hook.”
There was a knock at the door. Julie took a peek in the hallway mirror, then answered the door. “Happy Birthday, Tank.”
“I’m not much in the mood for celebrating, but maybe a good meal and some wine will give my mind a little break. You look great, by the way.”
“Thanks, you too,” said Julie. She noticed that his face looked a little thinner and his eyes drooped with fatigue. She caught another glance of herself in the mirror. Maybe she’d be able to cheer him up. “Shall we?” Tank said goodbye to Joey and they got into Tank’s car. They had chosen a restaurant outside of town. Both agreed they would be more comfortable in a place where they weren’t likely to be recognized. Of course, Tank had been in the news quite a bit lately. Would anyone recognize him? Julie hoped not. They followed a road that reminded Julie of the twisty straws that Joey had loved as a preschooler. She had packed one in his lunchbox every day. His preschool teacher had thought that was so cute. His preschool teacher….Julie shuddered. She still couldn’t think about Joey at his ground floor preschool without imagining a blast…smoke…rubble….
“So, has Joey gotten all his applications in?” asked Tank.
“Yes. Now we play the waiting game. He really has his heart set on MIT.”
“He’s brilliant,” said Tank. “I can’t imagine him not getting in. He has the grades and great SAT scores.”
“Yes, but they’re looking for so much more these days. They want leadership experiences, volunteer hours, travel….”
“Well, didn’t he spend last summer out in West Virginia volunteering?” asked Tank.
“Yeah. He built houses with Habitat for Humanity. The boy hardly knows which end of a hammer to hold, growing up without a father and all. I can’t believe he was actually able to build houses.” Julie glanced at the rear view mirror and noticed a car following rather closely behind them. Tank had noticed it also.
“That guy needs to get off my tail and turn down his high beams,” said Tank. Tank sped up a bit, but so did the car behind him. “This is dangerous, him following so closely on these curvy roads at night. I hope he isn’t drunk or something.” Tank hit the gas to try to create space but the car sped up and remained on his tail. The two-lane road was flanked with a thick blanket of pine trees. There wasn’t much shoulder to speak of. Julie felt a knot in her stomach.
“Maybe you should call the police,” said Tank. He continued to speed up, but again the car followed suit. “When I can find a bit of shoulder, I’m going to pull over. See if you can get the license number as he goes by,” said Tank.
Julie dialed 911, her fingers quivering as she entered the numbers. “Tank, I’m really getting scared,” she said. She reached the 911 operator. “Tank, where should I tell her we are?” Julie heard the brakes screech like nails on a chalkboard. Tank abruptly pulled his car over to the side of the road. The other car sped past, nearly hitting the driver’s side door. Julie tried to memorize the license number, but could barely see it in the dark.
“Tell her we’re on Creaky Hollow Road, about 10 miles outside of Westbrook.”
Julie repeated Tank’s directions. “Yes, it was a dark colored sedan––black or maybe dark blue. I copied down the first three digits of the license plate,” she told the operator. She had put the phone on speaker.
“Wait there,” said the operator. “I’m sending a patrol car now.”
The patrol car arrived in no time and Julie repeated the description of the car and the digits she was able to get from the license plate.
“Did the driver appear to be driving as if he were under the influence of drugs or alcohol?” asked the officer.
“No,” answered Tank. “He wasn’t veering off the road at all and was staying on my tail the entire time. I’d say he was quite alert and sober.”
“Was he trying to pass you maybe? Did you cut
There was a knock at the door. Julie took a peek in the hallway mirror, then answered the door. “Happy Birthday, Tank.”
“I’m not much in the mood for celebrating, but maybe a good meal and some wine will give my mind a little break. You look great, by the way.”
“Thanks, you too,” said Julie. She noticed that his face looked a little thinner and his eyes drooped with fatigue. She caught another glance of herself in the mirror. Maybe she’d be able to cheer him up. “Shall we?” Tank said goodbye to Joey and they got into Tank’s car. They had chosen a restaurant outside of town. Both agreed they would be more comfortable in a place where they weren’t likely to be recognized. Of course, Tank had been in the news quite a bit lately. Would anyone recognize him? Julie hoped not. They followed a road that reminded Julie of the twisty straws that Joey had loved as a preschooler. She had packed one in his lunchbox every day. His preschool teacher had thought that was so cute. His preschool teacher….Julie shuddered. She still couldn’t think about Joey at his ground floor preschool without imagining a blast…smoke…rubble….
“So, has Joey gotten all his applications in?” asked Tank.
“Yes. Now we play the waiting game. He really has his heart set on MIT.”
“He’s brilliant,” said Tank. “I can’t imagine him not getting in. He has the grades and great SAT scores.”
“Yes, but they’re looking for so much more these days. They want leadership experiences, volunteer hours, travel….”
“Well, didn’t he spend last summer out in West Virginia volunteering?” asked Tank.
“Yeah. He built houses with Habitat for Humanity. The boy hardly knows which end of a hammer to hold, growing up without a father and all. I can’t believe he was actually able to build houses.” Julie glanced at the rear view mirror and noticed a car following rather closely behind them. Tank had noticed it also.
“That guy needs to get off my tail and turn down his high beams,” said Tank. Tank sped up a bit, but so did the car behind him. “This is dangerous, him following so closely on these curvy roads at night. I hope he isn’t drunk or something.” Tank hit the gas to try to create space but the car sped up and remained on his tail. The two-lane road was flanked with a thick blanket of pine trees. There wasn’t much shoulder to speak of. Julie felt a knot in her stomach.
“Maybe you should call the police,” said Tank. He continued to speed up, but again the car followed suit. “When I can find a bit of shoulder, I’m going to pull over. See if you can get the license number as he goes by,” said Tank.
Julie dialed 911, her fingers quivering as she entered the numbers. “Tank, I’m really getting scared,” she said. She reached the 911 operator. “Tank, where should I tell her we are?” Julie heard the brakes screech like nails on a chalkboard. Tank abruptly pulled his car over to the side of the road. The other car sped past, nearly hitting the driver’s side door. Julie tried to memorize the license number, but could barely see it in the dark.
“Tell her we’re on Creaky Hollow Road, about 10 miles outside of Westbrook.”
Julie repeated Tank’s directions. “Yes, it was a dark colored sedan––black or maybe dark blue. I copied down the first three digits of the license plate,” she told the operator. She had put the phone on speaker.
“Wait there,” said the operator. “I’m sending a patrol car now.”
The patrol car arrived in no time and Julie repeated the description of the car and the digits she was able to get from the license plate.
“Did the driver appear to be driving as if he were under the influence of drugs or alcohol?” asked the officer.
“No,” answered Tank. “He wasn’t veering off the road at all and was staying on my tail the entire time. I’d say he was quite alert and sober.”
“Was he trying to pass you maybe? Did you cut
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