steps.
Back in her car Maggie sat for a moment, her
mind sorting through the odd bits of information it had been
accumulating. Things at the Highview, beyond Lori's death, seemed
out of kilter. Holly had told her about the presumed suicide, and
now Rose mentioned an accidental death. Was there any connection
between these deaths and Lori's? She couldn't know yet, but it was
disturbing. The only thing she knew right now was that Lori's
mother deserved an answer to her plea: "Who killed my little girl?”
Lori's entire family deserved an honest answer.
Maggie checked the map, then started the car
and turned it around toward Main Street. Main would take her to
Route 42. This in turn would lead her to the sheriff's office. If
anyone would have an answer to that question, the sheriff should.
And if not, Maggie wanted to know just what he was doing to get
it.
***
CHAPTER 9
April, 1998
Randy climbed into his old, beat-up Ford. It
didn't seem old and beat-up to him. To him it was great and
wonderful, his ticket to independence, the envy of most of his
friends. So it had a few dents and scratches. He would fix that, as
well as the jerking in the transmission and some other things, as
soon as he got the money.
And he was getting it. Thanks to this car,
he had got the job up here at the Highview, able to drive up to
work part time on landscaping. For digging a few holes and plopping
in a few bushes he was getting paid more than he ever got in his
life, though at seventeen he hadn't had too many jobs
yet.
Randy started up the car and pulled onto the
gravel road that led to the main one down the mountain. His mind
went over the day he'd had. A long day. After digging and raking
for several hours, he'd been directed to work on some of the tools
that had been stored all winter, scrape off rust, check the motors
of the small engines, and stuff. Not that he minded. It meant extra
pay, and he liked doing things like that, especially the engine
stuff. But it kept him late, and he and Jody might not be able to
make that movie after all. Maybe if he stepped on it...."
Randy sped around the curves of the road. It
was empty, so he wasn't worried about traffic. His tires squealed
as he took a sharp bend, and he pressed the brake as he came to
another. He heard, or maybe felt, something snap, and the brake
went all the
way to the floor. What the heck!
Randy had just worked on those brakes two
weekends ago. They should have been in great shape. But his foot
kept pumping and nothing was grabbing. Randy's heart started
beating hard. Another curve came up and he just barely made it. The
car was going fast. Faster than he could handle. He thought he
liked to drive fast, but not like this. Another curve. Then
another.
The last thing he saw was the dark shapes of
the trees as he crashed through the guard rail. The last thing he
felt was the terrible thud as the car hit the rocky slope, then
rolled. Randy's head hit something hard, and blackness replaced
consciousness, which was merciful, for he wasn't aware when the
flames burst out, engulfing his car, his precious car, and
everything in it, including him.
***
CHAPTER 10
Maggie parked her car at the rear of the
Highview and walked across the grounds toward the back entrance of
the hotel. She shoved her hands into her skirt pockets and frowned,
deep in thought. As she started to veer left to the door, the sound
of a familiar voice stopped her.
"Maggie! Maggie, over here!"
Maggie looked up to see Dyna waving at her
from a green and white striped lounge chair beside the pool. She
brightened at the sight of her ever-cheerful friend and went over
to join her.
"Dyna, you're just what I need.” Maggie sank
into the chair next to her.
"Kinda rough seeing the family?" Dyna asked.
She seemed to be trying to look properly somber, and nearly
succeeded.
"Yes, but I guess I was
prepared for that. I wasn’t prepared for what I ran into later."
Maggie
Back in her car Maggie sat for a moment, her
mind sorting through the odd bits of information it had been
accumulating. Things at the Highview, beyond Lori's death, seemed
out of kilter. Holly had told her about the presumed suicide, and
now Rose mentioned an accidental death. Was there any connection
between these deaths and Lori's? She couldn't know yet, but it was
disturbing. The only thing she knew right now was that Lori's
mother deserved an answer to her plea: "Who killed my little girl?”
Lori's entire family deserved an honest answer.
Maggie checked the map, then started the car
and turned it around toward Main Street. Main would take her to
Route 42. This in turn would lead her to the sheriff's office. If
anyone would have an answer to that question, the sheriff should.
And if not, Maggie wanted to know just what he was doing to get
it.
***
CHAPTER 9
April, 1998
Randy climbed into his old, beat-up Ford. It
didn't seem old and beat-up to him. To him it was great and
wonderful, his ticket to independence, the envy of most of his
friends. So it had a few dents and scratches. He would fix that, as
well as the jerking in the transmission and some other things, as
soon as he got the money.
And he was getting it. Thanks to this car,
he had got the job up here at the Highview, able to drive up to
work part time on landscaping. For digging a few holes and plopping
in a few bushes he was getting paid more than he ever got in his
life, though at seventeen he hadn't had too many jobs
yet.
Randy started up the car and pulled onto the
gravel road that led to the main one down the mountain. His mind
went over the day he'd had. A long day. After digging and raking
for several hours, he'd been directed to work on some of the tools
that had been stored all winter, scrape off rust, check the motors
of the small engines, and stuff. Not that he minded. It meant extra
pay, and he liked doing things like that, especially the engine
stuff. But it kept him late, and he and Jody might not be able to
make that movie after all. Maybe if he stepped on it...."
Randy sped around the curves of the road. It
was empty, so he wasn't worried about traffic. His tires squealed
as he took a sharp bend, and he pressed the brake as he came to
another. He heard, or maybe felt, something snap, and the brake
went all the
way to the floor. What the heck!
Randy had just worked on those brakes two
weekends ago. They should have been in great shape. But his foot
kept pumping and nothing was grabbing. Randy's heart started
beating hard. Another curve came up and he just barely made it. The
car was going fast. Faster than he could handle. He thought he
liked to drive fast, but not like this. Another curve. Then
another.
The last thing he saw was the dark shapes of
the trees as he crashed through the guard rail. The last thing he
felt was the terrible thud as the car hit the rocky slope, then
rolled. Randy's head hit something hard, and blackness replaced
consciousness, which was merciful, for he wasn't aware when the
flames burst out, engulfing his car, his precious car, and
everything in it, including him.
***
CHAPTER 10
Maggie parked her car at the rear of the
Highview and walked across the grounds toward the back entrance of
the hotel. She shoved her hands into her skirt pockets and frowned,
deep in thought. As she started to veer left to the door, the sound
of a familiar voice stopped her.
"Maggie! Maggie, over here!"
Maggie looked up to see Dyna waving at her
from a green and white striped lounge chair beside the pool. She
brightened at the sight of her ever-cheerful friend and went over
to join her.
"Dyna, you're just what I need.” Maggie sank
into the chair next to her.
"Kinda rough seeing the family?" Dyna asked.
She seemed to be trying to look properly somber, and nearly
succeeded.
"Yes, but I guess I was
prepared for that. I wasn’t prepared for what I ran into later."
Maggie
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