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Darn, no rece ption. Well, maybe I could run the box over to the precinct.
    I was trying to figure out how to get the books out of the dumpster when the sirens started. They seemed to be coming from everywhere. North, south, east…then there were lights. I looked through the top of the dumpster and could see the darkening sky lit up in red and blue.
    “Police. Don’t move!” I dropped the box and straightened up, raising my hands above my head. A giant strobe light flooded through the slats of the fence creating tiny dissecting lines that danced throughout the dumpster.
    “Don’t shoot,” I tried to yell, but my voice came out in a dry whisper. I could feel all the blood draining down to my feet, making my ears whiz and my head spin. I kept my hands up even though they felt like two concrete blocks.
    Then, I heard the scraping of steel on steel as the cops popped the chain that locked and secured the fence around the dumpster. The gate swung open with a shattering thud, followed by the sound of a dozen footsteps.
    “Don’t move,” the deep voice ordered again. Little did he know, I was too scared to move.
    I heard something scraping the concrete outside and then a clanking noise on the side of the dumpster. They must have been using something to climb up.
    I stood ram-rod still, my eyes squeezed shut, trying to figure out how I was going to explain being inside this dumpster.
    “What are you doing here?” I immediately recognized the squeaky little voice. I flipped open my eyes and saw Officer Wagoner staring at me over the barrel of her gun. “Hold it guys. I know this woman,” she said, holstering her gun and waving off the officers that must have been positioned and ready outside the dumpster.
    Officer Wagoner reached down and offered her hand. Reluctantly, I allowed her to pull me out. Once outside, I attempted to explain to her why I was in the dumpster, but she told me to keep quiet and wait inside her cruiser. I was still there a half hour later when Sean arrived. He leaned in so we were face to face. “ Pippi?” he said, his voice low and his eyes searching for an explanation.
    “Uh, hi Sean. I tried to call you earlier. I just couldn’t get any reception from inside the….” I let my voice trail off, glancing over his shoulder to where the other officers were gathered. They all wore smirks, except Wagoner who was regarding me with concern or pity. I wasn’t sure which.
    “Hey guys, leave us alone for a minute, will you?” Sean said, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the cruiser.
    I stood with my back up against the cop car as he paced in front of me. I started to explain, “I found a box of old books in the dumpster. I think it’s from an estate sale…”
    He stopped and placed his hands with a thud on either side of me, trapping me against the car. I stiffened. Usually , I would love to be trapped against a hard surface with Sean leaning in close, but tonight he was scaring me.
    “Unbelievable.” His voice was low and husky, his face just inches from mine. “You haven’t changed a bit. What made you think you should come over here and break into their garbage dumpster? You’re trespassing!”
    He was so close, I could actually feel his body heat. I was struggling emotionally somewhere between fear, lust, and anger.
    “Wait a minute . I was tying—” 
    “Trying to do what? Play detective? Don’t you remember what happened last time you did that?” 
    I thought for a minute. Sure, I behaved a little stupidly last time I got involved in a police investigation, but that was different. It wasn’t like I was going to get killed digging around in a garbage can. I do that all the time. Of course, not in the middle of the night at a known crime scene. Not usually accompanied by a half-dozen armed officers, either.
    I put my hand on his chest and gently backed him up, trying to keep the situation calm. “What do you expect me to do? You’re the one who brought me into this case in