Page 109 of Tightrope

She roared into the curve. The Hudson’s tires shrieked in protest.

Eugene screamed and released the necklace.

“Stop the car,” he yelled.“Stop.”

“The knife,” Amalie shouted.

He tossed the knife out of the car.

“Stop,” he pleaded. “You have to stop now. We’re going to die.”

He started to scream and he kept on screaming. Amalie found the sound extremely gratifying.

The Hudson came out of the curve very fast. She slammed on the brakes. The car went into a skid.

She remembered to steer into it but the maneuver brought the vehicle perilously close to the edge of the road on the cliff above the crashing surf.

The Hudson finally slammed to a stop inches from the sheer drop. Amalie had been braced for the abrupt halt but even so, she barely avoided being thrown against the steering wheel.

Eugene was flung forward. He hit the dashboard and bounced back. When he turned toward Amalie, she saw a bloody mask of a face.

The Hudson rocked forward a little. The hood dipped down.

Eugene, evidently too dazed and enraged to realize what was happening, started screaming again.

Amalie did not dare get out on her side of the car. The Hudson’s door was heavy. The sudden shift in weight might be enough to send the vehicle plummeting over the edge.

She twisted her legs out from under the steering wheel and got to her feet on the seat in a single, sleek movement. She vaulted over the rear of the Hudson and landed lightly on the ground behind the trunk.

The Hudson groaned.

She turned in time to see the car rock forward another couple of degrees.

The shock and horror on Eugene’s bloody face made it clear that he had finally registered the full magnitude of his disastrous situation. He was frozen in panic, one leg over the back of the seat.

He had probably intended to follow her to safety but it was obvious that he had lost his nerve. He was afraid that any movement might send the Hudson over the edge.

The howl of a powerful car traveling at great speed boomed in the distance.

Eugene gazed at Amalie with an imploring look. “Help me.”

“Give me one good reason,” Amalie said.

“You gotta help me. You can’t let me die like this.”

“Who knows? Maybe you’ll discover that you can fly.”

“You can’t do this to me, you crazy bitch.”

“Watch me.”

The big maroon Packard screamed to a halt a short distance away. Matthias leaped out from behind the wheel. He was not alone. Luther bolted out of the passenger side of the vehicle. Both men ran forward, taking in the situation in an instant.

“Help me,” Eugene screamed. “You gotta save me. That crazy bitch tried to kill me just like she did Marcus. Get me out of this car before it goes over the edge.”

Luther had his gun in his hand. He went forward at an unhurried pace.

“Let me think about this,” he said.