james has already popped the first piece of gum into his mouth and straddled the bicycle once more , resumed the western slant across this dark and silent downtown street - the first block level , then abruptly declining - and is enjoying the sharp , cool wind of this gravity assisted increase in speed , when he realizes with near absolute certainty , from the corner of his right eye , that he not only just passed a stationary police cruiser , parked curbside , but that there was an actual live human seated at the wheel .