whisper came from Laurie’s throat, filling Nancy with relief.
Laurie was regaining consciousness!
The paramedic spoke as he and his companion lifted the gurney and carried Laurie quickly to the ambulance. “She’s waking up,” he said, “but she’s not out of danger.”
Nancy understood only too well. “Can I ride with her?” she asked, watching as Laurie was lifted into the back of the ambulance.
The paramedic nodded. “That would probably be a good idea. Talk to your, friend and try to keep her awake. She may have a concussion.”
Nancy scrambled quickly into the back of the ambulance and knelt beside Laurie, The other paramedic was hooking Laurie up to equipment that would monitor her vital signs.
“What happened?” Laurie asked in a small, frightened voice.
“You had an accident,” Nancy answered, gently touching Laurie’s hand. “You were upset by Brenda Carlton and what she said about Jon, remember? You got into your car—”
Laurie closed her eyes as the memories returned. “I remember now,” she said. “Was anyone else hurt?”
Nancy shook her head. “No,” she answered.
“I nearly collided with a truck.”
Nancy nodded.
“But the driver’s all right?”
Again, Nancy nodded. A huge lump was rising on Laurie’s forehead, but the paramedic had managed to stop the bleeding.
“I shouldn’t have been so. careless,” Laurie managed to say. “I tried to stop on the highway when I saw you behind me, but—”
Nancy’s hand tightened around Laurie’s. “You tried to stop?” she asked, not sure that she’d heard right.
There was a dazed expression in Laurie’s eyes. “I kept pumping the brakes, but they were gone.” She closed her eyes again. “I was so scared, Nancy.”
“I know,” Nancy answered. Though her voice was calm, her mind was racing. Had someone tampered with Laurie’s brakes? But who?
They reached the hospital as Nancy kept turning that question over in her mind. Laurie was wheeled into the emergency room, and Nancy went directly to the telephone to call Laurie’s parents.
Mrs. Weaver arrived first, since she’d been at home. She was dressed in her gardening clothes, and her eyes were wide with worry. “What happened?” she cried, clutching Nancy’s hands.
Nancy explained quietly and clearly. When Mr. Weaver dashed in a few seconds later Nancy had to tell the story again.
There was nothing Nancy could do at the hospital, so she left and walked a few blocks to a nearby towing company. Within minutes, she was back at the scene of the accident.
The tow truck driver shook his head as he assessed the damage to Laurie’s car. “It looks like a total loss to me,” he said.
Nancy had no doubt that he was right. “Would you mind checking to see if the brakes have been tampered with?” she asked.
The mechanic gave a curious look, but he dropped to his knees and looked beneath the car. A minute passed before he answered, “Yep. Somebody cut the brakelines, real neat and tidy.”
Nancy had hoped that her .guess was wrong,but the tow truck driver had just confirmed her worst suspicions.
She gave the driver Laurie’s address and phone number and walked to her own car. “Thanks,” she called, before getting behind the wheel.
Knowing George would be really worried, Nancy drove straight back to Moves. George was waiting in the parking lot, and she slid into the passenger seat the moment Nancy stopped.
“Did you catch up with Laurie?” George asked.
Nancy sighed. “Sort of. She crashed through a fence, George, and she’s in the hospital right now.”
George stopped in the middle of fastening her seat belt. She looked shocked. “Is she all right?”
“I’m not sure,” Nancy answered. “She was conscious. Her parents are with her now.”
“Did you see what happened?”
“Yes,” Nancy answered, the memory filling her mind. “Laurie was driving too fast, but she told me that she tried to stop when she saw me behind her. The brakelines
Laurie was regaining consciousness!
The paramedic spoke as he and his companion lifted the gurney and carried Laurie quickly to the ambulance. “She’s waking up,” he said, “but she’s not out of danger.”
Nancy understood only too well. “Can I ride with her?” she asked, watching as Laurie was lifted into the back of the ambulance.
The paramedic nodded. “That would probably be a good idea. Talk to your, friend and try to keep her awake. She may have a concussion.”
Nancy scrambled quickly into the back of the ambulance and knelt beside Laurie, The other paramedic was hooking Laurie up to equipment that would monitor her vital signs.
“What happened?” Laurie asked in a small, frightened voice.
“You had an accident,” Nancy answered, gently touching Laurie’s hand. “You were upset by Brenda Carlton and what she said about Jon, remember? You got into your car—”
Laurie closed her eyes as the memories returned. “I remember now,” she said. “Was anyone else hurt?”
Nancy shook her head. “No,” she answered.
“I nearly collided with a truck.”
Nancy nodded.
“But the driver’s all right?”
Again, Nancy nodded. A huge lump was rising on Laurie’s forehead, but the paramedic had managed to stop the bleeding.
“I shouldn’t have been so. careless,” Laurie managed to say. “I tried to stop on the highway when I saw you behind me, but—”
Nancy’s hand tightened around Laurie’s. “You tried to stop?” she asked, not sure that she’d heard right.
There was a dazed expression in Laurie’s eyes. “I kept pumping the brakes, but they were gone.” She closed her eyes again. “I was so scared, Nancy.”
“I know,” Nancy answered. Though her voice was calm, her mind was racing. Had someone tampered with Laurie’s brakes? But who?
They reached the hospital as Nancy kept turning that question over in her mind. Laurie was wheeled into the emergency room, and Nancy went directly to the telephone to call Laurie’s parents.
Mrs. Weaver arrived first, since she’d been at home. She was dressed in her gardening clothes, and her eyes were wide with worry. “What happened?” she cried, clutching Nancy’s hands.
Nancy explained quietly and clearly. When Mr. Weaver dashed in a few seconds later Nancy had to tell the story again.
There was nothing Nancy could do at the hospital, so she left and walked a few blocks to a nearby towing company. Within minutes, she was back at the scene of the accident.
The tow truck driver shook his head as he assessed the damage to Laurie’s car. “It looks like a total loss to me,” he said.
Nancy had no doubt that he was right. “Would you mind checking to see if the brakes have been tampered with?” she asked.
The mechanic gave a curious look, but he dropped to his knees and looked beneath the car. A minute passed before he answered, “Yep. Somebody cut the brakelines, real neat and tidy.”
Nancy had hoped that her .guess was wrong,but the tow truck driver had just confirmed her worst suspicions.
She gave the driver Laurie’s address and phone number and walked to her own car. “Thanks,” she called, before getting behind the wheel.
Knowing George would be really worried, Nancy drove straight back to Moves. George was waiting in the parking lot, and she slid into the passenger seat the moment Nancy stopped.
“Did you catch up with Laurie?” George asked.
Nancy sighed. “Sort of. She crashed through a fence, George, and she’s in the hospital right now.”
George stopped in the middle of fastening her seat belt. She looked shocked. “Is she all right?”
“I’m not sure,” Nancy answered. “She was conscious. Her parents are with her now.”
“Did you see what happened?”
“Yes,” Nancy answered, the memory filling her mind. “Laurie was driving too fast, but she told me that she tried to stop when she saw me behind her. The brakelines
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