Poulson did the same, gave her a wink before he hit the lights. "Baby's first traffic stop."

*

The car turned a corner, correctly using the blinker, before coming to a stop next to the empty, long-for-sale plot of land behind the Burger King, along a road that led to the small college campus. It was a no man's land between cookie cutter town houses and a rehab halfway house.

Holm had trouble opening the door. The wind grabbed it from her hands, slung it open farther than it should've. Snow already biting her face. She put on her gloves, climbed out, and fought to close the door again. Poulson was standing opposite, puffing out his chest and taking in deep breaths like this was his favorite time of year. Holm knew it wasn't. Poulson was more of an Autumn guy. So was nearly everybody. Ray Bleeker, though, he was a true winter guy. Ice fishing, deep woods hunting, snowmobiling. Cold was in Bleeker's blood. Holm was trying to share some of her Spring love with him-gardens and sunshine and birds, oh my.

The Korean car's brakelights were still flaming red. Holm had called in the tag number, got back a hit on a rental under the name Jimmy Quick, so that didn't help. Rented in Minneapolis. Not a local after all.

Holm eased up on the passenger side, a few steps behind Poulson's approach on the driver. He did his thing-easy-going, joking. No big deal.

"You guys having a little trouble with the ice?"

"Sorry. It's a new car. Still getting used to it."

She caught the passenger's face in the sideview. Young guy, trying to grow a beard. Not decked out like a gangsta, so that was good. Nervous blinking.

Poulson kept on, smiling. "Just so you know, it's not the same as racing a dune-buggy across the desert. One little patch of slick here, and you're gone."

He bent down closer to the driver. Sniffing for alcohol or weed, Holm knew. Trying to find some reason to haul these two guys in. She set her jaw. C'mon. That meant searching the car. That meant more time out in the wind, and she already couldn't see the closest buildings. Only their smudgy lights. Her teeth were starting to hurt. Another couple of minutes was all she could take.