river.“
“Maybe he figured you’d forgotten that road. It’s been twenty years.“
“That would be assuming whoever was driving the ‘vette knew I was behind the wheel in the other car.“
Eddy flicked him a glance. “You don’t think he did?“
“I don’t know what to think, Eddy. I just know I don’t want some hotshot thinking he can put Diana at risk the way
he did last night. I want to make it real clear to him, in fact, that it will be worth his life if he tries anything like that
again.“
“Before you can tell him that, you got to find him,“ Eddy pointed out.
“That’s why I drove over to see you this evening. I figured you’d know if there was anything as hot as that
Corvette around here.“
Eddy frowned intently. “Hasn’t been anything that hot around here since you drove off in that black ‘vette twenty
years ago. Most of the kids around here who are into cars drive Camaros like mine or four-by-fours. Could have been
an outsider. Someone from, say, Vickston, who’d heard there might be a little action on River Road. I’ll ask around, if
you like.“
“I’d appreciate it, Eddy.“ Colby got to his feet. “Thanks for the beer. I’d better be getting home. I told Diana I’d
just be gone for an hour or so.“
“Wives are kinda nosy, huh? Like to keep tabs on a guy-“
Colby shrugged. “I don’t mind.“ As he said the words, he realized they were the truth. He didn’t mind Diana’s
interest in his whereabouts when he wasn’t with her. He damned sure wanted to know where she was when she wasn’t
with him.
“You’ve changed,“ Eddy observed as he ambled around the side of the old house beside Colby.
“We all do, Eddy.“
“Think you’re as tough as you used to be?“
Colby grinned. “I wasn’t all that tough twenty years ago, Eddy. I was just a lot younger. Didn’t know what I
wanted out of life. Now I do.“
“Does knowing what you want make a difference?“
Colby glanced at him. Eddy wasn’t usually given to philosophical questions. “It makes a hell of a difference.“
“How? You think you’re tougher now because you know what you want?“
“Put it this way, Eddy. When a man finally gets his priorities straight, he knows what’s worth fighting for and what
isn’t. He can conserve his energy for the important stuff.“
Eddy walked in silence for a long moment. As they approached the Mazda parked in the front drive, he resettled his
camouflage cap on his thin blond hair. “I got me some new priorities these days.“
“Glad to hear it.“ Colby opened the car door and slid behind the wheel.
Eddy braced his arm on the car roof. “I got a line on something real good this time, Colby. Real good.“
Colby looked up as he switched on the ignition. “That’s great, Eddy.“
Eddy leaned closer, excitement simmering in his voice. “It’s something hot, Colby. I mean really hot. It could be the
big one. The break I’ve been waiting for.“
“Good luck.“ Colby meant it but he knew Eddy Spooner would be looking for his big break until the day he died.
Eddy’s big breaks always had a way of falling to pieces before he could get his hands on them.
“You’ll see,“ Eddy said with soft intensity. “You and everyone else in this hick town.“ He stepped back from the
car. “I’ll keep an eye out for the black ‘vette.“
“Thanks, Eddy. See you later.“ Colby slipped the Mazda into gear and picked his way through the ruts and
potholes of Eddy’s front drive. He realized he was eager to be away from the moonlit cemetery. It wasn’t just old cars
that were buried here. A lot of impotent dreams had also been buried in Eddy Spooner’s yard.
Colby drove down the lonely country road and thought about fate and luck and priorities.
It was a while before he noticed the altered feel of the road, but when he finally did he groaned and reluctantly
pulled over to the side. Why did flat tires always happen at night five miles from
“Maybe he figured you’d forgotten that road. It’s been twenty years.“
“That would be assuming whoever was driving the ‘vette knew I was behind the wheel in the other car.“
Eddy flicked him a glance. “You don’t think he did?“
“I don’t know what to think, Eddy. I just know I don’t want some hotshot thinking he can put Diana at risk the way
he did last night. I want to make it real clear to him, in fact, that it will be worth his life if he tries anything like that
again.“
“Before you can tell him that, you got to find him,“ Eddy pointed out.
“That’s why I drove over to see you this evening. I figured you’d know if there was anything as hot as that
Corvette around here.“
Eddy frowned intently. “Hasn’t been anything that hot around here since you drove off in that black ‘vette twenty
years ago. Most of the kids around here who are into cars drive Camaros like mine or four-by-fours. Could have been
an outsider. Someone from, say, Vickston, who’d heard there might be a little action on River Road. I’ll ask around, if
you like.“
“I’d appreciate it, Eddy.“ Colby got to his feet. “Thanks for the beer. I’d better be getting home. I told Diana I’d
just be gone for an hour or so.“
“Wives are kinda nosy, huh? Like to keep tabs on a guy-“
Colby shrugged. “I don’t mind.“ As he said the words, he realized they were the truth. He didn’t mind Diana’s
interest in his whereabouts when he wasn’t with her. He damned sure wanted to know where she was when she wasn’t
with him.
“You’ve changed,“ Eddy observed as he ambled around the side of the old house beside Colby.
“We all do, Eddy.“
“Think you’re as tough as you used to be?“
Colby grinned. “I wasn’t all that tough twenty years ago, Eddy. I was just a lot younger. Didn’t know what I
wanted out of life. Now I do.“
“Does knowing what you want make a difference?“
Colby glanced at him. Eddy wasn’t usually given to philosophical questions. “It makes a hell of a difference.“
“How? You think you’re tougher now because you know what you want?“
“Put it this way, Eddy. When a man finally gets his priorities straight, he knows what’s worth fighting for and what
isn’t. He can conserve his energy for the important stuff.“
Eddy walked in silence for a long moment. As they approached the Mazda parked in the front drive, he resettled his
camouflage cap on his thin blond hair. “I got me some new priorities these days.“
“Glad to hear it.“ Colby opened the car door and slid behind the wheel.
Eddy braced his arm on the car roof. “I got a line on something real good this time, Colby. Real good.“
Colby looked up as he switched on the ignition. “That’s great, Eddy.“
Eddy leaned closer, excitement simmering in his voice. “It’s something hot, Colby. I mean really hot. It could be the
big one. The break I’ve been waiting for.“
“Good luck.“ Colby meant it but he knew Eddy Spooner would be looking for his big break until the day he died.
Eddy’s big breaks always had a way of falling to pieces before he could get his hands on them.
“You’ll see,“ Eddy said with soft intensity. “You and everyone else in this hick town.“ He stepped back from the
car. “I’ll keep an eye out for the black ‘vette.“
“Thanks, Eddy. See you later.“ Colby slipped the Mazda into gear and picked his way through the ruts and
potholes of Eddy’s front drive. He realized he was eager to be away from the moonlit cemetery. It wasn’t just old cars
that were buried here. A lot of impotent dreams had also been buried in Eddy Spooner’s yard.
Colby drove down the lonely country road and thought about fate and luck and priorities.
It was a while before he noticed the altered feel of the road, but when he finally did he groaned and reluctantly
pulled over to the side. Why did flat tires always happen at night five miles from
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