My rental car had a dirty knife resting in its trunk. The knife wasn't the sort that would be classified in a non-threatening category such as ones used for butter or the miniature folding ones attached to key chains. It fit better into the type utilized most commonly by butchers or murderers.
The rental car guy didn't see it at first because he was sitting up front checking the mileage and gas. He'd popped the trunk so that I could place my luggage in it, and there it was. Gleaming evilly under the parking lot lights.
"Um," I said slowly, "there's a knife back here. And it's filthy."
Then I picked up my bag and placed it in the trunk next to the knife. The rental car guy got out of the front seat and came back to take a look. Without saying anything, he suddenly snatched the knife up and tucked it out of sight against his side. I realized that he was trying to conceal its presence from the fifteen people standing in line behind me.
This made me laugh a little bit, and I heard somebody behind me ask, "Did you just say there's a knife in the trunk of that car?"
"Yeah," I responded turning briefly to look back at the person before returning my attention to the rental car guy.
He hovered, staring down over the trunk for several seconds before suddenly flipping up the itchy black trunk-carpet to expose the spare tire. He was definitely looking for a body. I walked over to stand next to him.
"Hang on a sec. I'm just going to go through the rest of the vehicle to make sure the previous renter didn't forget anything else."
He said this casually as if the knife weren't really a knife at all, but was a packet of lifesavers or a scarf. I watched with interest as he searched the car's various cavities, and leaned forward when I saw him snatch, then conceal something black out of the glove box.
"What's that?" I asked.
He quickly tossed the knife and the black object into a garbage can, and I walked over to take a look.
"Oh my God!," I said in a loud, astounded tone, "That's a single black glove."
A harassed expression settled over the rental car guy's features. The people standing behind me in line were gesticulating amongst themselves. I myself was starting to feel a bit like Nancy Drew or a member of the Scooby Doo gang. Like someone actively sought by mysteries.
"I'm just going to get you another car," the stressed out rental car guy sighed as he began walking away towards the rental car office.
"That's okay," I said soothingly, " I don't mind taking the murder car."
He seemed relieved, but apologized continuously. I hate it when people apologize. It makes me uncomfortable.
"Are you sure?" he asked several times.
"Yeah, it's no problem."
He held the driver's side door open as I slid in behind the wheel.
"I think maybe O.J. might've rented this one," he said laughing weakly.
"It looks like it," I answered smiling back at him because he was kind of cute.
I heard somebody in line mutter to the person standing next to them, "Did he just say something about O.J.?"
I think it was probably okay. The dirty, crusty stuff on the knife looked more like pie crust or clay than blood.
True Story.
-EEK
12 comments:
I know. I'm such a sucker.
I'm going to start leaving mysterious items in all the cars I rent.
knives, bullets, dirty underwear.
Well, dirty underwear really isn't mysterious unless it's green or something.
I'm sure it was just part of that canceled Fox Special, OJ: If I Did It, This is the Car I Rented.
didn't OJ used to be a spokes person for Hertz?
Margaret,
That's just what I was thinking. How funny.
EEk,
Did you do a sweep to see if you could find anything else? Maybe it was a murder for money thing, and they forgot the cash too. If it was a murder, the murderer had to be a total bumbling idiot.
Know where I like eating pie? The trunk of a rental car.
Hmmm...murder she wrote...quite a nice twist on something such ordinary events have turn out...Have a happy new Year ...I hope everything will be fine....EmpirE striKes back!!!!
I think the rental car guy was acting awfully guilty...he seemed quick to hide the evidence (sounds like eviden-ssssss).
Dried blood looks like clay on a knife. Or so I've heard.
PS, if it was clay, who the fuck cuts clay with a murderer's knife. They should sell knives in that category at the store.
7 inch Santoku knife.
8 inch bread knife.
9 inch chef's knife.
2 inch pairing knife.
11 inch murder's knife.
Think Frustrated. I totally agree. That murder knife was either sorely misused, or I was sorely mistaken.
This is a GREAT story! I have to suspect that it was the rental's guy property he was removing from the car. No one cares about their jobs anymore, only covering there own asses. Don't go out with him. Even if he is cute.
Don't ever accept a loaner car from "killer" - at least if there's green stuff in there.
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