hold the flashlight."
"Now that everyone is here, I'm going home," Judy said. "Mom doesn't like it when I'm late."
Scotty prepared to leave. "That car next door is gone. Did any of you see it leave?"
"It might have left the same time Judy did," Mark guessed.
"Mark! Stop standing around jawing and get these tires pumped up. I want to get home so I can get my Z's."
Mark plugged the compressor into the cigarette lighter and squatted down beside the tire to fasten the hose to the valve stem. "You were already sawing wood when I woke you."
The throbbing of the little motor had a comforting sound to Sherry as she and Frank went around to the driver's side. Frank knelt down and inserted the valve gut into the stem and used the little tool to screw it in.
Sherry stood by shivering. It had been warm when she left home but now the night chill reminded her that summer was over. She'd have to remember to bring her jacket tomorrow.
Frank stood up and took off his dark green jacket and draped it around her shoulders. "The air gets cool quickly after the sun goes down." He moved on to the back tire.
Sherry put her arms in the sleeves of the jacket that was warm from Frank wearing it. Mark pulled the truck around to the drivers' side. When he saw Sherry hugging his father's jacket around her he cursed himself for not thinking of it first. He stepped down from the truck and squatted down to blow up the front tire. "If you're cold get in the car. Start it to warm up the engine so you can use the heater."
Frank had walked around back of the store and now came striding back to the vehicles. "Sherry do you have your cell phone? Mine's at home on the charger."
She dug the phone from her purse and gave it to him. He pushed the on button and squinted at the screen. "Good. You have Scotty's number." He spoke into the phone. "Scotty, that car didn't leave. It's parked behind the building. Maybe you should come have a looksee. Or do you want me to do it?" Frank turned off the phone and handed it back to Sherry. "He doesn't want civilians getting mixed up in police business. Here he comes now. Couldn't have been too far away."
"Get out of the way, old man," Mark said. "Or do you want me to pump you up, too?"
Sherry got in the car and started the engine. Frank leaned close to Mark. "I think I should drive Sherry's car home. You can follow in the truck."
"I was going to suggest the same thing. I'll tell you one thing. There is no way I am going to allow Elena to get to Sherry again."
They heard a shout from the next building over followed by the squall of tires. A black sedan tore across the parking lot followed by Scotty's police car with lights flashing and siren blaring. The car ran the stop sign at the end of the road and headed for the four lane with Scotty in hot pursuit.
"At least they're going the opposite direction from where we'll be headed," Frank observed.
When the last tire was inflated, Mark turned to his father. "Give me a few minutes to put this compressor away and get turned around. Then I'll be right behind you driving interference. No matter what you see going on behind you, get this wagon home and in the garage with the door down. I want Sherry safe inside."
"Let me get that earphone to plug into Sherry's cell. That way we can keep in touch." He leaned in the truck cab and pulled the suction cup cell phone holder from the dash along with the ear phone while Mark put the compressor in the truck.
Frank opened the driver's door on Sherry's car. "Scoot over. I'm driving."
"Why?"
"You've been through enough for one day."
She didn't argue but slid across to the passenger side and buckled the seat belt. Frank crawled in with his knees almost against the steering wheel. "One of these days I'm going to fix this seat so it can be moved back. I feel like a grasshopper."
Sherry giggled. "The woman I bought it from got tired of her teenagers pushing the seat back so she pounded a penny into the track so it couldn't be moved
"Now that everyone is here, I'm going home," Judy said. "Mom doesn't like it when I'm late."
Scotty prepared to leave. "That car next door is gone. Did any of you see it leave?"
"It might have left the same time Judy did," Mark guessed.
"Mark! Stop standing around jawing and get these tires pumped up. I want to get home so I can get my Z's."
Mark plugged the compressor into the cigarette lighter and squatted down beside the tire to fasten the hose to the valve stem. "You were already sawing wood when I woke you."
The throbbing of the little motor had a comforting sound to Sherry as she and Frank went around to the driver's side. Frank knelt down and inserted the valve gut into the stem and used the little tool to screw it in.
Sherry stood by shivering. It had been warm when she left home but now the night chill reminded her that summer was over. She'd have to remember to bring her jacket tomorrow.
Frank stood up and took off his dark green jacket and draped it around her shoulders. "The air gets cool quickly after the sun goes down." He moved on to the back tire.
Sherry put her arms in the sleeves of the jacket that was warm from Frank wearing it. Mark pulled the truck around to the drivers' side. When he saw Sherry hugging his father's jacket around her he cursed himself for not thinking of it first. He stepped down from the truck and squatted down to blow up the front tire. "If you're cold get in the car. Start it to warm up the engine so you can use the heater."
Frank had walked around back of the store and now came striding back to the vehicles. "Sherry do you have your cell phone? Mine's at home on the charger."
She dug the phone from her purse and gave it to him. He pushed the on button and squinted at the screen. "Good. You have Scotty's number." He spoke into the phone. "Scotty, that car didn't leave. It's parked behind the building. Maybe you should come have a looksee. Or do you want me to do it?" Frank turned off the phone and handed it back to Sherry. "He doesn't want civilians getting mixed up in police business. Here he comes now. Couldn't have been too far away."
"Get out of the way, old man," Mark said. "Or do you want me to pump you up, too?"
Sherry got in the car and started the engine. Frank leaned close to Mark. "I think I should drive Sherry's car home. You can follow in the truck."
"I was going to suggest the same thing. I'll tell you one thing. There is no way I am going to allow Elena to get to Sherry again."
They heard a shout from the next building over followed by the squall of tires. A black sedan tore across the parking lot followed by Scotty's police car with lights flashing and siren blaring. The car ran the stop sign at the end of the road and headed for the four lane with Scotty in hot pursuit.
"At least they're going the opposite direction from where we'll be headed," Frank observed.
When the last tire was inflated, Mark turned to his father. "Give me a few minutes to put this compressor away and get turned around. Then I'll be right behind you driving interference. No matter what you see going on behind you, get this wagon home and in the garage with the door down. I want Sherry safe inside."
"Let me get that earphone to plug into Sherry's cell. That way we can keep in touch." He leaned in the truck cab and pulled the suction cup cell phone holder from the dash along with the ear phone while Mark put the compressor in the truck.
Frank opened the driver's door on Sherry's car. "Scoot over. I'm driving."
"Why?"
"You've been through enough for one day."
She didn't argue but slid across to the passenger side and buckled the seat belt. Frank crawled in with his knees almost against the steering wheel. "One of these days I'm going to fix this seat so it can be moved back. I feel like a grasshopper."
Sherry giggled. "The woman I bought it from got tired of her teenagers pushing the seat back so she pounded a penny into the track so it couldn't be moved
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