definitely watching me.
And then my brain made a big leap. He is the armored truck robber.
He saw my name on the tree trunk. He figured out who Eddie and I are. He’s come for his money.
Each thought sent a stab of fear to my heart.
It was a wild hunch. But I knew I was right.
I pulled open the car door and squeezed behind the wheel. I shut the door and locked it. My hand fumbled the key in the ignition. The key fell from my hand and dropped to the car floor.
I heard the man’s car start up across the street. Breathing hard, I swept my hand over the floor, found the key, and stabbed it into the ignition. My car was beeping insistently in my ears, telling me to strap on my seatbelt. But I didn’t have time. I had to get away.
I floored the gas pedal, and the car squealed away from the curb. I had to hit the brake hard for a stop sign at the corner. A woman was pushing a stroller across the street, tugging a tall dog on a leash behind her.
I almost hit them. I could have killed them both.
I shouldn’t be driving. I’m too frightened to think clearly.
Raising my eyes to the rearview mirror, I saw the little gray car make a U-turn and start rolling toward me. “Come on! Come on!” I shouted at the woman. She dropped the dog leash and struggled to retrieve it. “Come on—move!”
Finally, they stepped onto the sidewalk. I made a sharp right. I saw the gray car close behind. Saw the man’s big sunglasses through his windshield. Saw his grim expression.
Another hard right took me onto the street behind the school. I saw a couple of teachers talking in the staff parking lot. One of them shouted at me as I roared through a stop sign.
I spun the wheel hard, careened onto the curb. The wheel bounced in my hands. I twisted it hard to the right. Regained control. And swung the car onto the road that cuts through Shadyside Park.
“Look out!” I screamed as I nearly hit two girls on bikes. I swerved at the last second. They both cried out. One of them fell over onto the grass. I didn’t slow down to see if she was okay.
I roared through the park, the light dancing on the windshield, shadows from the tall trees making the glass light, then dark.
I glanced into the rearview mirror. Was he still there?
Yes. The gray car roared close behind me. Sunlight filled the windshield, making it impossible to see. But I knew he was in there, staring at me in the dark shades, following me because … because …
He wanted his money.
I shot out of the park without looking for traffic. Squealed into a turn lane. Bombed forward, not breathing, not thinking, so terrified, the car was driving me. I had no control. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t make my muscles move. My teeth were clamped so tightly shut, my jaw ached.
My whole body tight, tensed. I glanced into the mirror again.
Gone. The car was gone.
“Huh?” A sigh escaped my throat. I eased my foot on the gas pedal, my eyes locked on the rearview mirror. Did I lose him? Was he waiting for me in the next block?
The street behind me was clear. I sat there, panting like a dog, my chest heaving up and down, not blinking, just staring into the mirror. Until finally … my senses returned. My breathing slowed.
I wiped my cold sweaty hands on my shirt and driving slowly now, slowly and steadily, turned the car toward the pet cemetery. “Eddie,” I said out loud. “Eddie, he came after me. He’ll come again, Eddie. He’ll come again.”
* * *
The parking lot was empty. I squealed the car to a stop beside the front gate. I couldn’t see Eddie in the graveyard. Was he already in Mac’s office? He was supposed to wait for me outside.
I pulled open the gate and slipped into the cemetery. The putrid smell greeted me, carried on a hot gust of wind. I held my breath and trotted along the dirt path between the two rows of low graves. My legs felt rubbery and my heart was still thrumming in my chest after that terrifying car chase.
I spotted Eddie at the side
And then my brain made a big leap. He is the armored truck robber.
He saw my name on the tree trunk. He figured out who Eddie and I are. He’s come for his money.
Each thought sent a stab of fear to my heart.
It was a wild hunch. But I knew I was right.
I pulled open the car door and squeezed behind the wheel. I shut the door and locked it. My hand fumbled the key in the ignition. The key fell from my hand and dropped to the car floor.
I heard the man’s car start up across the street. Breathing hard, I swept my hand over the floor, found the key, and stabbed it into the ignition. My car was beeping insistently in my ears, telling me to strap on my seatbelt. But I didn’t have time. I had to get away.
I floored the gas pedal, and the car squealed away from the curb. I had to hit the brake hard for a stop sign at the corner. A woman was pushing a stroller across the street, tugging a tall dog on a leash behind her.
I almost hit them. I could have killed them both.
I shouldn’t be driving. I’m too frightened to think clearly.
Raising my eyes to the rearview mirror, I saw the little gray car make a U-turn and start rolling toward me. “Come on! Come on!” I shouted at the woman. She dropped the dog leash and struggled to retrieve it. “Come on—move!”
Finally, they stepped onto the sidewalk. I made a sharp right. I saw the gray car close behind. Saw the man’s big sunglasses through his windshield. Saw his grim expression.
Another hard right took me onto the street behind the school. I saw a couple of teachers talking in the staff parking lot. One of them shouted at me as I roared through a stop sign.
I spun the wheel hard, careened onto the curb. The wheel bounced in my hands. I twisted it hard to the right. Regained control. And swung the car onto the road that cuts through Shadyside Park.
“Look out!” I screamed as I nearly hit two girls on bikes. I swerved at the last second. They both cried out. One of them fell over onto the grass. I didn’t slow down to see if she was okay.
I roared through the park, the light dancing on the windshield, shadows from the tall trees making the glass light, then dark.
I glanced into the rearview mirror. Was he still there?
Yes. The gray car roared close behind me. Sunlight filled the windshield, making it impossible to see. But I knew he was in there, staring at me in the dark shades, following me because … because …
He wanted his money.
I shot out of the park without looking for traffic. Squealed into a turn lane. Bombed forward, not breathing, not thinking, so terrified, the car was driving me. I had no control. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t make my muscles move. My teeth were clamped so tightly shut, my jaw ached.
My whole body tight, tensed. I glanced into the mirror again.
Gone. The car was gone.
“Huh?” A sigh escaped my throat. I eased my foot on the gas pedal, my eyes locked on the rearview mirror. Did I lose him? Was he waiting for me in the next block?
The street behind me was clear. I sat there, panting like a dog, my chest heaving up and down, not blinking, just staring into the mirror. Until finally … my senses returned. My breathing slowed.
I wiped my cold sweaty hands on my shirt and driving slowly now, slowly and steadily, turned the car toward the pet cemetery. “Eddie,” I said out loud. “Eddie, he came after me. He’ll come again, Eddie. He’ll come again.”
* * *
The parking lot was empty. I squealed the car to a stop beside the front gate. I couldn’t see Eddie in the graveyard. Was he already in Mac’s office? He was supposed to wait for me outside.
I pulled open the gate and slipped into the cemetery. The putrid smell greeted me, carried on a hot gust of wind. I held my breath and trotted along the dirt path between the two rows of low graves. My legs felt rubbery and my heart was still thrumming in my chest after that terrifying car chase.
I spotted Eddie at the side
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