The Gears In My Mind Are Turning Like Dancers - Chapter 2 {TAI...Cobra}
“Hello?” Gabe called as he drove Laura in to the shop two weeks later. He got out and looked around.
“ONE SEC!” the voice came from underneath a black Rolls Royce and Gabe knew that it was William. He waited, leaning against his car while William finished tightening a bolt before popping out from underneath the car. He looked just the same as he had last time, except this time the bandanna tied around his forehead was red. “Oh, Lazy Dog, right?”
“Some people call me Gabe.” Gabe smiled.
“If you’d said that last time, I would have.” William shrugged.
“My mistake.” Gabe nodded, already enjoying his exchange with William.
“No worries, what’s the ailment?” William looked to the car.
“Fucked up brake line and a fender dent.” Gabe shrugged. “Nothing big.”
“Reckless driver?” William asked, walking over to the car.
“Pretty much,” Gabe admitted.
“Mind if I take a look under the hood?” William patted the hood of the car.
“Not at all.” Gabe shook his head. “Tell me if you see anything else wrong while you’re in there.”
“Will do.” William nodded, lifting the hood and propping it open. “Holy shit!” he let out a low whistle. “You’ve really got her tricked out!”
“Yeah, well, I like to drive fast too.” Gabe smiled, looking over William’s shoulder.
“Clearly.” He grinned, shutting the hood. “Looks pretty good there, I’ll check the brake line for you, Pete ran to get lunch, but if I can fix it before he gets back it’ll save you a few bucks.”
“Oh, no, that’s ok.” Gabe shrugged. “I don’t mind paying for it.”
“You can.” William smirked as he grabbed a notebook from a crowded table. “You can quiz me, I have an exam Monday.” He handed the notebook to Gabe and slid under the car. Gabe’s jaw dropped as he inspected William’s notes. His handwriting was tiny and perfect, every word clearly legible. Key words were highlighted in blue and defined in a concise, accurate manner.
“This is a lot of information.” Gabe flipped through the pages of notes.
“Exactly,” William called. “That’s why- whoa…”
“What is it?” Gabe asked.
“Dude,” William slid back out from under the car and looked up at Gabe from the dolly. “It looks like someone put a hole in your brake lines.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Gabe scoffed.
“It’s a perfect pin hole.” William bit his lip. “And that could be fine if it were on the underside, but it’s not, it’s on top where no one would look. That’s really sketchy, you should get that checked out…I mean someone might be trying to hurt you.” William slid back under the car.
“Great, what’s actus reus?”
“The guilty act,” William replied instantly. “The physical act that takes an event and turns it into a crime, for example, shooting someone and killing them. Actus reus couples with mens rea, which in that scenario would be permanent depravation of life.”
“What?” Gabe frowned. “I don’t get it.”
“Ok,” William slid back out. “So if I were to take this bolt and throw it at you, that would be the actus reus. The mens reus would be my intent to cause you pain.”
“Right…” Gabe nodded. “Ok, misfeasance?”
“Improperly performing an action that is normally legal, for example, a doctor writing down an incorrect dosage on a prescription by mistake,” William answered.
“Good.” Gabe smiled. This kid was smart, there was no denying that.
“Keep going?” William asked. “I need to get these down.”
“Ok,” Gabe nodded. “Let’s see…corpus delecti?”
“Physical evidence, you know, like a corpse, it’s Latin.”
“Yup,” Gabe let out a small whistle. “You really seem to know your shit. Blue Law?”
“A law limiting or forbidding activities, like, uh…no selling alcohol on Tuesday. Not that that’s a law anywhere…but if it were, it would be a blue law.”
“Hey,” Pete entered the shop. “Gabe…what did you do now?”
“Somebody sabotaged his brake lines,” William answered from under the car.
“WHAT?!” Pete looked wide-eyed at Gabe.
“Nobody sabotaged my brake lines.” Gabe shook his head.
“Yes they did!” William insisted. “Check this, Pete, perfect hole - too much longer and the brakes would have been completely useless!”
“Let me see that.” Pete frowned as William slid out from under the car and stood up, surrendering the dolly to Pete, who disappeared under the car almost immediately. “No way.” Pete scoffed. “William, that’s a messy hole, no way a pin did that.” Pete exited. “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off, study for your exam, you’re distracted.”
“No I’m not.” William frowned. “The hole was perfect, I swear it, let me look again.”
“No.” Pete shook his head. “Take the day off, William, you’re working yourself too hard.”
“Come on.” Gabe put his hand on William’s shoulder. “I’ll buy you lunch and we can work on these notes.” He held up William’s notebook.
“But-”
“William,” Pete shook his head. “Just accept the offer.”
“Fine.” William sighed. “Thanks, let me get my stuff.” William exited the room and Pete turned to Gabe.
“What the hell were you thinking? Letting him check out the damage?”
“I told him no! He insisted!” Gabe put his hands up in defense. “I swear!”
“Next time stop him,” Pete hissed. “I don’t want to have to fire him, he’s a good mechanic, he’s a credit to this shop.”
“I won’t.” Gabe sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“Are you ok?” Pete asked, shifting the conversation.
“I always am, Pete.” Gabe grinned. “The brakes didn’t give out, I’m fine, I noticed they were off right away,” he shrugged. “I brought Laura in, it’s all good.”
“Ok, just next time don’t let my employee look over your car before I do.”
“I won’t.” Gabe sighed. “I promise.”
“Promise what?” William asked as he re-entered. He had traded his jumpsuit and boots for a pair of jeans, a Blue Oyster Cult t-shirt and converse. The bandana was gone and his hair framed his face, still looking messy. He had his backpack slung over one shoulder almost lazily and he held his hand out for his notebook.
“Nothing.” Gabe shrugged. “Let’s go.”
“I’ll be in tomorrow.” William assured Pete as he shoved the notebook into his pack. “I’ll be more focused, I promise.”
“I believe you.” Pete shrugged. “See you at 8.” William nodded that he understood and left the shop behind Gabe.