Page 27 of The Hitchhikers

The mechanic was marching determinedly toward the grille of the RV, talking over his shoulder to Simon about the statistics of how many animals were killed on the roads each year.

They were in front of the RV. Simon moved to the right of the man, blocking him from potentially walking around to the driver’s side, where the biker had left dents with the metal rod.

“Hmm.” The mechanic studied the front of the RV with his hands on his hips. “Your headlight cover is cracked.”

“We have one on order. Going to pick it up at the next dealership,” Alice said in a rush and immediately regretted it. She had no idea where the next dealership was located. She should have kept her mouth shut, but the tension in the air was making her head spin.

The man’s stare now seemed to be focused on the bumper. His eyebrows pulled together, and he lowered himself into a crouch, then rubbed his finger along the chrome.

“A deer, huh?” The mechanic turned to Simon. Behind them, Alice saw the way Simon’s hand came to rest near the gun underhis shirt. She flashed through options. She could push the man out of the way or shove Simon, but what if she got shot?

“A buck. Six pointer or something,” Simon said, and Alice stared at his hovering hand. How fast could he pull a gun? Would she even have time to save the man?

“No kidding.” The man looked back at the bumper. He reached out and ran his hand over one of the dents, his thumb dipping into it. Simon’s back stiffened.

Alice moved to his other side, getting ready. For what? She didn’t know.

“Maybe an elk,” the man said at last. “They make quite an impact.”

“It was big,” Alice said, relieved. “Could’ve been.”

The man got to his feet. “Glad it wasn’t a moose. You want to avoid those. They’ll go straight through your windshield. You need to top up the water? We got a hose around back.”

“We’ve got water,” Simon snapped, and he really needed to change his tone because if anything was going to tip this man off, it would be Simon’s surly attitude. This time the man did seem to pick up on the nervousness and he took a longer look at Simon.

“Excuse my brother,” Alice said. “We’re hot and tired. It’s been a day.”

Simon pulled a handful of change out of his pocket and handed it to the man.

“That cover our bill?”

“Should do.” He dropped the money into the front bib of his overalls, but his gaze was shifting back and forth between Alice and Simon. He knew something wasn’t right, and Alice knew that everything was going to go to hell if she didn’t think of a diversion soon. She glanced back at the garage, hoping to see another customer pulling up. The driveway was empty, but thereseemed to be rooms above the garage, with open windows and yellow gingham curtains.

“Do you live above the shop?” she said.

The mechanic looked at her with a confused expression.

She pointed toward the building. “I noticed the curtains. Pretty.”

“Yes, ma’am. My wife and I have been here for thirty years.”

Simon squinted at the windows, and Alice hoped he was thinking what she was thinking—that the man’s wife might be upstairs at this very moment. She would certainly hear gunshots or a violent struggle. She might have already seen the RV when it parked.

The skin on the back of the man’s neck was flushed, his face shiny with sweat. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and mopped his forehead. Alice gently touched his arm.

“Sir? You don’t have to be out here in this terrible heat with us. Your wife won’t be happy if you pass out on this pavement.”

The man straightened, looking offended, and Alice thought she’d made a mistake, but then his shoulders slumped. He heaved out a long sigh and gave Alice a sheepish smile.

“She’s always getting after me about my blood pressure.”

Alice tried not to make it obvious that she was also letting out her breath. Her chest ached as though she’d been holding it in since they first walked into the store.

“Well, we don’t want her to worry. We can take it from here.”

He tipped his head at her, then shook Simon’s hand. “Safe travels, my friends.”

Alice watched him walk back to the shop as Simon opened the bottle of Stop Leak and began pouring it into the radiator. The man glanced back, and she gave a cheerful wave.