Page 34 of Risk of a Lifetime
“I’m having a hard time staying in my lane.”
Why had he let her drive? Her shoulder wasn’t healed enough to handle these curves at high speed. Her car had already passed seventy miles per hour. “Concentrate on steering. Stay as much in your lane as you can.”
If he lived through this, whoever was after her would wish they’d never heard of JB and Marcy Bradley. He pulled into the passing lane. “I’m coming around.”
He floored the accelerator and slipped around her car like she was sitting still. Settling about a car length in front of her, JB tried to think one step ahead. Didn’t take long to feel her driving rhythm. He chanced a quick look in the rearview mirror. The steel resolve on her face didn’t fool him one bit. Betsy didn’t look so good, either.
“I’m going to slow down till you’re only a few inches off my bumper. If I can jolt us right, your fender may hook on my hitch,” JB said.
“What should I do?”
“Stay on the road. If you feel us lock together, then follow my lead on steering.” He lowered his speed in increments. “Hang up, and call the police.”
“Already did from my phone,” Betsy said. “Cops have traffic stopped at the bottom of the hill. They’ll head up the minute they see us stop or…stop.”
“Good. Hold on.” Their bumpers brushed, jolted, jimmied. He increased his speed and tried the slow down again. Once more their bumpers rubbed like two stock cars on an oval race track. Still no hook up. “Stay calm. I’ll try again.”
He sped up, inched back within a foot, then slammed on his brakes. His hitch grazed over her bumper. Charged into her grill and the radiator. The two vehicles locked together as steam from the radiator poured from beneath the hood. As fast as he’d stopped, he laid tread as he sped up enough to ease the collision. A few seconds later, he slowed to a halt in the middle of the road.
Slamming out of his truck, he heard the scream of sirens as the police made the climb up the hill. “Pull the hood release, Marcy.” As soon as he heard the telltale click, he lifted the hood of her car. Yanked the battery cables free. The car shut down as radiator water gushed out on the road.
As he pulled the driver’s door open, he prayed she was okay. Her air-bag-scraped face was the most wonderful thing he’d ever seen.
“Are we stopped?” she whispered.
“Yes, sugar. We’re stopped.” He released her seat belt and guided her out. “You okay, Betsy?”
“Yeah. I think so. But I can’t get the door open.” Betsy’s muffled voice laced with pain.
“I’ll be back as soon as I get her to the side of the road.” JB carried Marcy to the grass and laid her down.
A passing downhill motorcyclist ground to a stop. “I got this one,” he called.
The man power-pulled the passenger door open and lifted Betsy out. She vehemently yelled that she could walk as he carried her over to the grass and deposited her next to her sister.
JB nodded and held out his hand. “Thanks.”
“Sure thing.” The man accepted the gesture, then jumped back on his bike and disappeared around the curve as the first police cruiser lurched to a stop.
Deputy Evans piled out of his car, resting his forearm on the top of the doorframe. “Paramedics are two cars back.”
“Good. Betsy needs one.” Marcy’s voice shook with her words.
JB stood, squared his shoulders, and directed his anger at the deputy. “You got the guts to tell me this is another coincidence?”
Evans shook his head, seating his cap as he walked in the direction of the survivors. “No. This was no accident.”
“You’re right.” JB knelt, leaning against Marcy as she bent over Betsy. “Damn right.”
Chapter Eleven
Twenty minutes later, Marcy’d been cleared by the paramedics. She walked over to JB and laid her hand on his back as he crouched by her car looking for evidence. He’d been inside the car, under the car, in the driver’s seat, the passenger seat, rear seat, and even on top of the car. She figured his next adventure would be in the trunk and under the hood.
Evans and Kennett worked the same sites, making notes as they went. Making more notes every time JB hollered out a comment. His under-the-breath mutterings went ignored by the police. Then Landon showed up.
“Heard there’d been an accident. Thought I’d see what I can do to help.” He reached to take the report from Evans, but the deputy jerked his notes from the man’s grasp.
JB stepped between the two men. “Back off, Landon. This isn’t your case.”
