Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
Diana didn’t argue. Something was very wrong, and Colby had decided they were in real trouble. She wanted to ask him what he intended to do, but it occurred to her that this was not a good time to distract him.
The Mazda was moving very swiftly down the lonely, narrow road now. But the car behind it was picking up speed with the eagerness of a hawk swooping down on its prey.
“Whoever it is, he’s spoiling for either a race or a fight,“ Colby observed dispassionately.
“I take it we’re going to give him the race?“ Diana held her breath as Colby downshifted for a tight turn.
“I'm not about to stop and invite the alternative. Not when I have no way of knowing how many people are in that car, or if the driver’s carrying a gun. Lots of crazies around these days.“
Diana closed her eyes as the Mazda whipped out of the turn in a controlled skid and accelerated rapidly. She opened them again as she heard the engine growl in preparation for another curve.
“How well do you remember this road, Colby?“ she asked, trying to sound calm and collected.
“Like the back of my hand.“
“That’s very reassuring.“ She gripped the dash with both hands as Colby sent the responsive car plunging into another curve. They came roaring out of the turn a few seconds later with the monster still on their heels.
“He had a little trouble with the last curve,“ Colby observed, his gaze flicking briefly to the side mirror. “He’s got a lot under the hood but he isn’t in complete control of it.“
“I see.“ Diana carefully kept all inflection out of her voice. She was getting scared, very scared. She thought about all the times Colby had raced down this road for wild thrills and hard cash, and then she reflected on the number of times she herself had ever driven even five miles over the speed limit. She could count them on one hand.
She really had led a sheltered life.
“Remember I told you I could usually lose the competition on the turn near the bridge?“ Colby asked.
“I remember.“
“I’m going to try it now. It’s a little tricky, though. Hang on tight and don’t panic.“
“Right.“ She couldn’t possibly panic. She was beyond panic. The hairpin turn near the bridge was coming up swiftly in the headlights and Colby was taking it with what seemed far too much speed.
They were going to wind up in the river. Diana knew it as surely as she knew her own name. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her stomach. In that moment all she could think about was the baby. It was the first time she had ever visualized the growing being within her as a distinct and viable entity. But suddenly it was very real and her overwhelming urge was to protect it.
There was a sharp squeal of tires, and the shriek of rubber on blacktop seemed to go on forever. Diana waited for the inevitable impact but nothing happened. The Mazda slammed out of the hairpin turn unscathed. From behind them came the nerve-shattering sound of brakes being frantically applied.
“Lost ‘em,“ Colby said with calm satisfaction as he checked the rearview mirror. “Or he lost his nerve, to be more precise. Thought he could take that ‘vette into the turn the same way I took the Mazda and realized at the last second he couldn’t. Just as well. If he’d gone into the turn fast enough to catch us, he’d have gone into the river.“
“Is it over?“
“Yeah. He’s not following us.“ Gradually Colby eased off the pedal.
Diana took several deep breaths. She looked over at Colby’s grim profile. He flashed her a quick, reassuring grin and she closed her eyes again.
“You enjoyed that. I was scared to death and you enjoyed it,“ she accused softly.
“No I didn’t. I’m just glad it’s over. What’s wrong with your stomach?“
“Nothing.“ She realized she still had her arms folded around herself protectively. “I was just… when we started into that last turn, all I could think about was… was…“ She floundered.
“The baby?“ he asked gently. “Is that what you were thinking about?“
“For the first time it seemed real, somehow. I was frightened something would happen.“
“I was, too,“ Colby said grimly. “Scared something might happen to you and the baby. That’s why I decided to try outrunning whoever was in that car. Twenty years ago it wouldn’t have been a problem. I’d have known who was in the car and the worst thing that might have happened would have been a fistfight with the other driver. You would have been safe enough. But these days you never know what kind of weirdos are out playing tricks in the middle of the night. It was safer to outrun the ‘vette than stop and risk finding ourselves facing a psycho.“
Diana swallowed. “You’re right. Colby, we should report this.“
“Ill check into it tomorrow. Ill talk to Gil and maybe the new man, Roy Barnes, who took his place.“
“Good idea.“ Diana clasped her hands between her knees to stop them from shaking.
“Wish we'd gotten a better look at that car.“
“You said it was a Corvette?“
“An old one. A classic.“
“like the one you used to drive on this road?“
Colby didn’t answer that. Instead he said thoughtfully, “Eddy Spooner would remember working on a car like that.
I’ll talk to him tomorrow, too. Are you sure you’re okay, honey?“
“I'm fine. Honest.“
“The adrenaline dies down after a while. Take a few deep breaths.“
“I already did that. Maybe it’s just as well I led a sheltered existence as a high school student. I don’t think I’m cut out for walking on the wild side.“
“Don’t kid yourself. You’ve got guts, lady. You didn’t scream once. Real cool.“
“Thank you, Mr. Savagar. I can’t tell you what that means to me.“ But she was smiling, Diana realized. Colby was right. The adrenaline was dying down quickly. “And may I compliment you on your driving prowess? Very impressive.
Even if you did forget to bring along a leather jacket.“
“Thank you.“
“What’s so funny?“ Diana demanded.
“I was just thinking. That’s the first time I’ve ever raced with a female in the car.“
“I’m glad we’re doing some things differently this time around than you did them the first time here in Fulbrook Corners.“
“Everything’s different with you, Diana. Remember that.“
She wondered at the sudden intensity in his voice. She was silent for a moment as Colby turned onto the narrow bridge that crossed the river.
“Colby?“
“Yeah, honey?“ He sounded preoccupied, his mind elsewhere.
“You are one hell of a driver.“
He slid her a surprised, sidelong glance. “Thanks.“
“I’m glad it was you behind the wheel tonight rather than me or even Brandon.“
Something in her voice must have caught his attention. “What makes you say that?“
“Because I think the person in that other car was out for blood, not just a race. I think whoever it was would have cheerfully sent us into the river if he’d gotten the chance.“
“Honey, calm down. Your imagination is running at high rev. It was just some teenager who was looking for action on River Road. Like I said, some things never change.“
“The GUY was a real terrorist, Eddy. It wasn’t just some kid trying to get a race going. He was out for blood. Even Diana sensed it, although I told her that what was happening was just standard operating procedure for drag racing on River Road. But it wasn’t, at least not the way we used to do it twenty years ago. Have things changed around here that much?“
Eddy Spooner rolled his beer can between his hands and studied the uninspiring view of his moonlit backyard.
Colby leaned back against the sagging step and followed Eddy’s gaze. The weed-choked space behind Eddy’s tumbledown house was a graveyard for dead automobiles. Moonlight gleamed on the skeletons of an old Chevrolet and a Ford. At the edge of the porch was a pile of rusting auto parts. A dark pyramid of old tires loomed in the shadows near a large shed.
“There isn’t much racing down on River Road these days,“ Eddy finally said slowly. “Leastways, not that I hear about. Some of the local kids have some hot stuff under their hoods, and once in a while one will challenge the other, just like in the old days, but not too often. You think the guy that jerked your chain last night was driving a Corvette?“
Colby nodded. “A black one. Older model.“
“Twenty years old?“ Spooner asked meaningfully.
“No, not quite that old. Old enough to bring back a few memories, though.“
“The guy nearly took you, huh?“
“He nearly took me by surprise,“ Colby clarified roughly. “But I suckered him into that turn by the bridge. He realized too late he was going into it too fast. Lost his nerve. By the time he recovered, Diana and I were long gone.“
“You always had a good sucker punch up your sleeve. Good thing it wasn’t your son driving last night, huh?“
Colby set his back teeth and lifted the beer can to his lips. “Brandon’s a good driver. I taught him. But he’s never raced on River Road. He could have been in big trouble last night. Whoever was driving that ‘vette did know the road.
That’s what made me think he was out for blood. He knew that road, and he tried to push me into the river.“
“Maybe he figured you’d forgotten that road. It’s been twenty years.“
“That would be assuming whoever was driving the ‘vette knew I was behind the wheel in the other car.“
Eddy flicked him a glance. “You don’t think he did?“
“I don’t know what to think, Eddy. I just know I don’t want some hotshot thinking he can put Diana at risk the way he did last night. I want to make it real clear to him, in fact, that it will be worth his life if he tries anything like that again.“
“Before you can tell him that, you got to find him,“ Eddy pointed out.
“That’s why I drove over to see you this evening. I figured you’d know if there was anything as hot as that Corvette around here.“
Eddy frowned intently. “Hasn’t been anything that hot around here since you drove off in that black ‘vette twenty years ago. Most of the kids around here who are into cars drive Camaros like mine or four-by-fours. Could have been an outsider. Someone from, say, Vickston, who’d heard there might be a little action on River Road. I’ll ask around, if you like.“
“I’d appreciate it, Eddy.“ Colby got to his feet. “Thanks for the beer. I’d better be getting home. I told Diana I’d just be gone for an hour or so.“
“Wives are kinda nosy, huh? Like to keep tabs on a guy-“
Colby shrugged. “I don’t mind.“ As he said the words, he realized they were the truth. He didn’t mind Diana’s interest in his whereabouts when he wasn’t with her. He damned sure wanted to know where she was when she wasn’t with him.
“You’ve changed,“ Eddy observed as he ambled around the side of the old house beside Colby.
“We all do, Eddy.“
“Think you’re as tough as you used to be?“
Colby grinned. “I wasn’t all that tough twenty years ago, Eddy. I was just a lot younger. Didn’t know what I wanted out of life. Now I do.“
“Does knowing what you want make a difference?“
Colby glanced at him. Eddy wasn’t usually given to philosophical questions. “It makes a hell of a difference.“
“How? You think you’re tougher now because you know what you want?“
“Put it this way, Eddy. When a man finally gets his priorities straight, he knows what’s worth fighting for and what isn’t. He can conserve his energy for the important stuff.“
Eddy walked in silence for a long moment. As they approached the Mazda parked in the front drive, he resettled his camouflage cap on his thin blond hair. “I got me some new priorities these days.“
“Glad to hear it.“ Colby opened the car door and slid behind the wheel.
Eddy braced his arm on the car roof. “I got a line on something real good this time, Colby. Real good.“
Colby looked up as he switched on the ignition. “That’s great, Eddy.“
Eddy leaned closer, excitement simmering in his voice. “It’s something hot, Colby. I mean really hot. It could be the big one. The break I’ve been waiting for.“
“Good luck.“ Colby meant it but he knew Eddy Spooner would be looking for his big break until the day he died.
Eddy’s big breaks always had a way of falling to pieces before he could get his hands on them.
“You’ll see,“ Eddy said with soft intensity. “You and everyone else in this hick town.“ He stepped back from the car. “I’ll keep an eye out for the black ‘vette.“
“Thanks, Eddy. See you later.“ Colby slipped the Mazda into gear and picked his way through the ruts and potholes of Eddy’s front drive. He realized he was eager to be away from the moonlit cemetery. It wasn’t just old cars that were buried here. A lot of impotent dreams had also been buried in Eddy Spooner’s yard.
Colby drove down the lonely country road and thought about fate and luck and priorities.
It was a while before he noticed the altered feel of the road, but when he finally did he groaned and reluctantly pulled over to the side. Why did flat tires always happen at night five miles from the nearest gas station?
Colby turned off the engine and reached for the flashlight he had instructed Brandon to always keep in the glove compartment. Then he climbed out of the car and morosely surveyed the shrinking rear tire.
“Damn.“
He was going to be late getting home to Diana. He hoped she wouldn’t be unduly alarmed. She had been a little nervous following last night’s idiocy out on River Road. But at least she had Specter with her. Whatever else you could say about the stupid dog, he was highly protective of Diana.
Colby hauled out the tools he would need to change the tire.
He was removing the last of the lug nuts when Margaret Fulbrook’s heavy old Cadillac pulled off the road and cruised to a halt behind him. Its headlights illuminated the Mazda in a harsh glare. Harry Gedge opened the door and got ponderously out of the driver’s seat. He was alone.
Colby stayed crouched near the tire, but he kept the wrench in his hand as he watched Harry come toward him. It had been twenty years, but he knew Harry could carry a mean grudge.