6 Running Scared

The smell of antiseptic drifts along the cold, sterile hall; The nursing staff zips past with medical equipment in hand while others are carrying out their afternoon tasks. Joe paces back and forth in front of the cloth partition, waiting to hear if his detective will be alright. Rachel didn't appear to be injured other than a small cut on her head, but he wanted her to be checked out to make sure. I wish they'd hurry, he thinks, checking his watch for the umpteenth time.

The blue checkered curtain slides back. With a smile on her face, the detective says, "I told you I'm fine." She steps around him.

"Not so fast there, missy. I need to get a statement from you before you go."

"Can we do it tomorrow? It's late, and I'm famished."

"It's best we do it now while it's still fresh in your mind."

She crosses her arms in front of her, rolls her eyes, and says, "Fine." She turns to face her boss.

He pulls a notepad from his pocket. "Start at the beginning and tell me what happened."

"I was driving back to the station when I notice this black F10 approaching me at rapid speed. I pump my breaks hoping that he'll spot me and slow down. He speeds up instead. He slams into my car, causing me to fly over the edge."

"Are you sure it's a black F10?"

"I'm positive. Dad has a white one identical to it."

"Can you describe the driver?"

"It was too dark and foggy to see much of anything."

"Where did you first noticed him?"

"I was about a half-mile from town." The totality of her situation hits her. She glances up at Joe. Tears stream down her face when she asks, "My car is totaled, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so."

"I loved that old car, too," she cries.

"I know you did, but now you can get a newer, fancier vehicle."

"I don't want a fancier car. I want my neon," she bawls. She and the car have been through a lot together, two jobs, three boyfriends. It was even her home for a brief time.

Joe reaches over and pulls her against him. "Maybe we can find you another Neon. An updated version of the one you had," he suggests, hoping the thought would soften her blow.

"It won't be the same."

"Tell you what I'll do, we'll find you another Neon, then I'll bang it up for you, so it'll be just like the one you had, ok?" Joe would often tease her about all the dents in her vehicle. Telling her, he's seen demolition cars with less damage than that.

"Oh, Joe." Laughing through her tears, she playfully smacks his chest. She wipes the tears from her eyes, looks up at him, sniffles, and says, "My car may not have looked the best, but I bet it would've beat Betsy any day."

Betsy is Joe's first cruiser. He claims he hangs on to it because it brings him luck with stalling cases. It's even served as a shield a time or two. Joe pictures the Crown Victorian in his mind how the boat of a car has seen better days. "You're probably right about that." He laughs.

She stands on her tiptoes and gives him a quick peck on his cheek. "Thanks, Joe, you're the greatest." The two have been friends since grade school. Many thought they'd get married someday, but they went their separate ways. She went to college, and he chose a military career.

*****

Rachel tosses and turns in her bed, trying to quiet the throughs racing through her head. She'd hoped she'd be able to get some much-needed rest, but the day's turn of events keep replaying in her mind.

My accident was purposely done and I'd have to have been the intended target since my car is the only purple Neon in town. So the question is, who's after me and why? I don't have any enemies. None that I'm aware of anyhow. Maybe it's someone I've collared. No, that's not it. Everyone I've recently arrested is still in jail. Could it be a perp's family member? Why would they go after me now? Did the attack have anything to do with our new case? Mrs. Maroni wasn't too happy with me, neither was the Greco's maid. I don't see either of them hiring a hit on me because I made them angry. Could it have been the victim's wife? I doubt if she knows how to drive like that, and she certainly doesn't have the finances to hire out unless she promised to pay once she received her cash.

Rachel replays their interview in her mind; She recalls how Adina didn't seem aware of any of his ongoings. She then remembers the look of horror on her face when she ran inside. She's as scared as I am. So maybe whoever spooked her is coming after me too. Why now when we don't have any leads? Did I stumble on to something that's making him nervous? I don't know what it might've been? Could it have been the man I saw running towards the woods? A terrifying thought suddenly comes to mind. He'll come back and finish the job when he realizes I survived?

With her service revolver in hand, Rachel runs from room to room, checking all the locks, then closing the blinds. I should check mom and Emma's room. Making her way down the hall, she quietly opens the first door on her right. She sees her mom snoring away. Lucky you, she thinks, making her way across the spacious area. Like the other two bedrooms, it has a walk-in closet on the right and a built-in dresser on the left. There's a small window on the furthest wall.

Rachel is halfway across the room when she trips over a pair of shoes. She stumbles across the floor, smacking the edge of the nightstand. A few items tumble to the floor. Rachel glances over to see if she's woken her mom.

Jeanine mumbles something then rolls on her side.

I swear you could sleep through anything. She chuckles to herself.

After checking on Emma's, Rachel runs back to her bedroom. Maybe now I can get some sleep. She starts to close her eyes when she hears l light tap on the window. With her gun pointed in front of her, she springs up in bed. I'm ready for you this time, she thinks, aiming her weapon towards the glass barrier.