“Don’t you want to leave the dog behind? The hospital staff sure won’t want him hanging around.“
Diana looked out into the darkness and saw the dark shape waiting beyond the glaring headlights. It had a vaguely familiar look to it, but she couldn’t be certain.
Another contraction seized her and she couldn’t think clearly. She responded to Eddy’s question on gut instinct.
“The dog comes with me,“ she said flatly.
“But, Diana…“
She didn’t bother to answer him. She had to get to the hospital. One way or another, she had to get there and Eddy Spooner was the only source of transportation.
She walked over to the large dark car and opened the door. Specter brushed heavily past as he vaulted over the front seat into the small space behind it. He kept his head at her shoulder.
Eddy Spooner climbed slowly into the car and turned the key in the ignition. A big, heavy engine exploded into life, the kind of engine seldom heard in modern automobiles.
“What kind of car is this, Eddy?“ Diana asked quietly.
“It’s a Corvette, ma’am. Hottest car in the county.“
11
“Where did you get the car, Eddy? I thought you drove a Camaro.“ Diana watched the darkness flow past the window.
Eddy was driving too fast, and she sensed immediately he didn’t have the control over his vehicle that Colby always had. Eddy’s driving added to the panic she was battling. She put up her hand and touched Specter. The dog touched her ear with his nose.
“The ‘vette’s mine.“ Eddy’s voice was infused with pride. “Found her in a junkyard a while back. I’ve worked on her on and off for the past couple of years. Keep her in a shed I got out back of my place. No one’s ever seen her in the daylight.“
“Is that right?“ Maybe if she could just keep him talking, she could figure out what was going on.
“Started takin’ her over to the next county on weekends. Wanted to test her out, you know? She beat everything that she went up against. Just like that black ‘vette of Colby’s. Nothing could touch her. This here car’s going to be more of a legend than that ‘vette ever was.“
Diana swallowed, her fingers tightening on Specter’s collar. “You told Colby that the black Corvette was going to be down on River Road tonight.“
There was silence beside her. “Yeah,“ Eddy said finally, “I did, didn’t I? You know somethin’? I’d kinda liked to have gotten another chance to go up against Colby on River Road. This time I could have taken him. I know I could have. He wouldn’t have lost me on that turn near the bridge the way he did last summer.“
Diana shivered. “Eddy, this isn’t the way to the hospital.“
“I know.“
She fought to keep calm. “Where are Colby and Brandon?“
“Don’t know.“ Eddy sounded vague. “Somewhere up in the mountains, I guess. That’s where Harry was going to take them. Except he was only supposed to take Colby first. We were gonna get Brandon when we got you.“
“Harry? What does Harry have to do with this?“
“Harry and me, we’re in on this together,“ Eddy explained. “He’s my partner. This is it, you see. Our big break. We’
re gonna cash in on this one together, and then we’re both gonna blow this town for good.“
“Cash in on what, Eddy?“
“The Fulbrook money.“ He glanced at her as if surprised she hadn’t figured it all out. “Old lady Fulbrook was plannin’ on leaving Harry a lot of cash, you know? But she cut way back on his share when she met that boy of Colby’
s. She went to see a lawyer and changed her will. Harry says he’s pretty sure she put Brandon in it and maybe Colby, too. Harry says that if we get rid of Colby and Brandon, he’ll get their shares, just like he was supposed to originally.
He told me that if I help him, hell split the money with me.“
“Eddy, you know it won’t be that simple. That kind of thing never is.“
“Harry says this will work and he ought to know. He’s been planning it for months now. We got lucky when the old lady had the heart attack. That was a real lucky break, all right.“
“Why?“ She breathed through another contraction. Her eyes watered with the effort.
“Don’t you understand nothin’? We had to get Colby and Brandon back up here into the mountains, you see?
Thought the three of you might come at Christmas, but instead the old lady got a phone call from Brandon invito’ her down there. That wrecked everything. But we figured you’d all come up next summer. Then the old lady got sick a couple days ago and Harry said this would be our chance.“
“He knew we’d come up to see her?“
“Right. And it’s just what you did. Harry’s real smart. Colby and me used to figure him for a fool, the way he kowtowed to the Fulbrooks and all. But it turns out he’s just played it real cool all these years. Now it’s gonna pay off.“
It was taking more concentration now to handle the contractions. Diana felt as if her mind was being strained to the breaking point. She was panicky about Colby’s fate and equally panicky about the imminence of birth. It was too much to deal with at the same time.
“Colby,“ she whispered. “You haven’t seen him since you came by the house to tell us about the ‘vette, have you?“
“No.“
“So you really don’t know what’s happened to him.“
“Harry’s got him by now. That’s why I picked you up. I was supposed to wait a couple of hours and then come tell you there’d been an accident.“
“But there was no accident.“ She clung to that. “Of course there wasn’t an accident. Colby’s too good a driver.“
“He ain’t the best,“ Eddy muttered. “He just thinks he is.“
Diana seized on that. “Oh, he’s good, Eddy. He left this Corvette in the dust that night on River Road. You had more power than he did, but you didn’t have his driving skill, did you?“
“It was another sucker punch, the way he went into that curve.“ Eddy was clearly outraged. “Made me think I could take it faster, made me go into it too quick. Faked me out. But he knew I couldn’t take it that fast. He knew I’d lose it. He tricked me. Harry says Colby always has a sucker punch up his sleeve. That’s why we had to get him first.“