Page 78 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

One way or another, she was going to find a way to stay warm. Her furnace was doing a better job, but it still couldn’t seem to raise the temperature in her upstairs to more than sixty-nine degrees, which was about five degrees colder than she wanted it.

With that in mind, she picked out a down comforter along with a microfiber duvet cover that looked cozy and warm.

With plastic bags hanging from her wrists, she headed for the door and stepped outside, shocked to see the sun already falling low in the sky. It wasn’t even four o’clock. She wished she’d remembered how early it set. It would be dark by the time she got home.

Would Garrett still be there?

She hoped so. She needed somebody to talk to. Not justsomebody,though. She needed Garrett.

She missed him.

Despite what she’d told herself the day before about not getting involved with him, she longed for him, her protective polar bear. He was a good listener who asked insightful questions and helped her think.

He was also fun to be with, kind and gentle and, despite the thing with his aunt and uncle, trustworthy.

She liked him more than she should, considering she was leaving as soon as she figured out what happened to her mother—or gave up trying.

She made the two-hour drive back to Coventry. It was fully dark by the time she turned off the highway onto Rattlesnake Road. She’d driven home with Garrett after the burglary, but this was the first time she’d made this drive at night by herself.

Once she passed the condominium complex, it was dark. Not just nighttime dark, but zero-lights-anywhere dark. It reminded her of the highway that ran across the center of the Big Island, where the only light came from the billions of stars overhead.

Only here, the tall pines on either side of the road seemed to bend over her, blocking her view of the sky. The road twisted up the mountain. Though it hadn’t snowed in days, she feared icy spots now that the temperature had dropped so low. She was going slowly, much slower than the posted speed limit of forty-five. Not that anybody would complain. She was all alone.

And then headlights appeared in her rearview mirror. The vehicle came up behind her, fast. Much faster than could be safe with all the hairpin turns. As it approached, she sped up a little, figuring the other driver was in a hurry. But she didn’t dare go as fast as that driver.

She couldn’t pull over because there was nowhere to stop. On the left, there were only trees. On the right, a drop-off just a few feet beyond the snowbank piled on the narrow shoulder. No, stopping wouldn’t be safe.

As the car got closer, she feared it wouldn’t be all that safe to stay on the road, either.

He bore down on her, and she gripped the steering wheel tightly. But the car slowed.

And then it careened into the left lane. She hit the brake, happy to let the crazy driver pass. But he didn’t.

He swerved and clipped the back of her car.

She managed to keep her tires on the road, braking hard.

The other car sped ahead, braked, and veered into her again.

Her front wheels skidded off the pavement.

She tried to get back on the road, but the car was right beside her, blocking the way.

She braked. The wheels locked up. The car bumped over the snowbank and barreled toward the forest. A thick tree loomed ahead.

She yanked the wheel to avoid it, feeling sudden weightlessness.

And then she crashed. She heard the sounds of crunching metal, felt the jarring motion. Her eyes were wide open, but everything went black.

Aspen was suspendedin her seat, the seatbelt the only thing keeping her from falling to the passenger door beneath her. In front of her, the airbag had deflated and hung toward the ground.

She couldn’t see anything outside the car. Her headlights must’ve smashed against something because they were out. Or maybe…

Her dashboard lights were out as well. All the lights were out.

And the engine was off.

The world was silent.

---