"I was just given an ultimatum from my employer. I have one day to get back up there or they'll terminate me. I know my brother appreciates my efforts, but I don't know if I'm doing any good or not down here."

"He does appreciate you. Don't say I told you, but I think you're making great progress."

"I can't give up that job, Chip."

"I know you have responsibilities up there."

"...and I'm supposed to trade all that for-whatever might happen down here? I don't mean you, Chip. I don't know if I'm the answer for my brother's problems anyway."

"You should do whatever is best for you and your career."

"I'll miss being able to annoy you."

"I'll miss being annoyed. You know, I'd like to call you sometime in Philadelphia."

They both were silent.

Then he said, "This is really a surprise. Can I see you now?"

She wondered what it would lead to if she saw him tonight, and wondered if that was what she really wanted. She hadn't wanted to get too close to Chip while her brother was in jail, but now she was leaving and would be off stage. Chip was the most appealing and solid man she had ever met. She knew him well enough to know they would begin with an embrace this evening and end with a distressing goodbye in the early hours tomorrow. Of course, there would be a brief epilog, she imagined, of subsequent long distance calls and e-mails that would lessen and eventually give way to the daily substance of their separated lives. That would be how it ends.

"Why don't we meet at Raymond's apartment in one hour?" she said it with some hesitation. "You know where it is, you tore it apart."

"Okay, one hour it is. Where are you now?"

"The Jardin, I'm in my car in the parking lot. I was checking on Elena's story. I wanted to know if this was a love thing or a sinister plot. I just saw her mother inside. She said she couldn't talk inside because someone is always watching her. She told me to go on outside and wait."

"Her mother? What the h.e.l.l? Sandy, I want you to drop that part of your digging. Don't go to see any of that family or even nose around. Drop it right now. Let me handle it. You're playing with the big boys there."

"I have no choice but to drop it. It's all yours now, I just got the ultimatum from my boss. I must give this up now and go home and pack."

"Good, well get out of there fast! You're sitting alone in a dark parking lot, out in the sticks, in that little plaything you call a car. You've probably got the top down."

Then, over to her left, she heard an engine roar and saw a huge vehicle roll into the lot. It stopped abruptly in the middle of the driveway. The vehicle stayed where it stopped, motionless. She sat there harshly illuminated, targeted in the headlight's glare, watching for any sign of movement.

Another full minute pa.s.sed. Then the headlights switched to bright. The phone was still in her hand. In a whisper, "Chip, don't hang up. I think I have a problem. There's a huge SUV stopped in the middle of the driveway aimed right at me and the driver isn't moving. G.o.d, it looks enormous. Like a tank, big and square with bars going across the front."

"Sounds like a Hummer. It's a trap, Sandy. Get out of there!"

"I can't get out. There's nowhere to go. He's blocking the driveway, and I'm at the back of the lot."

"Start your vehicle now, and buckle your seatbelt!"

Suddenly, she saw the swinging reflection of restaurant lights in the door window as the driver's door opened. "Now the driver is getting out. He's tall and skinny, has on a baseball cap. Maybe he's going into the restaurant. No, Chip, he's walking right toward me!"

"I used to patrol that area. There's an old wooden fence across the back of that lot, it's rotted. Swing around and drive right through it. There's a road on the other side."

"What? Drive into a fence on purpose, you're nuts. No way, not with my baby car!"

His voice was tense, "Is your car running? Is your seatbelt on?"

"Okay, okay, but I'm going to wait, maybe he's just lost and wants directions." Then the realization hit her. "My G.o.d, that must be Pirro. I'm trapped here with him."

"Sandy, I'm telling you, either head for the fence or drive over him." He shouted, "Get moving and go through the fence. If you don't hit a post, you should sail right through. Now! Go!"

She stepped on the accelerator and turned hard. The little car started sliding and fishtailed at first, then recovered. The man yelled and started running toward her. Then he turned and ran back to his vehicle. She could see the fence coming up fast. She ducked instinctively. The fence broke with a sharp crackle, followed by a thud and the sickening crack of breaking gla.s.s. A web of shattered windshield spread across in front of her. The car was now sliding sideways down a slight slope with the tires spinning in dirt. She realized she still had her foot on the accelerator. She hit the brakes. She felt the car lurch up from the shallow ditch and slid to a stop with dust swirling around her.

She was in the middle of a dirt road. No streetlights. She could make out lights in a house a block away. Quiet, except she could hear her car still running. One headlight was out. She felt something damp and sticky on her forehead. She twisted around in her seat, looking at her car, expecting shambles. A small plank of wood was on the seat next to her. She threw it out. Otherwise, all appeared normal except for the cracks in the windshield. She felt around for her phone and found it tucked between her legs. "Chip are you there?"

"Thank G.o.d, you okay?"

"I'm surprised, the car came through okay. I'm on a back street."

"I'm in my vehicle now and already halfway there. Which way did you turn after you busted through?"

"Left, I guess."

"Okay, that's away from town. Make a U-turn and head back. Stay on that back road. I'll cut over and meet you. You'll see my flashing lights coming up right in front of you in a couple of minutes and you'll be safe."

"Well, don't hit me, one headlight is out." Before she could turn, there was a thunderous crash and with a bouncing flash of headlights, the huge vehicle roared down the slope just behind her. She pushed the accelerator pedal hard against the floorboard. The tires spun on the dirt road for a second, then caught and the little car shot ahead down the dark back road.

"He's on my tail, Chip and I'm going away from you. I'm heading out into the country. Don't think I can outrun him."

"Don't try to speed on that dirt road, there's a roadside ca.n.a.l along there. Just try to keep in front of him until I catch up." He grabbed his microphone, "Dispatch this is David Three. Code three. Request you get an ambulance moving west on Milkrun Road, west of the Jardin Cafe. Not on the main highway, on Milkrun! I'll tell you how far west in a minute, just get rolling out here. David Three en route."

She barreled ahead on the unfamiliar dirt road, trying to see the road with a broken headlight and a cracked windshield. "He's gaining on me. Real close now. He's enormous, I'm just a little speck compared to that monster. Feels like searchlights shining down on me. Geez, he b.u.mped me. He keeps. .h.i.tting me! He's smashing my trunk. Chip, he's going to drive right over me!"

G.o.ddard heard her phone go dead. He was now on Milkrun Road. His siren blared as he sped down the dirt road. He strained to see any taillights ahead. He pushed his speed. As he pa.s.sed behind the restaurant, there was no time to swerve to miss the broken fence boards in the road. He rumbled across them like train tracks.

Ahead now was a low wall of dust. His headlights glared back from the dust cloud like fog, forced him to slow. He cursed and pounded on the steering wheel with his fist. He strained to stare ahead into the swirling blur, forced to drive much slower now.

Then ahead, there through the dust, he could make out taillights-large lights, high off the ground. Now guided by those taillights, he started gaining. G.o.ddard had drag raced on this road in his teens. He knew every b.u.mp and curve. Dust or no dust, there was no vehicle made that could out run him on this road.

Then, on the right at the side of road, through the dust he saw a dim light. Peculiar, a light shining up on a tree. No likely landscape decorations in this neighborhood. He had already shot pa.s.sed it. Something made him stop. He braked hard, skidded sideways to a stop. He watched with frustration as the red taillights of the Hummer disappeared ahead into the dust.

Something was wrong. He backed until he was alongside the light. The dust started to clear. He could now see the little red Miata flipped upside down in the ca.n.a.l, c.o.c.ked at an angle. One headlight shone up out of the water like a beacon. The tires were spinning. Most of the car was under water. He had almost missed it. He reached for the mike. It slipped from his sweaty hand. He grabbed it again. He tried to get his breath. "Dispatch-David Three. Vehicle under water with injuries. Respond five miles west of the Jardin Cafe on Milkrun Road. I'm on the scene. You'll see my overheads. Make it fast." He moved his car across headed toward the shoulder so that his headlights now illuminated the ca.n.a.l. He could feel his heart pounding. Stay calm. Don't panic. She'll be all right. You can do this. Just do this one thing.

Chapter 26.

"She was upside down, head in the mud, her seatbelt holding her under water. Somehow G.o.ddard got her untangled, carried her up on the ca.n.a.l bank, and gave her CPR until the ambulance pulled up."

"What are you talking about?" It was early, before breakfast. Ray was surprised to see Sergeant Lewis down there, away from his desk in the visiting room.

"Thought you should know." The sergeant pa.s.sed the morning paper through the bars. "Not much in the paper-doesn't even give her name. Deliberately run off the road. We're going to catch the guy."

A small item was circled. "This is Sandy?" Ray read the brief item and started shaking as the situation sank in. "My G.o.d, is she okay?"

"Well, yes and no. She's alive. She came to before they got to the hospital. But her legs are numb. I just came from the hospital but couldn't see her."

"What do you mean numb? Can she move them?"

The sergeant hesitated and then shrugged. "Look, I'm not a doctor."

"She can't move her legs!" Ray yelled and hit the bars with his hand. "d.a.m.n, then it's her spine."

"Doctor says too early to tell. They're running tests. She's getting good care."

Ray stumbled backward onto the bunk. He closed his eyes tightly and thought about the circ.u.mstances, the danger in which he had put his sister. He never should have called her, she didn't want to come anyway. They weren't close and he had forced the situation. Maybe she believed their folks would have wanted it. Now, what kind of remaining life would she go back to?"

"Let me know if I can do anything." Sergeant Lewis said quietly. He waited a few more minutes and then silently walked away.

They cleared the breakfast away. All Sandy wanted was some tea, a comb, and a mirror. A nurse leaned into the room and said, "h.e.l.lo world, she's sitting up now, that's good. Got a bet going on at the nurse's station on why an armed cop sat outside your room all night. We're trying to decide if you're somebody good or somebody bad."

"Didn't know about the guard. Anyway, long story and I don't remember it all."

"Well, the cops drank all our coffee. Another cop's coming your way right now-good lookin' one. He's been in and out looking at you, but you were asleep. If you don't want him let us know, we'll take him."

She saw Chip look in tentatively, and she motioned him on in.

He said, "Hope you don't mind."

"Just don't look at me. Look at the wall or the floor. I need a shower. What do I say to someone who just saved my life? Thank you sounds laughable."

"What on earth did you think you were doing out there?"

"No, no, this is where you say, oh my G.o.d, Sandy, I'm so glad you're alive!"

"Your convertible saved you. I wouldn't have had time to force open a door to get to you. Even then, I had trouble getting your seatbelt off. Your body was pulling against it. The paramedics got you breathing. They figured you were out less than five minutes-that's very positive according to them. You hit that ditch at high speed and burrowed into the mud. You were lucky."

"Lucky my buddy was right behind me." She reached out, took his hand, and squeezed it briefly, before he slowly pulled it away.

"Scared the h.e.l.l out of me," he said.

"Hey, I run around Philly at night."

"I don't want to hear about reckless in Philadelphia. Not only is Towson's murderer out there, now we know Pirro is gunning for you, and you might want to look over your shoulder for Huress. You're mucking around in the gutter where the slime b.a.l.l.s are."

"I don't mind mixing it up with the bad guys. But I stay Teflon clean. Always been that way."

"You're not only c.o.c.ky, you're reckless. I hope you never meet your match. You know, often the bad guys win. In fact, if you look at the numbers the bad guys usually win. And if they're caught, they don't get convicted."

"So, I have better odds being the criminal than the victim. You cops should shoot more of them before they get to trial."

"Not funny. I'm glad you're not a cop."

"No joke. I'm not saying shoot all of them, just more of them."

"Sounds like you're back to your old lethal self."

"Not so bad right now. All night they had me strapped to a board and wouldn't let me move my head or anything until they examined all the pictures. Stiff and sore here and there. They say I have bruises from the seatbelt in some strange places. I'm getting away with just this cut on my forehead-and the legs I guess.

"I asked the doctor about your legs, but he couldn't tell me much. What did he tell you?"

"Said just wait. They still feel numb." She wanted to change the subject. "Have you seen my car?"

"Yes, I put the remaining pieces in an envelope. You can mail it to your insurance company."

"Guess I'll be on foot, so to speak, until I get a new one."

"Anything else you need?"

"Yes, but I don't want to bother you, it's not police business."

"Name it."

"I need a new cellphone. Mine is soaking in Florida swamp mud somewhere. I'm lost without it"

"Oh, I forgot, the tow truck driver found it on the ca.n.a.l bank, must have flipped out when you overturned."

"A miracle-all my precious numbers."

"It's downstairs with your clothes, I'll have it sent up." He turned toward the door. "I bullied my way in here. They said please just thirty seconds. I guess my time is up."

"You arranged for a police guard outside my room."

"Just precautionary. Someone tried to kill you."

He started to say something else. She guessed it was about her leaving Florida. He walked to the door.

He turned. "Can you describe the guy?"

"It had to be Pirro. Tall and skinny, I couldn't make out his clothes. Oh, and the baseball cap."

"I got a good paint sample off your trunk lid. I'll find the b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

"Might not be a problem. I have a feeling if I tell Elena Duarte what happened, she'll tell me exactly where to find him."

After he left, she reached down and touched each leg, still no feeling. She picked up the mirror, moved her head back and forth slowly, and spoke aloud, "I suppose I'm lucky at that." Yet, she had to consider that the rest of her life might be quite different than she had always imagined.

The bedside phone rang and she shuffled around and stretched to reach it. "Hi, Miss Reid it's Sergeant Lewis. Can you talk?"