Page 17 of Halloween in Sleepy Hollow
It’ll be okay, my best friend of over twenty years mouths to me.We’ll be okay.
I want to believe her. I want to believe in my own reassurances. But there’s a scared, skeptical part of me that can’t help wondering,What if it’snotokay?
What if I never make it home? What if Laila loses another mom? What if Elias has to grow up with me as just a faint memory, a framed photo on the mantle that he barely remembers?
What if Ari doesn’t get to see Winnie grow up?
And Shea… She told us in confidence the other day that she and Oliver are finally trying for a baby. “Oll was worried when I first brought it up,” she explained, “because of my eating disorder. I’ve been fine for years, but he was worried the changes in my body might trigger me. But they wouldn’t. Not when I know the changes are fromourbaby growing inside me.”
I make a small, choked sound as I try to contain the sob working to escape.
Shea glances at me. There’s understanding in her gaze.
“Sir?” Ari’s voice is soft and tentative. When Headless Horseman turns towards her, his fingers fingers flexing on the handle of the gun, she hurriedly adds in the same wispy tone, “I’m so sorry to bother you. But… could you please?—”
“Pleasewhat?” he snaps. “Can’t you see I’m busy? And I told you to be quiet. Not to keep talking!”
“I know,” she replies. “But if you’re going to?—”
With an aggravated huff, our captor rips the headless neck from his costume and throws it to the side. Then he tears off the decorative ruffles from the front of his shirt. “Fuck, it’s hot under there. I can barely breathe with all that shit on.”
As he reveals his face, my heart staggers drunkenly to a stop.
First, because he’s showing us his face, which is never a good sign when you’re being held hostage.
And second, because I know who he is.
Across the room, Emily’s eyes go huge. The redhead sitting beside her—dressed as Pippi Longstocking, which seems fitting—-lets out astrangled gasp.
“Randy?” Shea blurts. Horror flickers across her face the moment his name slips out. Two spots of red flare high on her cheeks.
His finger twitches on the trigger.
Ari quickly asks, “Randy? What… what are youdoing?”
I’d love to know the answer.
Why is Randy from the grocery store holding seven women hostage? Shy, quiet Randy who rings up our orders with no more than a mumbled thank you and have a nice day? Skinny Randy who looks like a slight wind could blow him away?
It doesn’t make sense.
Then again, does violence ever make sense?
Shouldn’t I know how the most unsuspecting person can be the most dangerous?
Randy’s gaze flickers between Ari and Shea.
I can tell he wants to yell at Shea for talking again. Possibly do worse than that.
But he also wants to respond to Ari. From her years of teaching high school students, she just has a way with people. Of engaging them and drawing them out. Of coming across as someone who truly wants to know how they’re feeling.
“Ms. Quinn,” he finally says. “Now I know who you are. You had my younger brother in school.”
Ari hesitates, thinking. Then she nods slowly. “Richard Monroe, right? He’s your brother?”
Headless Horseman—-no, Randy—jerks his head in response. “Yeah. He’s eight years younger than me.” He stops. “But he doesn’t know. What I’m doing. He’s too busy being big man on campus. He thinks he’s all that, playing football at Buffalo. He wouldn’t care about?—”
Anger reddens his face. “Anyway. It doesn’t matter.”
