kid, people said sympathetically,a bit of a loner, but he surely looked after his mom. He was never even a suspect.
He inherited the house and the bank accounts. He wasn’t a millionaire but the money was his to spend as he wanted. He bought a three-year-old Porsche convertible, a Rolex and some smart clothes. With his mother out of the way, he could play the big shot he’d always wanted to be.
During the time Buck was in Hudson, what remained of that money had been held on deposit at a good interest rate that had brought him enough extra funds to pay for his pizzas and vodka. Now, it would be put to better use.
The hell with Delia, he thought, staring out into the dark night speeding past the train window. She’d only gotten what she deserved. The main function of her life, and her death, had been to show him his own power. He’d found killing easy after that. No need for much planning, the way he’d had to with her. Random killings, without motive, a stranger in a strange place, were almost impossible to solve.
He’d had the formula down pretty good, until the old woman had him locked up. Now her turn had come to join the elite. She was as good as his. And, as he had with Delia, he would take his time about it, plan things carefully. This time, he meant to really enjoy it.
11
D AN EXITED THE FREEWAY AND HALTED AT THE STOP SIGN at the turn to Olive Mill Road, in Montecito. The Explorer’s engine idled perfectly as he waited for the oncoming traffic to slow. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he observed uneasily the yellow Jeep coming up too fast. He couldn’t believe the driver would just keep on going, until, with a squeal of brakes, she rear-ended him.
He thumped his fist angrily against the steering wheel. He’d had the car less than a week and the stupid woman had already screwed it up. Had she been oblivious to the stop sign? And the traffic? Blood boiling, he leapt from the car.
“What are you, blind?” he yelled. “Or just crazy? Couldn’t you see me sitting at the stop sign, waiting for a break in the traffic? I guess you just meant to go straight through. And God help anyone who got in your way.”
“No I did not,” Ellie yelled back hotly, climbing from the Jeep. “And you might at least be civilized about this.”
“Civilized? Lady, I’ve had this vehicle exactly fivedays. You want me to be
civilized?”
He stared angrily at the dent in the back of the Explorer, then turned and glared at her. She was wearing baggy white shorts, and a T-shirt, and even angry, he noticed that her slender brown legs went on forever. Her red hair whipped round her face in the breeze and she pushed it back impatiently, then glared at him.
He said, surprised, “Oh. It’s you.”
Ellie suddenly recognized him. It was the rugged blue-eyed macho man. She wondered how she had ever thought him sexy. “And it’s you,” she said coldly. “And if you don’t behave in a civilized fashion, I’ll call the police.”
He grinned at her, a mocking little smile that showed off his perfect white teeth and for some reason annoyed her. He said, “Lady, I
am
the police.” Then he remembered. He held up his hand. “Delete that statement. I
was
the police. Now I’m just Dan Citizen who’s mad as hell because his new car has been smacked up. Can you blame me?”
Ellie heaved a regretful sigh. “Of course I can’t blame you.” She looked disconsolately at the wound on the Explorer, then turned and gave the ancient Jeep a kick. “Oh, you,” she muttered, scowling.
Dan clapped an unbelieving hand to his forehead. And he had thought her “cute” when he first saw her.
“I apologize,” Ellie said stiffly. “My hair blew across my face just for that second. It’s horribly dangerous, I know, and I usually tie it back when I’m driving. It was all my fault.”
She fished her bag from the car and took out a card. “Here’s my name and address. And my registration and insurance. I guess
He inherited the house and the bank accounts. He wasn’t a millionaire but the money was his to spend as he wanted. He bought a three-year-old Porsche convertible, a Rolex and some smart clothes. With his mother out of the way, he could play the big shot he’d always wanted to be.
During the time Buck was in Hudson, what remained of that money had been held on deposit at a good interest rate that had brought him enough extra funds to pay for his pizzas and vodka. Now, it would be put to better use.
The hell with Delia, he thought, staring out into the dark night speeding past the train window. She’d only gotten what she deserved. The main function of her life, and her death, had been to show him his own power. He’d found killing easy after that. No need for much planning, the way he’d had to with her. Random killings, without motive, a stranger in a strange place, were almost impossible to solve.
He’d had the formula down pretty good, until the old woman had him locked up. Now her turn had come to join the elite. She was as good as his. And, as he had with Delia, he would take his time about it, plan things carefully. This time, he meant to really enjoy it.
11
D AN EXITED THE FREEWAY AND HALTED AT THE STOP SIGN at the turn to Olive Mill Road, in Montecito. The Explorer’s engine idled perfectly as he waited for the oncoming traffic to slow. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he observed uneasily the yellow Jeep coming up too fast. He couldn’t believe the driver would just keep on going, until, with a squeal of brakes, she rear-ended him.
He thumped his fist angrily against the steering wheel. He’d had the car less than a week and the stupid woman had already screwed it up. Had she been oblivious to the stop sign? And the traffic? Blood boiling, he leapt from the car.
“What are you, blind?” he yelled. “Or just crazy? Couldn’t you see me sitting at the stop sign, waiting for a break in the traffic? I guess you just meant to go straight through. And God help anyone who got in your way.”
“No I did not,” Ellie yelled back hotly, climbing from the Jeep. “And you might at least be civilized about this.”
“Civilized? Lady, I’ve had this vehicle exactly fivedays. You want me to be
civilized?”
He stared angrily at the dent in the back of the Explorer, then turned and glared at her. She was wearing baggy white shorts, and a T-shirt, and even angry, he noticed that her slender brown legs went on forever. Her red hair whipped round her face in the breeze and she pushed it back impatiently, then glared at him.
He said, surprised, “Oh. It’s you.”
Ellie suddenly recognized him. It was the rugged blue-eyed macho man. She wondered how she had ever thought him sexy. “And it’s you,” she said coldly. “And if you don’t behave in a civilized fashion, I’ll call the police.”
He grinned at her, a mocking little smile that showed off his perfect white teeth and for some reason annoyed her. He said, “Lady, I
am
the police.” Then he remembered. He held up his hand. “Delete that statement. I
was
the police. Now I’m just Dan Citizen who’s mad as hell because his new car has been smacked up. Can you blame me?”
Ellie heaved a regretful sigh. “Of course I can’t blame you.” She looked disconsolately at the wound on the Explorer, then turned and gave the ancient Jeep a kick. “Oh, you,” she muttered, scowling.
Dan clapped an unbelieving hand to his forehead. And he had thought her “cute” when he first saw her.
“I apologize,” Ellie said stiffly. “My hair blew across my face just for that second. It’s horribly dangerous, I know, and I usually tie it back when I’m driving. It was all my fault.”
She fished her bag from the car and took out a card. “Here’s my name and address. And my registration and insurance. I guess
Similar Books
