The car pulled out, using the blinker correctly, and headed down the main street and out of town. Towards Rowberry Glen.

‘There’s an interesting coincidence,’ Dave muttered. He picked up the radio and called Jack. ‘Where were the sightings of the drone again? The south side of town?’

‘No. Out the other.’

‘Hmm, maybe it’s the east side of town’s turn now.’

Dave let them get down the road a little way before flicking on the sirens. The brake lights went on immediately and they pulled off the road and parked.

‘G’day,’ Dave said as the driver wound down the window and offered him his licence. ‘Ah, done this before, have you?’

‘No, never, but that’s what they do in the movies, isn’t it?’

The boy sounded young and innocent. He didn’t look it.

‘You’re Lee Jones?’ Dave asked as he looked at the licence.

‘Yeah.’

‘You’re a long way from home. You two others from Victoria as well?’

They all nodded. Dave got out the radio and called Jack again. ‘Can I have a licence check on one Mr Lee Michael Jones. DL number …’ He read out the number and waited for a response.

‘Do you want our licences too?’ the girl asked.

‘Not yet,’ Dave answered. ‘Do you know why I pulled you over?’

Lee shook his head.

‘You ran over the white line. Could there be a reason you did that?’

‘What? No. If you mean have I been drinking, no, not a drop!’

‘Licence is clean,’ Jack called back on the radio.

‘Roger that.’ Dave turned his attention to Lee. ‘Then you won’t mind if we breathalyse you?’ He pulled out the yellow breatho and attached the plastic tube. ‘Just blow in here until I say stop.’

Wide-eyed, Lee took a breath and blew.

‘That’s fine, thanks.’

Lee didn’t register a blood alcohol reading.

‘I’ll just get you all to hop out of the car, thanks. I’m conducting random searches, looking for illegal substances.’

The three scrambled out and stood where Dave directed them.

He pulled on some gloves and then opened the glove box. He flicked through the numerous pens, notepads, chewing gum and Panadol boxes, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. He lifted the centre console, but that was empty save for a few loose coins.

Then he saw a plastic bag corner sticking out from under the coins. He pulled it out.

Marijuana. Not much, but enough for him to have an excuse to impound the car and search it thoroughly.