Just Down the Road (43 page)

“Will you be all right from here on?” Hank asked. “The old man’s house is a hundred yards up that dirt road. I’d turn in there, but he’s left holes wide enough to swallow the truck.”

“I’ll be fine.” Reagan fought to keep her voice from shaking. The shady lane he pointed to looked like it could easily make it onto the “Top Ten Most Likely Places to Get Murdered” list.

Hank reached into a toolbox and pulled out a flashlight. “You can leave this at the diner or the fire station next time you’re in town.” He hesitated, then added, “Good luck with the old man.”

Reagan took the flashlight. She didn’t want to go on down the road, but she wasn’t about to climb into the bed of Hank’s truck again. One more mile and she would have had brain damage for sure.

They both heard someone vomiting.

Hank groaned and climbed back into the vehicle. He was gone before Reagan could figure out how to turn on the light.