Page 26 of The Hitchhikers

“You look like David Bowie,” Jenny said.

“Yeah?” He took the cosmetic mirror from Jenny and checked his image from all different directions. “That’s cool.”

Alice automatically brushed the loose hair off Simon’s shoulders. He jerked away and she froze with her hands in the air. To cover up the awkwardness, she moved closer to one of the cupboards. “We have a small vacuum. Can I clean up?”

Simon nodded. “Yeah. Then we’re going to find a repair shop.”

It took a bit of driving around—slowly, so they didn’t overheat the RV more—before they found a shop on the other side oftown with a sign declaring itSTANLEY’S AUTO SERVICE. The square two-story building looked like it had been there for years, with weathered white stucco and navy-blue paint peeling off the big garage doors. A rusty tow truck was parked in the yard beside the shop, along with a few derelict vehicles. One was missing all its tires, and another had its hood up.

Simon wanted her to keep the RV out of sight, but there were only a few spots in front of the building, and Alice didn’t have many options. She parked across the street.

Simon got her purse from under the seat and passed it to her. “Let’s go.”

“I want to stay inside with Tom. You can tie me up.”

“No. You’re my insurance policy.” He turned to Jenny. “I’ll be right back.”

When Alice and Simon entered the garage, no one was at the counter, but there were clanging sounds coming from the back. Simon hit the bell. An old man with white hair circling his head came out wearing blue grease-stained overalls withStanleyembroidered onto the chest pocket. He was wiping his hands on a dirty towel.

“What can I do for you, son?”

“We’ve got a cracked radiator. You have any Bar’s Stop Leak?”

“Sure do.” The man walked out from behind the counter and grabbed a bottle from one of the shelves closest to the front window. Simon and Alice trailed after him.

“This would have stopped theTitanicfrom sinking.” The man chortled as he passed the bottle to Simon. He glanced out the window at the RV. “That yours?”

Alice nodded.

The old man narrowed his eyes. “What happened to the front?”

“We hit a deer,” Alice blurted. The man’s gaze shifted over to her.

“That’s a shame. You keep it?”

“Pardon?”

“The deer. If it’s not too messed up, roadkill is still good meat.” Alice felt her stomach lurch, thinking of the biker’s body that she had helped push down the steep bank.

“Sorry, no.”

“Too bad.” His gaze went back to Simon. “You sure it’s just a leak, son? If you all hit a deer, it might be worse. How about I take a quick look. Free of charge.”

Alice thought of all the dents and scrapes down the side of the RV. Would he believe a deer did all that? This man seemed too shrewd and observant. He was going to have questions. He might even call the police. Alice felt a surge of hope. This might all be over soon. Unfortunately, Simon must have come to the same conclusion because he quickly spoke up.

“I’m sure it’s a leak, but thanks.”

“Only take a minute, son.”

The mechanic moved fast for an older man and was at the front door, pushing it open, before Simon could say anything else. Simon jerked his chin at Alice. She didn’t understand for a half a second, then she rushed after the man. Simon followed behind, close at her heels. She could hear him swearing under his breath, feel his tension. It pressed against her back like fists. Her earlier hope that this situation could lead to a rescue was swiftly shifting into panic.

The old man paused on the sidewalk, checking both ways for traffic. A slight breeze moved the sparse white hair on the back of his head. Fluffy, like a baby bird’s down.

He stepped off the sidewalk.

CHAPTER 11ALICE

Alice shielded her eyes from the sun as the three of them crossed over the road. She couldn’t see much through the RV window, but she caught a hint of movement. They drew closer. She didn’t see Jenny’s shape. She thought of Tom alone on the bed.