Denton called out.
“Nothing yet.” Rob’s voice was coming from somewhere behind the truck, his body invisible.
“Not gonna find anything, either,” Ernie got out between labored breaths.
They came to a stop beside the Ford, and Denton turned to the man. “You never saw the driver? Never saw anyone?”
“Nope. Not a soul. And I was out here one, maybe two minutes after it happened. I looked all around the truck and in the ditch. Even out in the road. Thought maybe the driver’d bailed out when he realized what was about to happen. But nothing. Not a trace. Whoever was behind the wheel just vanished.”
A loud barking broke the silence of the quickly chilling nightfall. Denton looked over in the direction of the sudden noise and saw a young golden retriever sitting just inside the porch door, its tail sweeping the floor in long, graceful arcs.
“Hush up, Moses! Stop that barking.” Ernie shook his head. “That dog’s been all excited ever since this happened. Just keeps pacin’ around the porch and barkin’ his head off. About to drive me crazy.”
The dog barked again, not paying attention to his master.
“Moses!” Ernie was growling at the dog, and this time he fell silent.
“Key’s still in the ignition,” Rob called out. “I’m gonna turn it off before something blows.”
Flynn’s flashlight cast powerful beams in and around the truck. No sign of any movement or any body.
“How much did you look around, Mr. Brakefield?” Denton set the heavy box on the ground and took his own flashlight from his belt.
“I walked around a good bit.” Ernie waved his arm in a wide circle. “Like I said, I looked out by the road and way beyond the tree. I was thinkin’ maybe the driver got thrown through the windshield, but there ain’t no broken glass. Nothin’s broke that I can see, except the front left headlight. That’s hard to believe, considerin’ all the noise this thing made as it plowed through my yard.”
Moses started barking again, and pacing up and down in the porch.
“Moses, don’t make me come over there!”
“Denton, come take a look.” Rob was standing on the other side of the truck, his flashlight pointing into the vehicle.
Denton stepped through some tall grass and weeds and around to where his partner stood.
“What do you make of that?” Rob held his light in one hand and pointed to the side of the open passenger window with his other.
Denton stooped over, almost pressing his nose to the metal post. He reached out and rubbed something between his thumb and index finger.
“Feels like pants material to me—blue jeans. Looks like it was torn or ripped off.”
“That’s what I thought too.” Rob leaned close, tracing the window frame with his flashlight. “But there’s no blood anywhere.”
Moses barked louder now, and without saying a word Ernie headed in the direction of the dog.
“Mr. Brakefield, hold on there.” Denton straightened up and took off after the man.
Ernie spun around, looking into Denton’s light. He blinked a couple of times and shielded his eyes with a stubby hand.
“What? What’s the matter?”
“Has Moses been out in the yard since this happened?”
Ernie looked over his shoulder, then back at the paramedic. “No, I’ve kept him on the porch. He’s young and too excited. Why?”
Rob walked up beside Denton and they looked at each other.
“Why don’t we let Moses loose and see what he does?” Denton pointed his beam at the porch. “Maybe he can find something.”
“Listen! What’s that?” Ernie stood as still as a fence post and stared up into the night sky.
Rob cocked his head and strained his ears. The thick darkness was broken by the faint but unmistakable wail of a siren.
“Good,” Rob said. “The police should be here in a few minutes.”
They turned in the direction of the porch. Moses was still pacing, still barking.
“Might as well give him a try. Can’t hurt anything.” Ernie stumped off toward the
“Nothing yet.” Rob’s voice was coming from somewhere behind the truck, his body invisible.
“Not gonna find anything, either,” Ernie got out between labored breaths.
They came to a stop beside the Ford, and Denton turned to the man. “You never saw the driver? Never saw anyone?”
“Nope. Not a soul. And I was out here one, maybe two minutes after it happened. I looked all around the truck and in the ditch. Even out in the road. Thought maybe the driver’d bailed out when he realized what was about to happen. But nothing. Not a trace. Whoever was behind the wheel just vanished.”
A loud barking broke the silence of the quickly chilling nightfall. Denton looked over in the direction of the sudden noise and saw a young golden retriever sitting just inside the porch door, its tail sweeping the floor in long, graceful arcs.
“Hush up, Moses! Stop that barking.” Ernie shook his head. “That dog’s been all excited ever since this happened. Just keeps pacin’ around the porch and barkin’ his head off. About to drive me crazy.”
The dog barked again, not paying attention to his master.
“Moses!” Ernie was growling at the dog, and this time he fell silent.
“Key’s still in the ignition,” Rob called out. “I’m gonna turn it off before something blows.”
Flynn’s flashlight cast powerful beams in and around the truck. No sign of any movement or any body.
“How much did you look around, Mr. Brakefield?” Denton set the heavy box on the ground and took his own flashlight from his belt.
“I walked around a good bit.” Ernie waved his arm in a wide circle. “Like I said, I looked out by the road and way beyond the tree. I was thinkin’ maybe the driver got thrown through the windshield, but there ain’t no broken glass. Nothin’s broke that I can see, except the front left headlight. That’s hard to believe, considerin’ all the noise this thing made as it plowed through my yard.”
Moses started barking again, and pacing up and down in the porch.
“Moses, don’t make me come over there!”
“Denton, come take a look.” Rob was standing on the other side of the truck, his flashlight pointing into the vehicle.
Denton stepped through some tall grass and weeds and around to where his partner stood.
“What do you make of that?” Rob held his light in one hand and pointed to the side of the open passenger window with his other.
Denton stooped over, almost pressing his nose to the metal post. He reached out and rubbed something between his thumb and index finger.
“Feels like pants material to me—blue jeans. Looks like it was torn or ripped off.”
“That’s what I thought too.” Rob leaned close, tracing the window frame with his flashlight. “But there’s no blood anywhere.”
Moses barked louder now, and without saying a word Ernie headed in the direction of the dog.
“Mr. Brakefield, hold on there.” Denton straightened up and took off after the man.
Ernie spun around, looking into Denton’s light. He blinked a couple of times and shielded his eyes with a stubby hand.
“What? What’s the matter?”
“Has Moses been out in the yard since this happened?”
Ernie looked over his shoulder, then back at the paramedic. “No, I’ve kept him on the porch. He’s young and too excited. Why?”
Rob walked up beside Denton and they looked at each other.
“Why don’t we let Moses loose and see what he does?” Denton pointed his beam at the porch. “Maybe he can find something.”
“Listen! What’s that?” Ernie stood as still as a fence post and stared up into the night sky.
Rob cocked his head and strained his ears. The thick darkness was broken by the faint but unmistakable wail of a siren.
“Good,” Rob said. “The police should be here in a few minutes.”
They turned in the direction of the porch. Moses was still pacing, still barking.
“Might as well give him a try. Can’t hurt anything.” Ernie stumped off toward the
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