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.
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