the nearest gas station?
Colby turned off the engine and reached for the flashlight he had instructed Brandon to always keep in the glove
compartment. Then he climbed out of the car and morosely surveyed the shrinking rear tire.
“Damn.“
He was going to be late getting home to Diana. He hoped she wouldn’t be unduly alarmed. She had been a little
nervous following last night’s idiocy out on River Road. But at least she had Specter with her. Whatever else you
could say about the stupid dog, he was highly protective of Diana.
Colby hauled out the tools he would need to change the tire.
He was removing the last of the lug nuts when Margaret Fulbrook’s heavy old Cadillac pulled off the road and
cruised to a halt behind him. Its headlights illuminated the Mazda in a harsh glare. Harry Gedge opened the door and
got ponderously out of the driver’s seat. He was alone.
Colby stayed crouched near the tire, but he kept the wrench in his hand as he watched Harry come toward him. It
had been twenty years, but he knew Harry could carry a mean grudge.
“Well, well, well,“ Harry drawled as he stopped a few feet away. “Got yourself a little project there, I see.“
“It’ll keep me busy for a while.“ Colby went back to work on the lug nuts, but he watched Harry out of the corner
of his eye.
“I’ll leave the Caddy parked where it is while you change the tire,“ Harry volunteered. “The headlights will make it
a little easier to see what you’re doin’.“
“Thanks,“ Colby muttered, dropping the last of the lug nuts into the hub cap.
“Don’t thank me. Thank old lady Fulbrook. She gave me strict instructions about how I wasn’t to cause any
trouble with you.“ Harry leaned against the fender of the Cadillac, a dark, bulky shape behind the glare of the
headlights.
Colby said nothing. He hesitated and then put down the wrench in order to grasp the flat tire and pull it off the
wheel.
“You hear me, Savagar? I said old lady Fulbrook doesn’t want me causing any trouble with you.“
“I hear you.“
“You know why she doesn’t want no trouble?“ Harry asked conversationally.
“No.“
“She’s afraid you’ll keep her from seeing that boy of yours. Weird, huh? Twenty years go by, and she pays no
attention to that kid at all. Then one day he shows up in town and she’s fascinated with him. It’s probably those eyes
of his. Just like little Cynthia’s eyes. Remember those eyes, Savagar?“
Colby didn’t respond. He wished he could pick up the wrench again but it took both hands to fit the spare tire onto
the axle. He told himself that if Margaret Fulbrook had given her gofer instructions not to start a fight with him, Harry
the Ox would follow orders. Harry had always followed Fulbrook orders.
“Old lady Fulbrook’s gettin’ on, you know?“ Harry continued. “One of these days she’s gonna kick the bucket.
Been having a few chest pains lately. Doctor can’t find nothin’ wrong, but you know what chest pains mean.“
Colby hoisted the spare tire and started to slide it into place.
It was then Harry moved, charging out of the shadows and into the glare of the Cadillac’s headlights with a speed
that was astonishing in a man his size.
Colby dropped the tire and spun to one side, trying to get to his feet. He didn’t move fast enough. Harry’s arm
came down in a vicious arc. There was a length of pipe in his fist.
Just like old times, Colby thought. His spinning movement ensured that the pipe missed his skull but he took the
blow in his ribs. Pain shot through him. He went sprawling on the pavement, forcing himself to roll quickly to the side.
“Now that’s a sucker punch, you son of a bitch,“ Harry roared and swung the pipe again. “I’ve been waitin’ twenty
years to do that.“
The second swing narrowly missed Colby’s shoulder. He staggered to his feet as the pipe clanged on the
pavement and he stepped quickly back out of Harry’s range. The
Colby turned off the engine and reached for the flashlight he had instructed Brandon to always keep in the glove
compartment. Then he climbed out of the car and morosely surveyed the shrinking rear tire.
“Damn.“
He was going to be late getting home to Diana. He hoped she wouldn’t be unduly alarmed. She had been a little
nervous following last night’s idiocy out on River Road. But at least she had Specter with her. Whatever else you
could say about the stupid dog, he was highly protective of Diana.
Colby hauled out the tools he would need to change the tire.
He was removing the last of the lug nuts when Margaret Fulbrook’s heavy old Cadillac pulled off the road and
cruised to a halt behind him. Its headlights illuminated the Mazda in a harsh glare. Harry Gedge opened the door and
got ponderously out of the driver’s seat. He was alone.
Colby stayed crouched near the tire, but he kept the wrench in his hand as he watched Harry come toward him. It
had been twenty years, but he knew Harry could carry a mean grudge.
“Well, well, well,“ Harry drawled as he stopped a few feet away. “Got yourself a little project there, I see.“
“It’ll keep me busy for a while.“ Colby went back to work on the lug nuts, but he watched Harry out of the corner
of his eye.
“I’ll leave the Caddy parked where it is while you change the tire,“ Harry volunteered. “The headlights will make it
a little easier to see what you’re doin’.“
“Thanks,“ Colby muttered, dropping the last of the lug nuts into the hub cap.
“Don’t thank me. Thank old lady Fulbrook. She gave me strict instructions about how I wasn’t to cause any
trouble with you.“ Harry leaned against the fender of the Cadillac, a dark, bulky shape behind the glare of the
headlights.
Colby said nothing. He hesitated and then put down the wrench in order to grasp the flat tire and pull it off the
wheel.
“You hear me, Savagar? I said old lady Fulbrook doesn’t want me causing any trouble with you.“
“I hear you.“
“You know why she doesn’t want no trouble?“ Harry asked conversationally.
“No.“
“She’s afraid you’ll keep her from seeing that boy of yours. Weird, huh? Twenty years go by, and she pays no
attention to that kid at all. Then one day he shows up in town and she’s fascinated with him. It’s probably those eyes
of his. Just like little Cynthia’s eyes. Remember those eyes, Savagar?“
Colby didn’t respond. He wished he could pick up the wrench again but it took both hands to fit the spare tire onto
the axle. He told himself that if Margaret Fulbrook had given her gofer instructions not to start a fight with him, Harry
the Ox would follow orders. Harry had always followed Fulbrook orders.
“Old lady Fulbrook’s gettin’ on, you know?“ Harry continued. “One of these days she’s gonna kick the bucket.
Been having a few chest pains lately. Doctor can’t find nothin’ wrong, but you know what chest pains mean.“
Colby hoisted the spare tire and started to slide it into place.
It was then Harry moved, charging out of the shadows and into the glare of the Cadillac’s headlights with a speed
that was astonishing in a man his size.
Colby dropped the tire and spun to one side, trying to get to his feet. He didn’t move fast enough. Harry’s arm
came down in a vicious arc. There was a length of pipe in his fist.
Just like old times, Colby thought. His spinning movement ensured that the pipe missed his skull but he took the
blow in his ribs. Pain shot through him. He went sprawling on the pavement, forcing himself to roll quickly to the side.
“Now that’s a sucker punch, you son of a bitch,“ Harry roared and swung the pipe again. “I’ve been waitin’ twenty
years to do that.“
The second swing narrowly missed Colby’s shoulder. He staggered to his feet as the pipe clanged on the
pavement and he stepped quickly back out of Harry’s range. The
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