THIRTY-TWO
Swirling mist from the river spilled across the blacktop and filled the sidewalk as Susie Hartwig stepped into the alleyway outside Aunt Betty’s Café. After locking the door behind her, she slipped her purse over one shoulder, the weight of her Glock a comfort against her hip. Raised in Black Rock Falls, she’d never needed to carry a weapon for personal protection. As little as five years ago, most folks never locked their doors and children could run wild without fear—but not now. She’d spoken her concerns to Sheriff Alton and the next moment she’d been on the practice range with Deputy Kane. Each time she walked home late at night, his words of advice ran like an earwig through her mind—just like now.
“If someone comes at you or grabs you with the intent to do you harm, don’t hesitate. Empty the clip.”
Bone weary from working a twelve-hour shift, she made her way out into the darkness with one hand resting on her purse. She took the same way home every night and stepped out with confidence. Since moving to a neat house on Maple, it was easier to walk the few hundred yards than drive her truck, and she enjoyed the solitude of a moonlit stroll after a long shift in a noisy diner. The alleyway behind the diner cut through from Main to Maple and had a streetlight, courtesy of Mayor Petersham. The orange-yellow glow appeared to hover over the swirling mist, making the dumpsters look like ships floating on a golden ocean. Always cautious, Susie made sure to listen for any sounds and peer around corners before moving forward. She’d lived in Black Rock Falls long enough not to be naïve about her personal safety. People died in this town and she took extra precautions every time she worked the late shift.
Her mind was on the following morning. She didn’t have to show for work until noon and she’d made plans to visit the beauty parlor. Sighing with relief as she reached the end of the alleyway, she made a left into Maple. The houses here were some of the first built during the establishment of the town. They spread out with luxurious-size yards, most of them set back from the road. The gardens displayed an abundance of flowers and their scent hung in the air with a potpourri of perfumes. The moon sat in a cloudless sky—a witch’s moon—but not enough to brighten the night. Luckily, streetlights spaced out along the sidewalk offered patches of muted light. Usually, they gave her enough illumination to walk home in confidence, but not tonight. Ahead in the darkness something moved, and she slowed her step. It was unusual to see anyone parked on the side of the road, and the town car seemed out of place. Most people in these parts owned trucks, apart from some of the older ladies who preferred to drive a compact around town.
Wary, she moved closer. Night had turned everything into shades of gray and blended edges, making it difficult to see anything clearly between the streetlights. The mist swirled around a vehicle with the hood raised and somebody leaned over the engine with a flashlight. She heaved a sigh of relief. It wasn’t a serial killer lurking in the dark, just some poor soul having car trouble, and by the condition of the vehicle, they probably didn’t have the spare cash to join the auto club. As she moved closer the light went out and she could hear muffled curses coming from under the hood. The man was obviously in trouble and in Black Rock Falls stopping to offer assistance was the neighborly thing to do. Stepping a little closer but keeping a good distance from him, she raised her voice. “Do you need help? Can I call someone for you?”
“Nah, I don’t want to drag someone out at this time of night. It’s a simple repair—just a loose wire. I almost had it when my phone died. If you have a flashlight, I could fix it in a few seconds.” He turned and looked at her, but she couldn’t make out his expression under the shadow of his hat. “It was impossible trying to juggle my phone and replace the wire at the same time. Do you think you could hold your phone flashlight over the engine for me so I can repair it? It won’t take more than a minute or so.”
The decision to help him came naturally. Making people happy was part of her job and the success of Aunt Betty’s Café since she’d taken over proved her proficiency. Even so her heart pounded in her chest as the voice in her head sent out a warning. She drew a deep breath and opened her purse. Her hand brushed the pistol as she pulled out her phone, turned on the flashlight, and moved closer to peer under the hood.
“Oh, dammit.” The man straightened and shook his head. “I’ve dropped the nut. I’ll never find it.” He looked at her and his mouth turned down. “I have spares in my toolbox in the trunk. Could you bring the light?” He walked to the back of the sedan and popped the trunk.
Reluctantly, Susie followed. Her flashlight picked out a man in his late thirties, average in height and wearing coveralls. He was cursing under his breath and getting agitated. She aimed her light to the open toolbox. “Maybe I should call someone before my battery is dead too.”
“It’s just I can’t see so well without my glasses. Can you grab one for me?” He shrugged and pointed at the toolbox. “In there, a nut about a quarter inch wide.”
Moving the light over the toolbox, Susie made out a section with oily nuts and bolts. She bent over and sorted through them. She lifted one between thumb and finger and turned to him. “Is this the one you need?”
Pain shot through the side of her head, and she bit her tongue. Her knees buckled and she dropped her phone, the light filling the trunk. Terrified but surprisingly alert, the advice Deputy Kane had given her rushed into her mind in crystal clarity and she pushed one hand into her purse. Her fingers closed around the handle of her weapon but fell away impotent as agony seared a red-hot path through her temple from a second blow. She tasted blood and the reek of oil and gas filled her nostrils. The world tipped sideways and curled in at the edges as she tipped forward. Her purse was torn from her arm, the light from her phone vanished, and she tumbled headlong into the trunk. Red spots danced before her eyes and with her head exploding with incredible torture, she sank into merciful darkness.