On the anniversary of the stop, he found himself driving down Mercer Avenue at almost the same hour. The intersection looked unremarkable. Cars waited beneath the traffic lights. A cyclist crossed in the marked lane. The convenience store's security camera still pointed toward the road. Heat rose off the pavement, though the day was cooler than the one he remembered.
He pulled into the store's parking lot and went inside.
The woman who had recorded the incident was restocking bottled water. She recognized him before he could speak.
โHey. You're the watch guy.โ
He smiled. โI guess I am.โ
She came around the counter and looked at his wrist.
โYou got it back.โ
โRepaired.โ
โLooks good.โ
โThank you for recording what happened.โ
She shrugged, uncomfortable with praise.
โI saw somebody get pushed. I figured the truth might matter later.โ
โIt did.โ
She glanced through the window toward the road.
โI almost stopped recording because I thought he might come after me too.โ
He looked at her. โYou didn't have to put yourself in danger.โ
โI know. But once I started, I wanted there to be a record.โ
They stood in silence for a moment.
Then she asked, โHow's your leg?โ
He laughed. โThat might be the first time somebody asked me that before asking about the radio.โ
โSo?โ
โBetter. The socket needed adjusting after the fall. I'm walking fine.โ
โGood.โ
He bought two bottles of water, one for himself and one for his niece, who was waiting in the car. At the counter, he noticed a small community noticeboard advertising school events and volunteer opportunities. A handwritten flyer announced a youth electronics workshop at the public library.
He took a photograph of it.
That weekend, he visited the workshop. A dozen teenagers sat around folding tables scattered with circuit boards, wires, and small radios. The volunteer instructor recognized him and invited him to speak. He declined a formal lecture but stayed to help a girl troubleshoot a receiver that produced only static.
She was frustrated.
โI've checked it three times,โ she said. โIt should work.โ
โShow me what you've checked.โ
She pointed to each connection. He listened without interrupting. Then he asked what happened when she moved one wire near the battery holder. She tried it. The receiver crackled faintly.
Her eyes widened.