crash of metal and glass.
âWho was he?â Chuck asked, shaking his head. âWhy did he try to kill us?â
âIt wasnât a he,â Deena revealed, holding the white mug in her lap, letting it warm both hands.
âHuh?â Jade and Chuck uttered in unison.
âIt was a woman,â Deena told them. âI saw her. She had long hair.â
âWe have to call the police,â Jade said softly, very pale, her expression still tight with fear.
âWe canât,â Chuck replied quickly. âTheyâll ask us what we were doing back at that house. Theyâll accuse us ofâof looking for trouble.â
âThen we have to tell our parents,â Deena insisted.
âNo way!â Chuck replied firmly. âTheyâll ask the same questions. Theyâll ground you and Jade forever. Iâm out of here next week. But you two will be in major trouble.â
Deena caught the thoughtful expression on Jadeâs face. âI think I know who it was,â Jade said. âTell me again what the driver of the car looked like.â
âI saw her for only a second,â Deena said. âShe hadblondish hair, a pale face. But maybe that was just from the headlights.â
âThen I know who it was,â Jade replied. âAnd Iâm positive itâs the same person whoâs making the frightening calls.â
âYouâre kidding!â Deena lowered the white mug to the coffee table. âHow could you possibly know that?â
âThink about it,â Jade said, tossing back her hair. âWho is the one person who knows what happened last yearâand had a key to the Farberson house?â
âFarbersonâs girlfriend!â Deena exclaimed.
âRight!â Jade said.
âBut itâs a year later. Why was she at the house?â Deena demanded. âAnd why would she come barreling over the front lawn to try to chase us off?â
âI donât know,â Jade admitted. Then her eyes narrowed as she added, âDonât you think we ought to ask her?â
âWhoa! Wait a minute!â Deena went on. âIt couldnât be her. The person who made the calls is a man, or have you forgotten that?â
âAnyone can disguise her voice,â Jade reasoned. âIn fact, I read about a little electronic gadget that can make a man sound like a woman or a woman sound like a man.â
âBut why would Farbersonâs girlfriend call us? Why would she do any of those things?â
âOnly one way to find out,â Jade replied. She opened the drawer in the oak table beside the couchand pulled out the Shadyside phone book. âNow, what was her name?â
Deena shut her eyes and thought. âLinda? Linda something, right?â
âMorrison!â Jade added. âLinda Morrison. I remember now from the restaurant.â She opened the phone book to the M âs and ran her finger down the column. âL. M. Morrison. On Pike Street. Thatâs her. I recognize the address.â
âYou mean youâre just going to call her?â Deena gasped.
âNo. I thought it would be better to visit her, and ask in person,â Jade replied, raising her eyes from the phone book.
âAre you crazy?â cried Deena. âShe just tried to run us off the road!â
âIf we go to her house, it will show her weâre not afraid of her,â Jade replied. âSheâll know we know what sheâs doing. And sheâll have to stop.â
Deena swallowed hard. âWhen do you want to visit her?â
Jade slammed the phone book shut. âHow about tomorrow?â
chapter
10
T he next morning Deena awoke to the sound of shouting from downstairs. For a moment she thought she was still dreaming. But then she remembered everything that had happened the day before.
Oh, no, she thought, burying her head under the pillow. Chuck and my parents are at it
Learning to Kill: Stories