Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty - Six
Dave
I was smiling up at her, a big old grin on my face. I was going to argue .
But I lost my train of thought as Zara was suddenly illuminated. Her pale dress was brightly lit from the back, and her hair shone. Beautiful was my only thought just before my synapses fired rapidly enough to clue me in on what was happening .
Those were headlights. And they were moving fast .
I think I lunged even before I heard the squeal of tires. I thrust my body sideways, jamming the gearshift into my ribcage as I grabbed Zara’s body with both arms, yanking hard on her hips with all the torque I could muster .
Pulled off kilter, she tumbled back toward the seat. Her head and neck got caught on the car’s roof, and there was a sickening split-second when I wasn’t sure if I’d done it .
But then all of Zara came crashing into my arms. Her shriek was deafening as a pickup truck barreled alongside the car, snapping off Zara’s open passenger-side door as it zoomed by .
I heard the sound of skidding tires as the driver tried to stop and then a sickening crunch as the back corner of the truck’s bed swung into a telephone pole .
The truck finally stopped. But a moment later it leapt forward again, fishtailing in the gravel, then accelerating away .
“He…!” Zara said. Another beat went by. She wriggled free of me, mouth open, one hand at her jaw. A big red mark was forming where it had hit the door frame as I’d yanked her back inside. “I…” She tried again to speak. But then she gazed outside again, trying to make sense of the gaping hole where her car door had been .
All I could see now was the mark on her jaw. And I realized I was still clenching one of her hands in a death grip. I made myself let go, and raised my hands to gently cup her head. “ Are you — ”
“Yeah, it’s just — ”
“Is your…” I brushed a thumb across her jaw as gently as I could .
“You… You really — ”
“Shh,” I said, pulling her to me again, even though the gear shift was in the way. She started to shake. Or maybe we both did. I could feel her heart fluttering against mine, like a little bird’s .
Some amount of time passed. I spent it trying not to think about the glow of the headlights on Zara’s hair as the truck had accelerated toward her .
I became aware that nearby voices were raised in excitement. “What the hell happened ?”
“Jesus Christ .”
“Zara? Holy shit .”
She pulled away from me to look up at her brother Benito. “ I’m okay .”
“The door of your car is gone . It’s, like, fifty fucking yards away .”
Nausea rolled through me as I pictured Zara standing against that door a few seconds before the truck hit it. “Someone call the police,” I said, my tongue thick .
“They’re on the way,” Benito said .
During the next few minutes I worked out that Benito was managing the bar that night. Someone else who’d seen the speeding truck had gone in to fetch him .
My brain remained a little fuzzy. Shock would do that. I got out of the car and stood there, holding Zara’s hand, leaning against the wrecked side of the car, waiting for the police, and just trying to hold my psyche in check .
Eventually the cops came. They let Zara speak first. “I didn’t see the driver. I barely saw the truck. I didn’t even know why Dave yanked me back into the car until I heard the truck crack off the door .”
There was talk of calling the paramedics, but Zara waved them off. “I need to get upstairs .”
At some point they let her go on up .
Watching Zara walk away splintered something inside me. There was a baby upstairs in her crib who’d almost lost her mother tonight. I felt sick every time I pictured those few seconds. It was a miracle she hadn’t been hit. Hell, even if she’d left one leg outside of the car …
I shuddered again. “Sorry, what was the question?” I asked the cop who was trying to talk to me .
“What color was the truck ?”
“Uh. Dark. Black, or at least dark gray .”
“Model? Any idea ?”
“Well…” I hadn’t gotten a good look. “A really ordinary pickup. Maybe an F-150. Not fancy .”
“We have cameras on this parking lot, Johnny,” Benito offered. “I set ’em up myself .”
“Yeah? That was gonna be my next question. Can we go see ’em?” the cop asked .
“Follow me,” Benito said .