sakes.”
Chapter Ten
Mary drove back to her office, her mind on the list of things she’d need to get ready for dinner that night. She wondered what Clarissa liked to eat. If she was anything like Mary when she was her age, macaroni and cheese and fish sticks would have been a treat. Going through her mental checklist she realized that she’d have to cancel lunch with Ian and run over to the grocery store instead. Maybe she should pick up cookies at Cole’s Bakery. Why, oh, why did Rosie have to choose this week to go on her honeymoon?
Mary pulled into her parking spot and smiled, thinking of both Rosie and Stanley. Well, just getting married probably had something to do with it.
She reached over to the passenger seat to get her purse and froze. The hairs on the back of her neck raised and she knew she was being watched. She slowly turned around and scanned the sidewalk. There, at the end of the street, a man was watching her. Or at least he was watching her office building. She squinted to get a better view. Even though he was wearing an oversized jacket and a hat, she knew it was Gary Copper.
She dropped her purse and slipped out the car. She kept low, behind the parked cars, as she tried to make her way to the corner without being caught. The traffic was light and no one was walking down the street. She knew surprise was her best defense because even if he had a weapon, he would have to react quickly in order to use it.
Linda Sterling, the County Clerk left her office to run down the street to the Post Office. She walked out into the brisk, sunny day with a smile on her face and when she saw her good friend, Mary, her smile widened. She hadn’t seen Mary since the day she was married, when Mary stopped her abusive step-father from ruining her wedding.
She watched Mary walking behind the cars and shook her head. Mary was always doing something a little weird, but her heart was good. She wondered if Mary had time to stop in at Nine East, the local coffee shop, for a few moments.
Mary was nearly directly across from Gary when Linda called out.
“Mary,” she yelled, waving her arm. “Mary over here, do you have a minute?”
Gary’s head snapped to attention and he quickly glanced around the area. Mary tried to duck, but their eyes met in the reflection of an SUV. Gary’s eyes narrowed and then he turned and ran down the street.
Not wanting to lose him, Mary took off after him. “Linda, call the police,” she yelled.
Mary dashed around the corner just in time to see Gary cut through the parking lot and head towards Debate Square.
“Hey, coward, why don’t you face me?” she called after him, before she hurried down the steps and dashed between the parked cars. She wished she had her running shoes on, instead of heels, but she was still making pretty good time. She ran across the street, into the small park and through the parking lot behind it. She was only twenty yards behind him.
Turning, he glanced back at her before slipping between two brownstone apartment buildings, knocking trash cans down behind him. Mary leapt over the cans, nearly tumbling when her heel slipped on some garbage, but righted herself and continued the pursuit.
She paused for a moment at the end of the gangway, breathing heavily and looking up and down the alley to see where he’d gone. She saw him turning the corner and heading back to the downtown retail district. Mary continued to run after him, praying that police would get Linda’s call and respond immediately, because he could easily get lost in the stores.
Running up State Street, she looked into store windows as she passed them. Crap! I can’t lose him , she thought.
She ran faster, her lungs nearly exploding as she pushed herself. Finally, on the corner of State and Stephenson, she had to admit that she’d lost him. Jogging down the block to Rite-Way Furniture, she pushed open the door and nearly
Chapter Ten
Mary drove back to her office, her mind on the list of things she’d need to get ready for dinner that night. She wondered what Clarissa liked to eat. If she was anything like Mary when she was her age, macaroni and cheese and fish sticks would have been a treat. Going through her mental checklist she realized that she’d have to cancel lunch with Ian and run over to the grocery store instead. Maybe she should pick up cookies at Cole’s Bakery. Why, oh, why did Rosie have to choose this week to go on her honeymoon?
Mary pulled into her parking spot and smiled, thinking of both Rosie and Stanley. Well, just getting married probably had something to do with it.
She reached over to the passenger seat to get her purse and froze. The hairs on the back of her neck raised and she knew she was being watched. She slowly turned around and scanned the sidewalk. There, at the end of the street, a man was watching her. Or at least he was watching her office building. She squinted to get a better view. Even though he was wearing an oversized jacket and a hat, she knew it was Gary Copper.
She dropped her purse and slipped out the car. She kept low, behind the parked cars, as she tried to make her way to the corner without being caught. The traffic was light and no one was walking down the street. She knew surprise was her best defense because even if he had a weapon, he would have to react quickly in order to use it.
Linda Sterling, the County Clerk left her office to run down the street to the Post Office. She walked out into the brisk, sunny day with a smile on her face and when she saw her good friend, Mary, her smile widened. She hadn’t seen Mary since the day she was married, when Mary stopped her abusive step-father from ruining her wedding.
She watched Mary walking behind the cars and shook her head. Mary was always doing something a little weird, but her heart was good. She wondered if Mary had time to stop in at Nine East, the local coffee shop, for a few moments.
Mary was nearly directly across from Gary when Linda called out.
“Mary,” she yelled, waving her arm. “Mary over here, do you have a minute?”
Gary’s head snapped to attention and he quickly glanced around the area. Mary tried to duck, but their eyes met in the reflection of an SUV. Gary’s eyes narrowed and then he turned and ran down the street.
Not wanting to lose him, Mary took off after him. “Linda, call the police,” she yelled.
Mary dashed around the corner just in time to see Gary cut through the parking lot and head towards Debate Square.
“Hey, coward, why don’t you face me?” she called after him, before she hurried down the steps and dashed between the parked cars. She wished she had her running shoes on, instead of heels, but she was still making pretty good time. She ran across the street, into the small park and through the parking lot behind it. She was only twenty yards behind him.
Turning, he glanced back at her before slipping between two brownstone apartment buildings, knocking trash cans down behind him. Mary leapt over the cans, nearly tumbling when her heel slipped on some garbage, but righted herself and continued the pursuit.
She paused for a moment at the end of the gangway, breathing heavily and looking up and down the alley to see where he’d gone. She saw him turning the corner and heading back to the downtown retail district. Mary continued to run after him, praying that police would get Linda’s call and respond immediately, because he could easily get lost in the stores.
Running up State Street, she looked into store windows as she passed them. Crap! I can’t lose him , she thought.
She ran faster, her lungs nearly exploding as she pushed herself. Finally, on the corner of State and Stephenson, she had to admit that she’d lost him. Jogging down the block to Rite-Way Furniture, she pushed open the door and nearly
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