfriend are looking after the suite for us. I think Andy is afraid he'll get a glimpse at his dream girl in the buff and drop me like a bad habit."

Andy pinched her on the butt and Regan jumped.

"I don't want to embarrass her or Paul," he said.

"You can go tote things upstairs," Regan replied with a laugh. "I called Elizabeth a few minutes ago just to make sure she wasn't going to walk out of their room topless. You might be willing to take the risk but I'm not."

The ever-increasing group at the table had kept Regan from tormenting Andy during the night. In fact, she had even relented on her stance and danced with some of the others at the table. All the guys had danced with each of the girls but Andy found he was happiest when he had his arms around Regan.

"We'll be quick," he said as he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. "Don't start undressing without me!"

Regan's pink tongue poked between her lips and her eyes danced with excitement as she nodded her agreement.

"We should just skip the after-affairs and hang out in the suite," Ruth opined.

"My dad would freak," Katrina said. "They'll call our parents if we don't show up by 12:30."

"You can call your dad and tell him you're hanging out with Andy," Joy offered.

"That would not work," Katrina said with a laugh. "My dad was convinced Andy would be the one to take his little girl's virtue – and we were six years old!"

"My dad thinks the same thing!" Regan replied. "Of course, my dad is correct."

"Regan!" Andy said.

"Oh, my dad was correct, too!" Katrina said with a laugh. "Andy was my first kiss."

"Interesting," Regan said. "We'll have to compare notes. I hope he's gotten better in the last few years."

"Probably not," Katrina answered.

"Slander," Andy said, shaking his head. "I thought we were going to get the stuff out of the cars."

The girls were still laughing when the guys exited the building – and ran right into a group of prep school guys rolling a joint in the parking lot.

"Well, look at this," one of the slurred. "We got a fag and three charity cases."

"And we got six idiots about to get busted for weed," Josh countered, gesturing to a cop car pulling through the parking lot with its search light blazing.

"Do you think we could snap all their necks before the cops roll up?" Andy asked Chris.

"Worth a shot," Chris said with a shrug. One of the kids stuffed the joint in his coat pocket – not noticing it was lit.

"Fuck!" he shouted when the ash burned through his shirt and jacket. His frantic actions drew the attention from the patrol car. Andy and his group wandered off laughing as the kids tried to act as though nothing was amiss. They were getting Katrina's belongings out of Josh's trunk when the police car pulled up beside them and one of the officers got out.

"I'm going to need you boys to empty your pockets," he said sternly.

"I'm afraid you'll need to offer more than a command before we comply," Josh said, stepping forward. "This isn't New York City. We don't have 'stop and frisk' here, Gentlemen."

Andy and Todd were both from areas where getting hassled by cops was a way of life. Chris lived in a nicer area and Josh's family was fairly wealthy.

"Several young men said you tried to sell them marijuana," the second officer noted.

"And you believe them?" Josh countered.

The cops exchanged glances. One the boys was the son of a prominent defense attorney. He had been the one to step forward and point out the foursome walking across the parking lot.

"We found what we suspect is marijuana at the scene," the first officer said. "The boys said it wasn't theirs but instead you dropped it when you saw us drive into the parking lot."

"Yeah, that sounds believable," Josh said, rolling his eyes. "We're high-level drug dealers and we just drop the weed at their feet when we leave. I can see that your two are going to be bucking for sergeant in no time."

"Let's just empty our pockets," Andy said. "I've got a set of car keys and my wallet."

"That's not the point," Josh said. "The point is, these two officers have no probable cause to harass us. They took the word of six kids – who should be under arrest for underage drinking and possession of marijuana – because their parents have recognizable names. Well, my father is pretty recognizable, too. His name is Curtis Carver."

"Your dad is Curtis Carver?" Andy asked incredulously. Carver was the primary owner of one of the local Major League Baseball teams.

"I try not to advertise," Josh noted. "In this case, however, I think these gentlemen need to understand that we're not riff-raff but instead fall guys for the real jerks."

"It's not like that," the second officer chimed in. "They made an allegation and we have to investigate. If it's not true, we'll deal with them in a minute."

"They hot-footed it back into the hotel," Josh pointed out. The cops turned and saw the six teenagers were, indeed, nowhere to be found. "Now, if you have the word of anyone other than drunken, stoned teens, we will be happy to comply with your request. As it is, I think you will have to agree that you lack probable cause. If you persist, I will contact my father. I am a minor and I believe the gentlemen with me are still younger than 18, as well. You have no right to detain us or question us without contacting our parents."

"Look, Kid," the first officer said.

"Mr. Carver will suffice, I think," Josh said firmly.

The cop let out a long breath.

"Mr. Carver, we aren't trying to make a federal case of things," he tried.

"And, yet, you've already violated several of our civil rights," Josh interrupted. "Warrantless search, detaining us without probable cause, questioning us without advising our parents. That's just for starters. My father was a Civil Rights attorney for many years. He has made it a point to ensure that I understand the difference between legitimate police business and harassment. Gentlemen, this clearly is the latter."

"Fuck it, Steve," the second cop said. "We're off shift in 20 minutes. A half bag of smoke isn't worth the hassle."

The first cop stared hard at the four boys – longing for the days when he could have just dragged the little bastards into an alleyway to teach them some manners. Without a word, he opened the door and got in.

"Sorry to have bothered you," the second cop said. He, too, got back in the car and drove away.

"Let's get back into the hotel before they get off shift and come back here," Andy said. In his neighborhood it wasn't all that unusual for an off-duty cop to beat the shit out of someone he couldn't get to legally.

"There won't be any trouble," Josh said with assurance.

"Uh-huh," Todd replied dubiously. Like Andy, he knew that some cops would take being embarrassed personally – and seek retribution later. Josh might be out of play but the other three most certainly would be fair game.

"Don't mention this to Regan," Andy said as they boarded the elevator.

"Why not?" Josh asked.

"Because she will make it her mission to destroy not only the two cops but those kids and their families," Andy said with a sigh.

"Not a bad mission, if you ask me," Josh pointed out.