Read Online County Line Road by Marie Etzler - Free Book Online Page B

every drawer in her desk to make sure no pills had slipped under anything. Feeling paranoid, she wiped down the inside of her locker with a wet paper towel and tucked it in her pocket. While walking through the parking garage, she threw the paper towel in a trash can in the staircase. She pulled off her sweater and stuffed it in the trunk of her car. She put her tote bag on the seat next to her and started rummaging through it with one hand as she drove.
    She barreled down the tight, winding exit ramp of the parking garage, trying to drive and light a cigarette at the same time, almost scraping her bumper more than once.
    “I need a drink,” she said aloud to herself. She made a quick call on her cell phone as she pulled out onto the road. “I’ll meet you there in about 20 minutes. I have an errand to run; I have to get rid of something first. And I can only stay for one drink. I mean it. Good. See you then.”
    Linda stuffed her cell phone back into her tote bag and took out a brown paper bag.
    She pulled into the parking lot to the sports memorabilia store and looked over the group of teenage boys hanging around a card table. She slowed down in front of them.
    “Is that you, Cameron?” Linda said out her car window to one of the boys.
    A tall boy turned around. His expression changed from surprised to a shy smile.
    “Hello, Mrs. Bodine,” Cameron said.
    He was tall like Jimmy and had brown hair.
    Linda beckoned him over. “My. You have grown up. The last time I saw you, your mom was taking you to the dentist to have your braces off.”
    He put his hand in front of his mouth. “Yeah.”
    “Can you do me a favor?” She smiled and leaned forward so he could look down her blouse. “Can you take this into the store for me?” She pulled a brown paper bag out. “I’m late and really don’t have time. Just give it to Bob at the counter.”
    “Uh, okay,” Cameron said. He pulled his eyes away from her cleavage. “What is it?”
    “I don’t know. I just found it in the parking lot, but it’s got the store name on the bag. Just tell them you found it,” she said. “Here.” She opened her car door, placed the bag on the ground. “Go ahead.”
    Cameron picked it up quizzically but enjoying the game. The object inside was the size and shape of a baseball. “See? Nothing to it. Thanks, sweetie. You should come by the house sometime. We haven’t seen you in ages.”
    “I don’t hang out with Jimmy much any more since he runs track and I play baseball. No time, you know.”
    “Sure, honey,” Linda said. “Thanks for taking that inside. And your teeth look great. Those braces really worked.”
    She pulled away. Cameron stood there a minute, dazed, until he snapped out of it and ran inside the store. Linda turned down the next parking row and watched.
    “Good job,” she said as she watched him through the glass storefront window. A clerk took the ball out of the paper bag and began to examine it.
    Linda took off quickly.
    Her cell phone rang.
    “Hi there,” she said. “I’m on my way. Yes, only one drink, and believe me I need it. No, just one; Earl is on his way home early tonight.”
    She hung up and headed out of the parking lot. Before leaving, she cruised past the grocery store where Jimmy worked. She slowed down to see if he was collecting shopping carts in the parking lot. “Nope, but I’ll see you as soon as your father gets home.”
    She pulled into another parking lot a few streets down, parked in front of the discount store but walked into a place called “Johnny’s Bar” a few doors down.
    After his shift at work, Jimmy took his usual route jogging home. He exited the grocery store parking lot and ran through the neighborhood next to the store, came back out the main entrance and up the street.
    He sprinted across the intersection and past a row of construction barricades surrounding a torn up sidewalk and a turn lane that headed straight into the parking lot for the discount store