“Wish we'd gotten a better look at that car.“
“You said it was a Corvette?“
“An old one. A classic.“
“like the one you used to drive on this road?“
Colby didn’t answer that. Instead he said thoughtfully, “Eddy Spooner would remember working on a car like that.
I’ll talk to him tomorrow, too. Are you sure you’re okay, honey?“
“I'm fine. Honest.“
“The adrenaline dies down after a while. Take a few deep breaths.“
“I already did that. Maybe it’s just as well I led a sheltered existence as a high school student. I don’t think I’m cut out for walking on the wild side.“
“Don’t kid yourself. You’ve got guts, lady. You didn’t scream once. Real cool.“
“Thank you, Mr. Savagar. I can’t tell you what that means to me.“ But she was smiling, Diana realized. Colby was right. The adrenaline was dying down quickly. “And may I compliment you on your driving prowess? Very impressive.
Even if you did forget to bring along a leather jacket.“
“Thank you.“
“What’s so funny?“ Diana demanded.
“I was just thinking. That’s the first time I’ve ever raced with a female in the car.“
“I’m glad we’re doing some things differently this time around than you did them the first time here in Fulbrook Corners.“
“Everything’s different with you, Diana. Remember that.“
She wondered at the sudden intensity in his voice. She was silent for a moment as Colby turned onto the narrow bridge that crossed the river.
“Colby?“
“Yeah, honey?“ He sounded preoccupied, his mind elsewhere.
“You are one hell of a driver.“
He slid her a surprised, sidelong glance. “Thanks.“
“I’m glad it was you behind the wheel tonight rather than me or even Brandon.“
Something in her voice must have caught his attention. “What makes you say that?“
“Because I think the person in that other car was out for blood, not just a race. I think whoever it was would have cheerfully sent us into the river if he’d gotten the chance.“
“Honey, calm down. Your imagination is running at high rev. It was just some teenager who was looking for action on River Road. Like I said, some things never change.“
“The GUY was a real terrorist, Eddy. It wasn’t just some kid trying to get a race going. He was out for blood. Even Diana sensed it, although I told her that what was happening was just standard operating procedure for drag racing on River Road. But it wasn’t, at least not the way we used to do it twenty years ago. Have things changed around here that much?“
Eddy Spooner rolled his beer can between his hands and studied the uninspiring view of his moonlit backyard.
Colby leaned back against the sagging step and followed Eddy’s gaze. The weed-choked space behind Eddy’s tumbledown house was a graveyard for dead automobiles. Moonlight gleamed on the skeletons of an old Chevrolet and a Ford. At the edge of the porch was a pile of rusting auto parts. A dark pyramid of old tires loomed in the shadows near a large shed.
“There isn’t much racing down on River Road these days,“ Eddy finally said slowly. “Leastways, not that I hear about. Some of the local kids have some hot stuff under their hoods, and once in a while one will challenge the other, just like in the old days, but not too often. You think the guy that jerked your chain last night was driving a Corvette?“
Colby nodded. “A black one. Older model.“
“Twenty years old?“ Spooner asked meaningfully.
“No, not quite that old. Old enough to bring back a few memories, though.“
“The guy nearly took you, huh?“
“He nearly took me by surprise,“ Colby clarified roughly. “But I suckered him into that turn by the bridge. He realized too late he was going into it too fast. Lost his nerve. By the time he recovered, Diana and I were long gone.“
“You always had a good sucker punch up your sleeve. Good thing it wasn’t your son driving last night, huh?“
Colby set his back teeth and lifted the beer can to his lips. “Brandon’s a good driver. I taught him. But he’s never raced on River Road. He could have been in big trouble last night. Whoever was driving that ‘vette did know the road.
That’s what made me think he was out for blood. He knew that road, and he tried to push me into the 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.“