Midnight Sun (28 page)

“
Paramedics?
”
Kharzai muttered,
scanning
the
scene,
“
There's
not
enough
left
for
CPR
here.
”

The
Asian
woman
ended
her
cell
phone
call
and
moved
her
closed
left
hand
behind
her
back.
She
put
her
phone
into
a
pocket
of
the
large
maternity
dress
she
wore
and
from
the
same
pocket
pulled
out
a
badge
on
a
lanyard
which
she
looped
over
her
head,
the
silver
metal
shield
resting
heavily
between
her
breasts.

“
I
am
a
State
Trooper. More
help
is
on
the
way.
”

Kharzai
glanced
at
Farrah,
his
eyebrows
rising
as
he
looked
back
at
her
badge.

“
The
driver
of
that
truck
was
crazy,
”
he
said.
His
accent
was
pure
American
mid-western.
“
If
you
need
an
eyewitness
report,
Stevie
here
can
give
it
to
you.
He
flew
past
us
on
the
road
back
there—must’ve been
going
over
a
hundred
miles
per
hour.
”

“
Much
more,
I
am
sure,
”
Farrah said.

The
cousins
were
still
near
the
wreckage
of
the
truck.
One
reached
to
pick
something
up.
Lonnie
stopped
him
short.

“
Don't
touch
anything,
” s
he
commanded.
Then
to
the
crowd
in
general,
“
Everyone,
please
go
back
up
onto
the
lawn,
and
don't
pick
up
anything
else.
There’s nothing
you
can
do.
The
police
are
on
the
way—they’ll sort
it
all
out.
”
She
turned
to
Farrah.
“
You
said
this
truck
passed
you
back
there?
”

Sirens
wailed
in
the
distance.
The
cousins
moved
away
from
the
pieces
of
the
truck.
The
cab
was
half
imploded,
the
engine
block
sitting
on
the
front
seat.
The
remnants
of
the
driver
were
just
a
smear
of
red
jelly
across
the
seat
and
window

“
Yes,
of
course. He was
the
only
one
on
the
road.
”
Farrah
looked
at
the
carnage,
shaking
his
head.
“
Simply
awful.
May
I
ask
who
was
in
the
other
vehicle?
”

“
A
newly
married
couple.
They
were
just
leaving
for
their
honeymoon.
”

“
Oh!
That
is
horrible.
”
Farrah
closed
his
eyes
and
pressed
a
thumb
and
forefinger
into
the
bridge
of
his
nose.

Kharzai
shook
his
head.
An
unexpected
memory
of
Leila
flashed
through
his
mind,
involuntarily
raising
moisture
in
his
eyes.
“
At
least
they
died
together,
” he said.

A
column
of
police
cruisers
turned
from
Rabbit
Creek
Road
onto
Goldenview
Drive,
followed
by
a
stream
of
fire
trucks,
ambulances,
and
a
news
van.
The
cousins
looked
at
Farrah.
He
nodded
toward
their
vehicle,
and
the
pair
walked
back
to
it.

“
Again,
I
am
so
sorry
for
the
tragedy,
”
Farrah
said.
“
I
will
say
prayers
for
the
dead
and
for
the
surviving
family
members.
”