Warpath

“How long will it take to drive back?” Jane asked.

“About two days if we drive it straight through,” Danny said.

Jane turned back and considered the large bed of his pickup. With the exception of her futon, she was certain she could fit most of her things back there.

They got Jane the adjoining room at the motel and Danny drove Jane to see Yuri, the mechanic who had her Nissan in his shop. She was surprised to learn her car had been sold.

“I’m sorry to say,” the soft-bellied Ukrainian said, “I had to put a mechanic’s lien on your car since I couldn’t find you. Your phone is disconnected, and I mailed the notice but it came back.”

Jane was furious. “You sold my car!?”

“Pick-A-Part. Yes, Pick-A-Part junkyard, in the Valley. They were kind enough to pick it up, but I lost money on the deal,” Yuri said then ducked into his garage.

“I’ll sue you!”

Danny tried to calm Jane down, explaining that Yuri had every right to sell her car.

“But that was my car!”

“What year was it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ninety-six Nissan Sentra, with over two hundred thousand miles,” unseen Yuri informed from the shade of his garage.

Danny took Jane’s arm, “The thing couldn’t have been worth more than eight hundred bucks.”

“It’s got sentimental value.”

“How much did you owe him?”

“I don’t know. Maybe seven hundred. I forget.”

“Then it sounds like it’s time for a new car,” he said. “I’ve got a Chevy back home. You can borrow it until you’re back on your feet.”

Jane had owned the Nissan since high school and was sad she’d never see it again. Getting back in the truck, Jane saw a Dodge Charger with darkened windows across the street. She got the feeling whoever inside was watching her. They pulled away, and after a few blocks, she could see the car was following, her suspicions confirmed.

“Someone’s following us,” she said.

“Where?”

“Behind us. That black car.”

Danny studied the rear-view mirror.

“My lawyer said the cops may be watching me,” she said. “They think I can lead them to Veronica.”

“Cops? I better clean those beer cans out of my truck bed, don’t ya think?”

Jane could see there were no cans in his truck bed and wondered why he was teasing her at a moment like this. The car followed for a few blocks but then veered off. She wondered if it was the cops, a coincidence, or someone working for Veronica?

Back to TOC

Here’s a sample from Robert J. Randisi’s Souls of the Dead.

Prologue

Monday night . . .