the circular drive for the carriage house, and both women waited for the police car as their hearts pounded.
The police car pulled into the drive behind Alice’s convertible. When the officer got out, so did Annie and Alice. The officer walked up to the convertible, shaking his head as he looked at the damage to the beautiful car.
“We got a call someone was trying to run you off the road,” the officer said. He pointed at the dents. “It looks like he made a good effort. It’s awfully early in the day for a drunk driver.”
“That driver wasn’t drunk!” Alice said, and Annie saw tears in her friend’s normally bright blue eyes. Alice loved that convertible, and Annie knew it must hurt to see the side so banged up. “He might have been crazy, but he seemed in control of his vehicle. He turned around when we heard your siren,” she said. “He must have run right past you. He was driving a big dark SUV.”
The officer nodded. “I did pass an SUV. I didn’t know it was involved in the incident though. You keep saying ‘he’; did you get a good look at the driver?”
Both women shook their heads. “The windows were dark,” Alice said.
“Did either of you get the license number?”
Annie and Alice both looked at each other. Neither had. “Wow, some mystery solvers we make,” Alice said with a shaky laugh.
“That’s perfectly understandable,” the officer said gently. He pulled off his leather gloves and pulled his cellphone out of his pocket. “The experience must have been pretty scary. Why don’t you ladies go in out of the cold? I’m going to take some photos of the damage, and then I’ll come in and take your statements.”
They nodded and headed up the steps into Alice’s house. Even as stressed as she was, Annie couldn’t help noticing all the charming touches Alice had added to the place for Christmas. Her friend certainly was a skilled decorator, and her house was a testament to how lovely the Divine Décor items worked with the older-style homes in Stony Point.
“Do you want some tea?” Alice asked. “I would offer coffee, but I definitely don’t need to be hyped up any more than I already am.”
“Do you think this had anything to do with my mugging yesterday?” Annie asked, hugging herself as a wave of shivering passed over her. Alice’s house was warm and snug, but Annie wasn’t sure she was going to feel warm for a while.
“I don’t know,” Alice said softly as she turned to walk toward her cozy kitchen. In a quieter voice, she added. “I’m wondering if it might have something to do with John.”
“Your ex?” Annie said, stopping short in surprise.
“I know it’s probably silly, but we didn’t part on the best of terms last time,” Alice said with a sigh. “Or any time actually.”
Annie remembered John MacFarlane’s last trip to Stony Point. The man had frightened her, but even though she didn’t have a very high opinion of him, she couldn’t quite imagine him deciding to run them off the highway for no clear reason. Now if money were involved, then she could see it. “Has he contacted you looking for money?” she asked.
“He hasn’t contacted me looking for anything,” Alice said as they reached the kitchen and she began to fill the kettle. “And I would love to keep it that way.”
Soon the police officer came in and took their report as they sat around her small table sipping hot tea. They had few details, but Alice mentioned her ex and their rocky relationship.
“Do you have reason to believe he is in the area?” the officer asked.
“No,” Alice admitted.
“Has he threatened you?”
“No.”
“We’ll definitely look into him as a possibility, but it doesn’t sound like the most likely option,” the officer said as he dutifully scrawled John’s name in his notebook.
Then Annie told him about the mugging in the parking lot at the pier. The officer listened intently as she described it, taking careful notes. “I tend to
The police car pulled into the drive behind Alice’s convertible. When the officer got out, so did Annie and Alice. The officer walked up to the convertible, shaking his head as he looked at the damage to the beautiful car.
“We got a call someone was trying to run you off the road,” the officer said. He pointed at the dents. “It looks like he made a good effort. It’s awfully early in the day for a drunk driver.”
“That driver wasn’t drunk!” Alice said, and Annie saw tears in her friend’s normally bright blue eyes. Alice loved that convertible, and Annie knew it must hurt to see the side so banged up. “He might have been crazy, but he seemed in control of his vehicle. He turned around when we heard your siren,” she said. “He must have run right past you. He was driving a big dark SUV.”
The officer nodded. “I did pass an SUV. I didn’t know it was involved in the incident though. You keep saying ‘he’; did you get a good look at the driver?”
Both women shook their heads. “The windows were dark,” Alice said.
“Did either of you get the license number?”
Annie and Alice both looked at each other. Neither had. “Wow, some mystery solvers we make,” Alice said with a shaky laugh.
“That’s perfectly understandable,” the officer said gently. He pulled off his leather gloves and pulled his cellphone out of his pocket. “The experience must have been pretty scary. Why don’t you ladies go in out of the cold? I’m going to take some photos of the damage, and then I’ll come in and take your statements.”
They nodded and headed up the steps into Alice’s house. Even as stressed as she was, Annie couldn’t help noticing all the charming touches Alice had added to the place for Christmas. Her friend certainly was a skilled decorator, and her house was a testament to how lovely the Divine Décor items worked with the older-style homes in Stony Point.
“Do you want some tea?” Alice asked. “I would offer coffee, but I definitely don’t need to be hyped up any more than I already am.”
“Do you think this had anything to do with my mugging yesterday?” Annie asked, hugging herself as a wave of shivering passed over her. Alice’s house was warm and snug, but Annie wasn’t sure she was going to feel warm for a while.
“I don’t know,” Alice said softly as she turned to walk toward her cozy kitchen. In a quieter voice, she added. “I’m wondering if it might have something to do with John.”
“Your ex?” Annie said, stopping short in surprise.
“I know it’s probably silly, but we didn’t part on the best of terms last time,” Alice said with a sigh. “Or any time actually.”
Annie remembered John MacFarlane’s last trip to Stony Point. The man had frightened her, but even though she didn’t have a very high opinion of him, she couldn’t quite imagine him deciding to run them off the highway for no clear reason. Now if money were involved, then she could see it. “Has he contacted you looking for money?” she asked.
“He hasn’t contacted me looking for anything,” Alice said as they reached the kitchen and she began to fill the kettle. “And I would love to keep it that way.”
Soon the police officer came in and took their report as they sat around her small table sipping hot tea. They had few details, but Alice mentioned her ex and their rocky relationship.
“Do you have reason to believe he is in the area?” the officer asked.
“No,” Alice admitted.
“Has he threatened you?”
“No.”
“We’ll definitely look into him as a possibility, but it doesn’t sound like the most likely option,” the officer said as he dutifully scrawled John’s name in his notebook.
Then Annie told him about the mugging in the parking lot at the pier. The officer listened intently as she described it, taking careful notes. “I tend to
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