someone else.’ Gwen Pedrors looked back at Jack. ‘You’ve got to stop them, Detective. Next time they might kill someone.’
Which was exactly what he was thinking.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
M ONDAY , M ARY KNEW she couldn’t skip going to the gym, no matter how she looked or felt. She’d worked too hard to achieve the muscle strength she’d acquired to allow a few bruises, aches, and pains to erase those gains. She’d experienced the danger of relaxing her training schedule when Harry started getting sicker, the cancer spreading through his body. She’d stayed home with him back then, read to him, talked with him. She did everything she could to ease his suffering.
Then there was the funeral and the days that followed, days when simply getting out of bed took all of her energy. The day she returned to the gym, she almost quit. Twenty minutes on the treadmill had her panting. Weights she’d lifted with ease became impossible obstacles. It took her months to regain the vigor and strength she now possessed, and even that was only a fraction of what she’d had in her twenties.
Back then, she could take down a man twice her size before he knew what hit him.
She smiled as she stepped out of her car and started for the gym. It was good to know she hadn’t lost all of her fighting abilities, that she could still defend herself. And defend herself she would, she’d decided.
She’d spent most of Sunday considering what to do and came to one conclusion. Thursday night’s incident had nothing to do with what had happened in her past. Those boys would have attacked anyone they perceived as helpless, just as they’d attacked the woman Friday night. They were in the wrong, and dammit all, they needed to be stopped.
Near the gym door, she paused and looked back at her car. She’d picked it up that morning. Ella had driven her to the repair shop, chattering on and on about the meeting she was organizing for a Neighborhood Watch. ‘I’ve talked to the Van Dykes and the Hoffmans,’ she’d said. ‘They’re interested. And you’ll come, won’t you?’
‘I’ll be there,’ Mary promised, although her plans for ridding the neighborhood of gangs didn’t include involving the entire neighborhood.
Ella was gung-ho on the idea. ‘I’ll try to contact the others on our block this week, and I’ll call the police. I’m sure they have guidelines for something like this.’
Mary doubted their guidelines would include her methods.
‘If we don’t do something, it’s not going to be safe for any of us to go out of the house.’
That was one thing they agreed on.
‘Also I need to find a meeting place.’
Ella looked at Mary, and Mary had a feeling her friend was waiting for suggestions … or maybe for her to volunteer her house.
‘I’d have it at my house,’ Ella went on, ‘but you know … the cats.’
Mary did know. Too many cats. The smell was disgusting. She couldn’t imagine holding a meeting there. ‘Maybe the elementary school,’ she suggested. ‘Or a church.’ They had several churches within a five-block radius and one elementary school.
‘I’ll look into it,’ Ella said with a nod before letting Mary off at the auto shop. ‘Do you want me to wait?’
‘No, I’ll be fine.’ She’d thanked her friend as she grabbed her gym bag. ‘They said it’s ready.’
And it was.
She’d left the auto shop and headed for the gym, but before she’d gone a block, she saw a black sedan directly behind her. Not sure if it was the same black sedan she’d seen near her house, Mary purposefully changed directions, turning off the main road and taking several side streets. The car didn’t follow her.
At least, she didn’t think it did.
Except now, in a fast-food parking lot across the street from the entrance to the gym, sat a black sedan.
She stared at it, trying to figure out the make. Was it the same as the one following her earlier … the same as the one she’d seen Sunday and Friday night?
Which was exactly what he was thinking.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
M ONDAY , M ARY KNEW she couldn’t skip going to the gym, no matter how she looked or felt. She’d worked too hard to achieve the muscle strength she’d acquired to allow a few bruises, aches, and pains to erase those gains. She’d experienced the danger of relaxing her training schedule when Harry started getting sicker, the cancer spreading through his body. She’d stayed home with him back then, read to him, talked with him. She did everything she could to ease his suffering.
Then there was the funeral and the days that followed, days when simply getting out of bed took all of her energy. The day she returned to the gym, she almost quit. Twenty minutes on the treadmill had her panting. Weights she’d lifted with ease became impossible obstacles. It took her months to regain the vigor and strength she now possessed, and even that was only a fraction of what she’d had in her twenties.
Back then, she could take down a man twice her size before he knew what hit him.
She smiled as she stepped out of her car and started for the gym. It was good to know she hadn’t lost all of her fighting abilities, that she could still defend herself. And defend herself she would, she’d decided.
She’d spent most of Sunday considering what to do and came to one conclusion. Thursday night’s incident had nothing to do with what had happened in her past. Those boys would have attacked anyone they perceived as helpless, just as they’d attacked the woman Friday night. They were in the wrong, and dammit all, they needed to be stopped.
Near the gym door, she paused and looked back at her car. She’d picked it up that morning. Ella had driven her to the repair shop, chattering on and on about the meeting she was organizing for a Neighborhood Watch. ‘I’ve talked to the Van Dykes and the Hoffmans,’ she’d said. ‘They’re interested. And you’ll come, won’t you?’
‘I’ll be there,’ Mary promised, although her plans for ridding the neighborhood of gangs didn’t include involving the entire neighborhood.
Ella was gung-ho on the idea. ‘I’ll try to contact the others on our block this week, and I’ll call the police. I’m sure they have guidelines for something like this.’
Mary doubted their guidelines would include her methods.
‘If we don’t do something, it’s not going to be safe for any of us to go out of the house.’
That was one thing they agreed on.
‘Also I need to find a meeting place.’
Ella looked at Mary, and Mary had a feeling her friend was waiting for suggestions … or maybe for her to volunteer her house.
‘I’d have it at my house,’ Ella went on, ‘but you know … the cats.’
Mary did know. Too many cats. The smell was disgusting. She couldn’t imagine holding a meeting there. ‘Maybe the elementary school,’ she suggested. ‘Or a church.’ They had several churches within a five-block radius and one elementary school.
‘I’ll look into it,’ Ella said with a nod before letting Mary off at the auto shop. ‘Do you want me to wait?’
‘No, I’ll be fine.’ She’d thanked her friend as she grabbed her gym bag. ‘They said it’s ready.’
And it was.
She’d left the auto shop and headed for the gym, but before she’d gone a block, she saw a black sedan directly behind her. Not sure if it was the same black sedan she’d seen near her house, Mary purposefully changed directions, turning off the main road and taking several side streets. The car didn’t follow her.
At least, she didn’t think it did.
Except now, in a fast-food parking lot across the street from the entrance to the gym, sat a black sedan.
She stared at it, trying to figure out the make. Was it the same as the one following her earlier … the same as the one she’d seen Sunday and Friday night?
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