drew nearer. She sneaked a glance back. A white Taurus. She had never seen the car before in her life.
Her heart pounding furiously, Jill began to walk faster, staring straight ahead. She heard the car pull alongside her and continue to roll, at the same pace she was walking.
Wildly, Jill glanced around. There was a house just ahead with its lights on. She started to turn into the walk, pretending she lived there, and then the car stopped. The engine cut off and the door slammed.
Not even thinking, Jill ran up the walk, then stumbled, sprawling on the front porch. She heard steps coming up the walk behind her.
Nearly frozen in terror, she opened her mouth to scream.
"Hey, Jill!"
"No!" she cried.
"Jill! Hey, Jill! It's me!"
She looked up and nearly melted with relief. It was Gabe, his expression a mixture of confusion and amusement. "Who did you think I was?" he said.
"One of the undead?"
"Gabe!" she said. "I--I didn't recognize your car."
"It's the rental my dad just got," he said. He held out a hand and pulled her to her feet, then led her to the car.
"Come on, get in," he said.
"Okay," she said in a small voice. "Thanks." She climbed into the front seat beside him. He was looking at her almost tenderly, the way he had on their date. It had been only Saturday, but so much had happened, it seemed like years ago.
Gabe didn't start the car again. He kept looking at her, his handsome face very serious but also very kind.
"I'm sorry for what I said before," he said. "I didn't mean to come down so hard on you." She didn't know what to answer. "Jill?"
"You didn't even listen to my idea," she said. "You just said it was pathetic."
"Bad choice of words," Gabe said. "But your idea seems a little unlikely, don't you think?"
"No," said Jill. "I don't think so. I mean, I can't believe any one of us could have done such a terrible thing." Any one of us, but you, she thought.
"You mean you don't want to believe it," said Gabe. "You don't want to face the fact that one of your very best friends might be an arsonist or worse. Isn't that right?"
"Of course I don't want to believe it!" said Jill.
"So it's easier to think that it's some mysterious stranger," Gabe said.
"I can get behind that. No one wants to believe something bad about someone they care about." He said it so seriously that Jill had a sudden eerie feeling that he knew more than he was telling.
"Who do you think it was?" she whispered.
"I don't want to make an accusation," he said. "Not now."
Jill couldn't think what to say.
After a moment Gabe sighed and started the car up again. "I'd better get you home," he said.
He drove in silence for a moment, then said, almost to himself, "It would be better if I'd never come here."
"Don't say that," said Jill.
"Why?" He almost smiled. "Are you glad I'm here?"
"You know I am," she said. "But--but I'm not glad about some of the things that have happened."
"Neither am I," Gabe said, again serious. "I should have known better."
"What do you mean?"
"Never mind," he said. "But, Jill, I think the best thing for you to do is forget all about that fire on Fear Street. I have a feeling the fires are over. If you keep investigating, you might find out that you're really playing with fire, in more ways than one."
Is that a warning? she wondered. Or a threat? She looked over at him as he drove, his clear green eyes fixed on the road. There was a strange expression on his face--almost sad. What's he trying to tell me? she wondered. That he set the fire himself and he's not going to do it anymore?
Gabe pulled the car into Jill's driveway and cut the engine. "I'll walk you to the door," he said. "I can manage to be a true gentleman about two or three times a year."
He came around and opened her door, then gently put his arm around her as he walked her to the porch. Once again Jill felt herself melting. If only she could trust him!
At her door he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "This has all gotten too heavy,"
Her heart pounding furiously, Jill began to walk faster, staring straight ahead. She heard the car pull alongside her and continue to roll, at the same pace she was walking.
Wildly, Jill glanced around. There was a house just ahead with its lights on. She started to turn into the walk, pretending she lived there, and then the car stopped. The engine cut off and the door slammed.
Not even thinking, Jill ran up the walk, then stumbled, sprawling on the front porch. She heard steps coming up the walk behind her.
Nearly frozen in terror, she opened her mouth to scream.
"Hey, Jill!"
"No!" she cried.
"Jill! Hey, Jill! It's me!"
She looked up and nearly melted with relief. It was Gabe, his expression a mixture of confusion and amusement. "Who did you think I was?" he said.
"One of the undead?"
"Gabe!" she said. "I--I didn't recognize your car."
"It's the rental my dad just got," he said. He held out a hand and pulled her to her feet, then led her to the car.
"Come on, get in," he said.
"Okay," she said in a small voice. "Thanks." She climbed into the front seat beside him. He was looking at her almost tenderly, the way he had on their date. It had been only Saturday, but so much had happened, it seemed like years ago.
Gabe didn't start the car again. He kept looking at her, his handsome face very serious but also very kind.
"I'm sorry for what I said before," he said. "I didn't mean to come down so hard on you." She didn't know what to answer. "Jill?"
"You didn't even listen to my idea," she said. "You just said it was pathetic."
"Bad choice of words," Gabe said. "But your idea seems a little unlikely, don't you think?"
"No," said Jill. "I don't think so. I mean, I can't believe any one of us could have done such a terrible thing." Any one of us, but you, she thought.
"You mean you don't want to believe it," said Gabe. "You don't want to face the fact that one of your very best friends might be an arsonist or worse. Isn't that right?"
"Of course I don't want to believe it!" said Jill.
"So it's easier to think that it's some mysterious stranger," Gabe said.
"I can get behind that. No one wants to believe something bad about someone they care about." He said it so seriously that Jill had a sudden eerie feeling that he knew more than he was telling.
"Who do you think it was?" she whispered.
"I don't want to make an accusation," he said. "Not now."
Jill couldn't think what to say.
After a moment Gabe sighed and started the car up again. "I'd better get you home," he said.
He drove in silence for a moment, then said, almost to himself, "It would be better if I'd never come here."
"Don't say that," said Jill.
"Why?" He almost smiled. "Are you glad I'm here?"
"You know I am," she said. "But--but I'm not glad about some of the things that have happened."
"Neither am I," Gabe said, again serious. "I should have known better."
"What do you mean?"
"Never mind," he said. "But, Jill, I think the best thing for you to do is forget all about that fire on Fear Street. I have a feeling the fires are over. If you keep investigating, you might find out that you're really playing with fire, in more ways than one."
Is that a warning? she wondered. Or a threat? She looked over at him as he drove, his clear green eyes fixed on the road. There was a strange expression on his face--almost sad. What's he trying to tell me? she wondered. That he set the fire himself and he's not going to do it anymore?
Gabe pulled the car into Jill's driveway and cut the engine. "I'll walk you to the door," he said. "I can manage to be a true gentleman about two or three times a year."
He came around and opened her door, then gently put his arm around her as he walked her to the porch. Once again Jill felt herself melting. If only she could trust him!
At her door he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "This has all gotten too heavy,"
Similar Books
