I almost ignored the plastic bottle beside my tire. It was late, the parking lot was nearly empty, and I was already thinking about getting home. At first, it looked like ordinary trash, something blown against the wheel by the wind. But when I started the car and heard a sudden crackling sound, I stopped.

The bottle was wedged against my rear tire.

My first instinct was to open the door and pull it away. Then I remembered something I’d heard about objects being placed near cars to make drivers step out. I kept my hands on the wheel and looked around instead. A man was standing near the far end of the lot, apparently looking at his phone. Another car was parked several spaces away, but I couldn’t see anyone inside.

The engine was still running.

I reached for the door handle, then stopped myself.

That was when I realized the strange bottle might not be the real problem.