Best Kept Secrets(139)

aware that the vehicle behind her was following too close.

"Jerk," she muttered, glancing into her rearview mirror.

For another mile the pickup rode her rear end like a shadow.

The sun was at an angle to prevent her from seeing the driver.

"Come on around if you're in such a hurry."

She tapped her brake pedal, enough for the taillights to

blink on. He didn't take the hint. On this rural highway, the

gravel shoulder was so narrow it hardly qualified as such.

She edged toward it anyway, hoping that the driver of the

truck would pass her.

' 'Thank you very much,'' she said when the truck straddled

the center yellow stripe and sped up to pass her.

It pulled up even with her. She was aware of it from the

corner of her eye. She didn't realize that the driver had a

more nefarious purpose than vehicular horseplay in mind until

he stayed even with her, a hazard at the speed they were

driving.

"You fool!" She whipped her head around to glance out

the window. The pickup truck accelerated suddenly and deliberately

swerved, catching her front left bumper with his

right rear one. She lost control of the car.

She clutched the steering wheel and stamped on the brakes,

but to no avail. Her car skidded off the loose shoulder and

plowed into the deep, dry ditch. Alex was held in by her

seatbelt, but flung forward hard enough to bang her head on

the steering wheel. The windshield shattered upon impact,

showering the back of her head and hands with glass. It

seemed to rain down forever.

She didn't think she had lost consciousness, but the next

thing she knew, there were voices speaking to her. They were



soft and melodious, but she couldn't understand what they

were saying.

Groggily, she raised her head. The motion gave her a

searing headache. She fought down rising nausea and struggled

to focus her eyes.

The men surrounding the car and looking at her with concern

were speaking Spanish. One opened her door and said

something that was gently inquiring.

"Yes, I'm all right," she answered automatically. She

couldn't imagine why they were looking at her so strangely

until she felt the wet trickle against her cheek. She raised her

hand and investigated. Her trembling fingers came away red.



"I'd rather you spent the night here at the hospital. I can

arrange for a room," the doctor said.

"No, I'll be fine in the motel. After a couple of these, I

should sleep till morning.'' She shook the brown plastic bottle

of pills.

' 'You don't have a concussion, but take it easy for a couple

of days. No sports, or anything like that."

She winced at the very mention of physical exertion. "I

promise."

"In a week, we'll take out the stitches. Good thing that

gash was on the top of your head and not on your face."

"Yes," Alex replied uncertainly. He'd had to shave a small

patch of her scalp, but with artful combing, her hair would

cover it.

"Are you up to having a visitor? There's somebody waiting

to see you. Since this is a weeknight, things are kind of slow,

so use the room for as long as you like."

"Thank you, Doctor."

He left the treatment room. Alex tried to sit up, but discovered

that she was still too dizzy. The sight of Pat Chastain

walking through the door didn't help her equilibrium.' 'Well,

Mr. Chastain, long time, no see," she said with sarcasm.

He moved toward the examination table and sheepishly

asked, "How are you?"



"I've been better, but I'll be fine."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No. There was no need for you to come here. How'd

you know about it, anyway?"

He pulled forward the only chair in the room and sat down.

"Those Mexicans flagged down a passing car. The driver

went to the nearest phone and called for an ambulance. The

deputy who went out to investigate the accident speaks Spanish,

so he heard from them what happened."

"They saw the truck force me off the road?"

"Yeah. Could you identify it?"

"It was white." She met the D.A.'s eyes. "And it had

the Minton Enterprises logo stenciled on the side."

He looked troubled and nervous. "That's what the Mexicans

said, too. The deputy couldn't locate Reede, so he called

me." He nodded toward the bandage on her head. "Is that

gonna be okay?"

"In two or three days. I can take the bandage off tomorrow.

It required several stitches. And I've got these as reminders."

She held up her hands, which were covered with tiny scratches

where glass fragments had been tweezed out.

"Alex, did you recognize the driver?"