Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing
down: 73 in a  55 zone.  Fourth time in as many months.  How could a
guy get caught  so often?

When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but
only partially.  Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard.

Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a
mirror.
The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in
hand.  Bob?
Bob from Church?  Jack sunk farther into his trench coat.
This was worse than the coming ticket.  A Christian cop catching a
guy from his own church.  A guy who happened to be a little eager to
get home after a long day at the office.  A guy he was about to play golf
with tomorrow.

Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a
man he'd never seen in uniform.

"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."
"Hello, Jack." No smile.

"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids."

"Yeah, I guess."

Bob seemed uncertain.  Good.

"I've seen some long days at the office lately.  I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit-just this once."  Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. "Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight.

Know what I mean?"

"I know what you mean.  I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct."

Ouch.  This was not going in the right direction.  Time to change tactics. "What'd you clock me at?" "Seventy.  Would you  sit back in  your  car  please?" "Now wait a minute here, Bob.  I checked as soon as I saw  you.  I was barely nudging 65."  The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.

"Please, Jack, in the car."

Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door.
Slamming it shut, he stared at the dash board.  He was in no rush to open
The window.

The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad.

Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license?  Whatever the reason,
it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again.
A tap on the door jerked his head to the left.  There
was Bob, a folded paper in hand.  Jack rolled down the window a
mere two inches,  just  enough room for Bob to pass him the slip.

"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of  his voice.

Bob returned to his police car without a word.  Jack  watched his
retreat in the mirror.  Jack unfolded the sheet of paper.

How much was this one going to cost?  Wait a minute.
What was  this? Some kind of joke?  Certainly not a ticket.  Jack began to read:

"Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter.  She was six when killed by
a car. You guessed it ---- a speeding driver.   A fine and three months in jail,
and the man was free.  Free to hug his daughters.  All three of them.
I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven before I can
ever hug her again.  A thousand times I've tried to forgive
that man.  A  thousand times thought I had.  Maybe I did, but I need to do it
again.  Even  now.
Pray for me.  And be careful.  My son is all I have left.  "Bob"

Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down
the road.  Jack watched until it disappeared.  A full 15 minutes later, he,
too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and
hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.