showed up asking her questions. The man at the accident. The man on the sidewalk across from her today. Her name in the victim’s wallet. What’s going on? She wanted to write everything down and stare at the words on the paper so that maybe they would shift into order and reveal something to her.
The traffic picked up speed and she glanced in the rearview mirror to change lanes. She moved the Jeep into the middle of the highway. She checked the rearview mirror again. Her heart started to pound. A dark sedan, a few cars behind her, switched lanes right after she did. Olivia brushed her hair behind her ear with shaking fingers . I’m imagining things. She forced herself to take a deep breath. She noticed that she had sped up and was going too fast. Olivia eased up on the gas pedal. She switched back into the right hand lane. Her eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror again. The dark sedan was still a few cars behind, now also in the right lane. Olivia set her jaw.
She sped up and switched lanes again, this time to the far left. As soon as she could, she switched back into the middle. She continued these maneuvers for several miles keeping her eyes on the road ahead. She pressed harder on the gas pedal, forcing the car faster than she felt comfortable with. She gripped the steering wheel, determined to keep on like this for a few more miles. The highway was crowded but all of the vehicles were moving along rapidly. She weaved in and out between them.
She slowed a little and looked into the mirror. Her heart pounded like a jack hammer. The sedan was three cars behind her. It was too far back to make out who was in it. Olivia’s mind raced. Was it following her or not? She had to find out.
A rest area was coming up in a few miles. Olivia switched to the middle lane again. The sedan moved into the middle. Just as she approached the rest area, Olivia swerved into the right lane and took the exit leading into the parking lot without slowing. The sedan jerked to the right and followed. Instead of turning into the lot, Olivia floored it and shot ahead to the roadway leading back to the highway. Sweat beaded on her forehead. The sedan was coming up fast behind her just as she merged back onto the interstate. Whoever was in the sedan had to know that she was aware she was being followed.
Olivia glanced at her cell phone on the console. Her hand moved for it but she changed her mind and took hold of the steering wheel again. She had another plan. Olivia knew that on weekdays the state police usually had a speed trap set up a few miles ahead. She pushed on the gas pedal to cover the distance as fast as she could. The speedometer needle touched 85mph. Her breath was coming quick. Her sweaty hands slipped on the wheel. Her friends usually teased her because she drove like a little old lady. They wouldn’t recognize her today.
Olivia prayed that the police were in their usual place. She pressed harder on the pedal and shot past the spot where they often hid. A State Police car flew after her. Relief flooded her body. She slowed and pulled over to receive her ticket. As the cop pulled in behind her, she saw the sedan drive past.
Olivia knew the sedan would slow and wait for her up ahead, so as soon as she got her ticket, she took the first exit off the highway to avoid them. After traveling the back roads for a half hour, she pulled into a McDonald’s. She went in, used the bathroom sink to splash water on her face, and ordered a coffee. She returned to her car, her limbs feeling shaky and rubbery, and found the entrance back to the highway. She felt sick to her stomach for the remainder of the ride home. No one followed her. I lost him.
Olivia parked the car in her garage, grabbed her wallet, and strode across the lawn to Joe’s house. His truck was in his driveway.
She knocked on the screen door and called, “Joe?” She opened the door and stepped into his kitchen. Joe wasn’t there. She walked into the living room. His
The traffic picked up speed and she glanced in the rearview mirror to change lanes. She moved the Jeep into the middle of the highway. She checked the rearview mirror again. Her heart started to pound. A dark sedan, a few cars behind her, switched lanes right after she did. Olivia brushed her hair behind her ear with shaking fingers . I’m imagining things. She forced herself to take a deep breath. She noticed that she had sped up and was going too fast. Olivia eased up on the gas pedal. She switched back into the right hand lane. Her eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror again. The dark sedan was still a few cars behind, now also in the right lane. Olivia set her jaw.
She sped up and switched lanes again, this time to the far left. As soon as she could, she switched back into the middle. She continued these maneuvers for several miles keeping her eyes on the road ahead. She pressed harder on the gas pedal, forcing the car faster than she felt comfortable with. She gripped the steering wheel, determined to keep on like this for a few more miles. The highway was crowded but all of the vehicles were moving along rapidly. She weaved in and out between them.
She slowed a little and looked into the mirror. Her heart pounded like a jack hammer. The sedan was three cars behind her. It was too far back to make out who was in it. Olivia’s mind raced. Was it following her or not? She had to find out.
A rest area was coming up in a few miles. Olivia switched to the middle lane again. The sedan moved into the middle. Just as she approached the rest area, Olivia swerved into the right lane and took the exit leading into the parking lot without slowing. The sedan jerked to the right and followed. Instead of turning into the lot, Olivia floored it and shot ahead to the roadway leading back to the highway. Sweat beaded on her forehead. The sedan was coming up fast behind her just as she merged back onto the interstate. Whoever was in the sedan had to know that she was aware she was being followed.
Olivia glanced at her cell phone on the console. Her hand moved for it but she changed her mind and took hold of the steering wheel again. She had another plan. Olivia knew that on weekdays the state police usually had a speed trap set up a few miles ahead. She pushed on the gas pedal to cover the distance as fast as she could. The speedometer needle touched 85mph. Her breath was coming quick. Her sweaty hands slipped on the wheel. Her friends usually teased her because she drove like a little old lady. They wouldn’t recognize her today.
Olivia prayed that the police were in their usual place. She pressed harder on the pedal and shot past the spot where they often hid. A State Police car flew after her. Relief flooded her body. She slowed and pulled over to receive her ticket. As the cop pulled in behind her, she saw the sedan drive past.
Olivia knew the sedan would slow and wait for her up ahead, so as soon as she got her ticket, she took the first exit off the highway to avoid them. After traveling the back roads for a half hour, she pulled into a McDonald’s. She went in, used the bathroom sink to splash water on her face, and ordered a coffee. She returned to her car, her limbs feeling shaky and rubbery, and found the entrance back to the highway. She felt sick to her stomach for the remainder of the ride home. No one followed her. I lost him.
Olivia parked the car in her garage, grabbed her wallet, and strode across the lawn to Joe’s house. His truck was in his driveway.
She knocked on the screen door and called, “Joe?” She opened the door and stepped into his kitchen. Joe wasn’t there. She walked into the living room. His
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