able to talk. Scooter was very excited about spending the summer with Zak, and his tendency to operate in hyperdrive had been obvious from the moment I’d picked them up at the airport yesterday. I hoped that after a day or two he’d settle in and settle down.
Luckily , Bella seemed to love the active little boy, so my fear that we’d have another dog-bite incident to deal with where Scooter was concerned had been nicely laid to rest.
I ’d never had breakfast, so I considered stopping by Ellie’s for a bite to eat, but first, I decided, I was going to head over to the Ashton Falls Motor Inn to see if I could find out where Pepper and Dezee had gotten off to. Until I had their decision regarding the derby, I really wouldn’t be able to rework the groups, which was something I needed to do by the end of the day.
I knocked on the door of the motel room Pepper and Pandora had been sharing, but there was no answer. I tried the handle and the door opened easily. I hate to admit it, but when I walked into the room, I screamed like a girl. This is a confession I am not proud of. I’m one of those people who roll my eyes when some girl on television stumbles upon a dead body and starts screaming uncontrollably. I mean, really, who does that? I might gasp if startled, but screaming on and on and on and on? Well, you get the picture.
Anyway, I walked through the door and screamed, not because I’d seen a dead body but because I’d seen a live one.
“Pandora?”
“What time is it?” a very much alive derby diva asked. She had been sleeping when I’d come in.
“You’re dead,” I accused her.
“I’m not dead. Maybe a little hung over , but certainly not dead.”
“But you are,” I insisted. “I saw you die.”
Pandora looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“You raced Boomer this morning. I saw you. You lost control and went over the embankment. Your car exploded. I’m certain of th at.”
“I missed the race,” Pandora insisted. “Have you been smoking the funny cigarettes that were passed around last night?”
“No.” I took a deep breath and tried to gather my thoughts. If Pandora was alive, who was dead?
“When was the last time you saw Pepper?” I asked.
Pandora squinted against the massive headache I suspected she was fighting. “We partied together last night. I got really drunk, which is odd because it usually takes a lot to get me drunk. Dezee walked me back here and Pepper put me to bed. That’s the last thing I remember.” Pandora looked at the bedside clock. “I guess I must have forfeited the race.”
“No,” I informed her. “You won.”
“I did? I must have been drunker than I thought. I don’t even remember racing.”
“I don’t think you did.”
“Huh?”
“Back to Pepper. Did you see her this morning?”
Pandora squinted. I could tell that her head must be pounding. “I’m not sure . Why?”
“She’s missing. I think she may be dead.”
“Dead? What are you saying?” Pandora jumped out of the bed totally naked.
“Someone showed up for the race this morning in your car. The person who raced won and then died. Everyone thinks it was you , but here you are. No one has seen Pepper.”
“Oh God.” Pandora bent over and vomited into the wastebasket.
“Perhaps you should get dressed ,” I suggested.
Pandora pulled on a pair of shorts and a halter. She didn’t seem to care about undergarments , but to each her own.
“ Tell me exactly what happened.” Pandora sat down on the bed next to me.
I explained the series of events that led me to this place and time .
“She must have decided to race for me.” Pandora began to cry.
“What happened last night?” I asked.
Pandora stared off into space like I wasn’t even in the room. I supposed she really cared about Pepper and was having a hard time accepting what I was telling her.
“Honestly, I don’t know. Boomer and some of the guys invited me and some of the girls to party in his room. Pepper
Luckily , Bella seemed to love the active little boy, so my fear that we’d have another dog-bite incident to deal with where Scooter was concerned had been nicely laid to rest.
I ’d never had breakfast, so I considered stopping by Ellie’s for a bite to eat, but first, I decided, I was going to head over to the Ashton Falls Motor Inn to see if I could find out where Pepper and Dezee had gotten off to. Until I had their decision regarding the derby, I really wouldn’t be able to rework the groups, which was something I needed to do by the end of the day.
I knocked on the door of the motel room Pepper and Pandora had been sharing, but there was no answer. I tried the handle and the door opened easily. I hate to admit it, but when I walked into the room, I screamed like a girl. This is a confession I am not proud of. I’m one of those people who roll my eyes when some girl on television stumbles upon a dead body and starts screaming uncontrollably. I mean, really, who does that? I might gasp if startled, but screaming on and on and on and on? Well, you get the picture.
Anyway, I walked through the door and screamed, not because I’d seen a dead body but because I’d seen a live one.
“Pandora?”
“What time is it?” a very much alive derby diva asked. She had been sleeping when I’d come in.
“You’re dead,” I accused her.
“I’m not dead. Maybe a little hung over , but certainly not dead.”
“But you are,” I insisted. “I saw you die.”
Pandora looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“You raced Boomer this morning. I saw you. You lost control and went over the embankment. Your car exploded. I’m certain of th at.”
“I missed the race,” Pandora insisted. “Have you been smoking the funny cigarettes that were passed around last night?”
“No.” I took a deep breath and tried to gather my thoughts. If Pandora was alive, who was dead?
“When was the last time you saw Pepper?” I asked.
Pandora squinted against the massive headache I suspected she was fighting. “We partied together last night. I got really drunk, which is odd because it usually takes a lot to get me drunk. Dezee walked me back here and Pepper put me to bed. That’s the last thing I remember.” Pandora looked at the bedside clock. “I guess I must have forfeited the race.”
“No,” I informed her. “You won.”
“I did? I must have been drunker than I thought. I don’t even remember racing.”
“I don’t think you did.”
“Huh?”
“Back to Pepper. Did you see her this morning?”
Pandora squinted. I could tell that her head must be pounding. “I’m not sure . Why?”
“She’s missing. I think she may be dead.”
“Dead? What are you saying?” Pandora jumped out of the bed totally naked.
“Someone showed up for the race this morning in your car. The person who raced won and then died. Everyone thinks it was you , but here you are. No one has seen Pepper.”
“Oh God.” Pandora bent over and vomited into the wastebasket.
“Perhaps you should get dressed ,” I suggested.
Pandora pulled on a pair of shorts and a halter. She didn’t seem to care about undergarments , but to each her own.
“ Tell me exactly what happened.” Pandora sat down on the bed next to me.
I explained the series of events that led me to this place and time .
“She must have decided to race for me.” Pandora began to cry.
“What happened last night?” I asked.
Pandora stared off into space like I wasn’t even in the room. I supposed she really cared about Pepper and was having a hard time accepting what I was telling her.
“Honestly, I don’t know. Boomer and some of the guys invited me and some of the girls to party in his room. Pepper
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