Peggy Holloway - Judith McCain 01 - Blood on White Wicker by Peggy Holloway Page A

didn’t see any sign of life. I wondered what had happened to Delilah.
    When we got to the park, everything happened so fast that I had to make some quick decisions. As the counselors were telling the girls what to take, picking out which picnic tables they were going to use, and generally getting set up, I rolled under the bus. Some of the girls were setting up the volleyball net and some of the others were getting out the volleyballs and basketballs.
    Suddenly, I heard one of the counselors say, “Wait a minute, where’s Vicky?”
    Just like I had predicted, Jo Jo spoke up and said, “I hate to tattle on someone, but she did confide in me. She told me she was being picked up by someone two blocks up that way.”
    Ms. Casey said, “Why did you wait till now to tell anyone? Well never mind. Linda, you and Carol go see if you can head her off.”
    They all watched the two counselors run in that direction.   I rolled out the other side of the bus, with my purse and ran in the opposite direction and jumped on the street car. I couldn’t have asked for better timing. But, that was as far as I had planned, being a typical sixteen year old.

I got off the streetcar on Canal Street where it turned around and walked to the corner and got on a bus heading towards Metairie. I took a transfer in Metairie and ended up over in the Lake Pontchartrain area.
    This is where the houses are like mansions and they’re right on the lake. There are little park areas along there and I sat on one of the benches to rest and decide what to do next. I had enough money for a motel, but would anyone rent me a room?
    I had seen enough movies to know that if you got a room in a more run down area and paid cash, they wouldn’t ask any questions. So where would I find one of those? Then I thought of the Airport.
    I hiked back down to Airline Blvd. and got on another bus to the airport. The New Orleans airport is actually in Kenner, and is a rough neighborhood, nothing like the nice neighborhood where Dave’s house was. I was a little nervous about getting a room there.
    As it turned out, I didn’t have to, because, when I got off the bus, I noticed an old Chevrolet Impala with the keys in the ignition. It was parked in the parking lot of the drug store where I got off the bus. I looked around, but saw no one. The car was parked far away from the store.
    I got in and started it up. My heart was going a hundred miles an hour. Then I saw a man come out of the store like he was in a big hurry. He came towards the Impala and I thought I would die. But he walked on by and headed for a new Pontiac Bonneville, parked near all the other cars, and took off.
    I had never driven before but thought I could do it. I put the car in R for reverse and slowly eased the car out of the parking lot.
    I stayed off the main roads and ended up parking in the parking lot of an apartment complex on a street called Houma. I was sleeping like a log in the backseat when someone started banging on the windshield and shining a bright light in my eyes.
    “Would you step out of the car, please?”
    I jumped up and opened the door when I saw the police uniform.
    “Is this your car?” the policeman said.
    I didn’t answer and knew I was in trouble again.
    Once again, I heard the words, “You have the right to remain silent…” and I was taken to a different police station.
    I was locked up in Juvenile Hall and spent three days there. I saw a Judge Renfro in his chambers who asked a lot of questions and gave me a long lecture. I was again picked up by another social worker and taken to another shelter. The judge had ordered community service and I had to do yard work around the court house.
      It wasn’t so bad really. I sort of enjoyed it, in a way. I was taken there every morning by my case worker and picked up late in the afternoon. I did this until the end of summer and then I was placed into another foster home.
    That was the best foster home I had been in so far, or so