“Hey Julie, can you hand me that drill over there?”
“Cyrus, you should really get some sleep. It’s one in the morning and you’ve been working on that car all night.”
“I’ll go to bed when I want! I need to fix up my Porsche Carrera so I can take it to the annual Reno Speed Circuit”
“Fine, but it’s not my fault if you fall asleep on the wheel tomorrow.” Julie says eagerly.
I know that I won’t get any more help from my sister, so I finish up my work on the car and go to sleep.
“Good morning Cyrus! I checked out in the garage last night a bit after I had talked to you and you were out cold right there on the floor.”
“Yea, I had to move the car outside in the driveway so I could get it used to the temperature, but then I went back in the garage to put my tools away and I just fell asleep in there.”
“In fact, I better go run the car around the block to make sure all my adjustments were correct”
“Well, I probably won't be home when you get back, i need to go to the grocery store and get some ingredients for this soup I’m planning on making” Julie said.
“See you later sis!” I said happily as I walked out the door.
As I walked out the door, I expected to see the glistening red paint job of my favorite car I’d ever owned, but instead, all I saw was an empty spot where my car should have been in front of my house. I walked closer, looked to either side of my house, but there was no sign of my car anywhere. I rushed back inside my house.
“Julie did you move my car?”
“No. Why, is it not there?” Julie exclaimed from the kitchen.
“Yea, it’s not where I parked it last night”
“Do you have the keys”? Julie asked.
As I checked my pockets for the keys to my Porsche, I realized that I don’t remember putting my keys in their usual spot in my house. They were not in my pocket either. I walked over to my dresser where I usually keep them, and sure enough they were not there.
“Oh no” I exclaimed.
“I must have left the keys on the passenger seat, I was so tired that I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“Cyrus!” Julie said worryingly. “It must have gotten stolen”
I was so confused and worried, I didn’t know what to do. I rushed back outside to where my car should be to look for any signs of theft. I could not stop thinking about how I was going to race it today, but now it may be gone forever. As I stared at the street, I saw a skid mark in a shape of a U. That means the person who stole my car must have turned around and gone west. The skid marks where surely from my car, the tire pattern was visible and it was the exact ones I had put on my Porsche. If I hurried, maybe I could catch this dirty thief while they’re still close.
“I’m borrowing your car Julie! I’m going around the neighborhood to look for some answers. I'll be right back!
“OK, well I’m gonna call the cops.”
I circled the block a couple of times with no signs of my car anywhere. Now is when the anxiety and worry started to set in. I had never had anything worth more than 50 dollars stolen from me before. I decided I needed to find my car on my own, it was my responsibility. I spot some construction workers fixing a drainage pipe under the road.
“Excuse me, can I talk to you guys for a second?” I said as I rolled down the car window.
“Sure, what do you need man?” A long haired middle aged worker replied.
“Have you been working on this road all night long” I asked.
“Yes sir” He responded.
“I think my car’s been stolen. Did you happen to see a black Porsche Carrera drive around here sometime between 2 am and now?” I asked.
“Now that you mention it, I think I did see a sporty looking car go on the freeway probably around five in the morning.” The man responded.
“Are you gonna go after it”? The man added.
“Of course I am, I don’t trust the police around here to go a good job investigating this, I heard there were cops on some gangs payroll.” I explained.
“Hmmm, this might sound weird, but can I come with you? I just got out of jail and this construction work is just my mandatory community service.”
“Can I trust you?”
“Of course! Although I can’t promise I won’t nab any food you got in here.” The man said jokingly.
“Hop in then, we need to hurry”
The man jumped in the backseat of the car and waved goodbye to the other construction workers, they did not look happy. I was contemplating whether it was a big mistake to let a complete stranger help me, but I wasn’t thinking straight.
“Cyrus, you should really get some sleep. It’s one in the morning and you’ve been working on that car all night.”
“I’ll go to bed when I want! I need to fix up my Porsche Carrera so I can take it to the annual Reno Speed Circuit”
“Fine, but it’s not my fault if you fall asleep on the wheel tomorrow.” Julie says eagerly.
I know that I won’t get any more help from my sister, so I finish up my work on the car and go to sleep.
“Good morning Cyrus! I checked out in the garage last night a bit after I had talked to you and you were out cold right there on the floor.”
“Yea, I had to move the car outside in the driveway so I could get it used to the temperature, but then I went back in the garage to put my tools away and I just fell asleep in there.”
“In fact, I better go run the car around the block to make sure all my adjustments were correct”
“Well, I probably won't be home when you get back, i need to go to the grocery store and get some ingredients for this soup I’m planning on making” Julie said.
“See you later sis!” I said happily as I walked out the door.
As I walked out the door, I expected to see the glistening red paint job of my favorite car I’d ever owned, but instead, all I saw was an empty spot where my car should have been in front of my house. I walked closer, looked to either side of my house, but there was no sign of my car anywhere. I rushed back inside my house.
“Julie did you move my car?”
“No. Why, is it not there?” Julie exclaimed from the kitchen.
“Yea, it’s not where I parked it last night”
“Do you have the keys”? Julie asked.
As I checked my pockets for the keys to my Porsche, I realized that I don’t remember putting my keys in their usual spot in my house. They were not in my pocket either. I walked over to my dresser where I usually keep them, and sure enough they were not there.
“Oh no” I exclaimed.
“I must have left the keys on the passenger seat, I was so tired that I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“Cyrus!” Julie said worryingly. “It must have gotten stolen”
I was so confused and worried, I didn’t know what to do. I rushed back outside to where my car should be to look for any signs of theft. I could not stop thinking about how I was going to race it today, but now it may be gone forever. As I stared at the street, I saw a skid mark in a shape of a U. That means the person who stole my car must have turned around and gone west. The skid marks where surely from my car, the tire pattern was visible and it was the exact ones I had put on my Porsche. If I hurried, maybe I could catch this dirty thief while they’re still close.
“I’m borrowing your car Julie! I’m going around the neighborhood to look for some answers. I'll be right back!
“OK, well I’m gonna call the cops.”
I circled the block a couple of times with no signs of my car anywhere. Now is when the anxiety and worry started to set in. I had never had anything worth more than 50 dollars stolen from me before. I decided I needed to find my car on my own, it was my responsibility. I spot some construction workers fixing a drainage pipe under the road.
“Excuse me, can I talk to you guys for a second?” I said as I rolled down the car window.
“Sure, what do you need man?” A long haired middle aged worker replied.
“Have you been working on this road all night long” I asked.
“Yes sir” He responded.
“I think my car’s been stolen. Did you happen to see a black Porsche Carrera drive around here sometime between 2 am and now?” I asked.
“Now that you mention it, I think I did see a sporty looking car go on the freeway probably around five in the morning.” The man responded.
“Are you gonna go after it”? The man added.
“Of course I am, I don’t trust the police around here to go a good job investigating this, I heard there were cops on some gangs payroll.” I explained.
“Hmmm, this might sound weird, but can I come with you? I just got out of jail and this construction work is just my mandatory community service.”
“Can I trust you?”
“Of course! Although I can’t promise I won’t nab any food you got in here.” The man said jokingly.
“Hop in then, we need to hurry”
The man jumped in the backseat of the car and waved goodbye to the other construction workers, they did not look happy. I was contemplating whether it was a big mistake to let a complete stranger help me, but I wasn’t thinking straight.
“The name’s Tommy by the way”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Cyrus”
“I’m thinking we better just head down this highway until we find another clue to point us in the right direction.” I said.
“Alrighty then, let's!” Said Tommy.
I started to think to myself, if I were to steal a car, where would I go? Yet again it is hard me to even imagine doing such a treacherous act.
“Cyrus we’ve been driving down this highway for about four hours now, do you even know where you are going”?
“Just following my instincts.”
Just then behind me I heard a police car siren. It was coming right towards me. Why would a cop be pulling me over?
“License, registration, and proof of insurance please.” The police officer told me after I had been pulled over to the side of the highway.
I eventually found all of the necessary papers. I didn’t know exactly where they were, because this is my sister's car.
“What did I do wrong officer?” I asked as politely as I could.
“I radared you at 85 miles per hour. The speed limit is 70 on this stretch of highway.” The officer explained. “This is the third speeding ticket I’ve given out in the last 12 hours, there was a guy in a Porsche pushing 90 on this same stretch.” The officer added.
“Was it a black porsche with a red racing stripe over the top.” I asked eagerly.
“Yes, it surely was!” Said the officer.
“Who was driving it, if I may ask?” I asked
“It was a man probably in his forties with short dark hair and a mustache, it seemed like he was in a pretty big hurry.”
“OK.” I said
“Here’s your ticket, it’s only 45 dollars so it’s a pretty small fine.” The officer told me.
After that we were back on the road. Tommy kept bugging me to buy him some food so we pulled off of the main highway and stopped at a McDonald's. We were now in the city of Las Vegas. When we were eating our dinner inside the McDonald’s, Tommy spotted my car about two blocks away on a hill.
“Let's go, I see it!” Tommy said
I sprinted ahead of Tommy and finally reached the house where the car was parked at. I knocked on the door furiously. A middle aged man in his forties answered the door very cautiously.
“Why is my car parked outside this house!” I yelled at this man.
“That is your car?” The man said nervously.
“Yes, this is my car! I know you or someone in that house stole this car from my house in Reno!”
“Listen man, I know this sounds like bogus, but I swear it's true! I was in Reno for my job and I got a call from my 78 year old mother's doctor. She said that my mother’s pneumonia was going into critical condition and that she might die soon. I panicked and was walking around your neighborhood in Reno. I had to get to my mother as fast as I could, and I knew your car would be fast. When I saw that the keys were in the ignition, I broke the window and drove as fast as I could to get up here. Although I did get delayed from speeding on the highway. I’m genuinely sorry man, but I had to get to my mother’s side to comfort her during her last days.
“I’m shocked, I come all this way to find out that you stole my car for a good reason? This does not change the fact that you are a criminal, but I will feel like a monster if I press charges” I said surprised.
All of my anger slowly leveled out as I was still trying to comprehend what I had gone through in the past 24 hours.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Cyrus”
“I’m thinking we better just head down this highway until we find another clue to point us in the right direction.” I said.
“Alrighty then, let's!” Said Tommy.
I started to think to myself, if I were to steal a car, where would I go? Yet again it is hard me to even imagine doing such a treacherous act.
“Cyrus we’ve been driving down this highway for about four hours now, do you even know where you are going”?
“Just following my instincts.”
Just then behind me I heard a police car siren. It was coming right towards me. Why would a cop be pulling me over?
“License, registration, and proof of insurance please.” The police officer told me after I had been pulled over to the side of the highway.
I eventually found all of the necessary papers. I didn’t know exactly where they were, because this is my sister's car.
“What did I do wrong officer?” I asked as politely as I could.
“I radared you at 85 miles per hour. The speed limit is 70 on this stretch of highway.” The officer explained. “This is the third speeding ticket I’ve given out in the last 12 hours, there was a guy in a Porsche pushing 90 on this same stretch.” The officer added.
“Was it a black porsche with a red racing stripe over the top.” I asked eagerly.
“Yes, it surely was!” Said the officer.
“Who was driving it, if I may ask?” I asked
“It was a man probably in his forties with short dark hair and a mustache, it seemed like he was in a pretty big hurry.”
“OK.” I said
“Here’s your ticket, it’s only 45 dollars so it’s a pretty small fine.” The officer told me.
After that we were back on the road. Tommy kept bugging me to buy him some food so we pulled off of the main highway and stopped at a McDonald's. We were now in the city of Las Vegas. When we were eating our dinner inside the McDonald’s, Tommy spotted my car about two blocks away on a hill.
“Let's go, I see it!” Tommy said
I sprinted ahead of Tommy and finally reached the house where the car was parked at. I knocked on the door furiously. A middle aged man in his forties answered the door very cautiously.
“Why is my car parked outside this house!” I yelled at this man.
“That is your car?” The man said nervously.
“Yes, this is my car! I know you or someone in that house stole this car from my house in Reno!”
“Listen man, I know this sounds like bogus, but I swear it's true! I was in Reno for my job and I got a call from my 78 year old mother's doctor. She said that my mother’s pneumonia was going into critical condition and that she might die soon. I panicked and was walking around your neighborhood in Reno. I had to get to my mother as fast as I could, and I knew your car would be fast. When I saw that the keys were in the ignition, I broke the window and drove as fast as I could to get up here. Although I did get delayed from speeding on the highway. I’m genuinely sorry man, but I had to get to my mother’s side to comfort her during her last days.
“I’m shocked, I come all this way to find out that you stole my car for a good reason? This does not change the fact that you are a criminal, but I will feel like a monster if I press charges” I said surprised.
All of my anger slowly leveled out as I was still trying to comprehend what I had gone through in the past 24 hours.