Page 7 of Do Not Disturb
I nod. The gaze of the man behind me is boring into me. I’ve got to get out of here.
While the old man rings up my purchases, I glance at the television screen. It’s still tuned to the news. The local news. I hold my breath as I wait to hear what stories they announce. They’re talking about some sort of problem with the school heating system. That’s good. They wouldn’t be talking about a bunch of heaters if they found a dead body in a local couple’s house.
But it’s just a matter of time. They’re going to find him.
“Here you go.” The man slides a paper bag with my purchases across the counter at me. His eyes dip down to look at the name on my credit card. “Have a good day, Quinn.”
I flinch at the mention of my name. But it’s fine. I’m getting back on the road, and by the time the police track me to this place, I’ll be long gone.
But as I head for the door, so does the man from the pickup truck. He’s following me.
I rifle around in my pocket for my keys. All I can do is get to my car as quickly as I can. The old man is still watching, so it’s not like the guy is going to attack me.
As I step outside, a gust of cold smacks me in the face. It must’ve gotten at least ten degrees colder while I was in that store. The rain hasn’t quite turned into snow yet, but it will soon. How much longer can I stay on the road?
And what’s worse, I can hear the man’s footsteps behind me.
I quicken my pace. I don’t know what he wants, but it can’t be anything good. There are about twenty feet between me and my car. I’ve just got to make it twenty feet. I hit the key fob and my car lights up. Almost there.
But then a brawny hand grabs my shoulder.
Chapter Five
“Quinn?”
He knows my name. This random stranger at a gas station is calling me by my name. Of course, the old man read it off my credit card, so he might’ve heard him. But as I whirl around to confront him, I see the recognition on his face.
“Quinn, right?” he says again.
“Um…” I look down at my paper bag of groceries, then back up at his face. Despite the man’s size, there’s nothing menacing about his facial expression. “Yes…”
He grins at me. “I’m Bill Walsh.Billy. You used to babysit for me.”
My mouth falls open. That was the absolute last thing I expected him to say. “Oh.”
He rubs his hands together. “Do you remember me?”
I babysat a lot of kids when I was a teenager. The name Billy Walsh sounds mildly familiar. But I’m guessing this hulking man looks a lot different than he did when he was a kid. “Sure,” I lie.
His eyes light up. “You were my favorite babysitter. You always let me have as many cookies as I wanted.”
I’m not sure if that’s the way I want to be remembered, but it could be worse. But it’s troubling that even with my hair a different color than when I was younger and hacked into a bob and a hood mostly concealing it, hestillrecognized me. Apparently, I’m not quite as incognito as I had hoped.
“Also…” His eyes twinkle. “I had ahugecrush on you. I bet you knew.”
It’s cold and raining, and all I want is to get back on the road. “No, I didn’t.”
“Huh.” He scratches at the back of his head. He’s not wearing a hood like I am or even a hat. Isn’t he cold? “Well, anyway, maybe we can get together sometime. Catch up on old times?”
My cheeks burn. I can’t believe this. I stopped at a gas station in the middle of nowhere, and suddenly I’m having a conversation with a kid I babysat for fifteen years ago, who is now inexplicably asking me out on a date.
“Actually,” I say, “I’m moving up to Vermont. So I won’t be local anymore.” I shrug. “But it was nice seeing you again, Billy.”
His face falls. “Oh. But maybe I could get your number and—”
“Sorry,” I say.
Without waiting for a response, I turn and walk the rest of the way to my car. I don’t hazard a look behind me until I’m at the driver’s side door. He’s still standing there, watching me.
