Read Online Driver's Dead by Peter Lerangis - Free Book Online

throng.
    At the edge of the park, dressed in a purple anorak, Gwen Mitchell stood against a stout, peeling sycamore tree. Her eyes stared blankly, calmly, as if she were watching a chess game, but her fingers vigorously worked the locket around her neck.
    â€œCome on, Kirsten, let’s go,” Maria urged.
    Gwen’s eyes turned. Now they locked on Kirsten’s, and her blank expression changed.
    She began walking toward Kirsten, a small, cruel smile growing on her face. Her hand dropped from the locket and reached inside her anorak.
    What was she doing?
    â€œGwen?” Maria whispered.
    Kirsten swallowed. Maria and Virgil flanked her on either side.
    A dreadful thought shot through Kirsten’s mind. Gwen was here last night. She saw. She waited until Kirsten left. Until she could be alone with Rob. And then she …
    She killed him.
    Gwen’s hand pulled something from her anorak. Between her fingers it caught the glint of the morning sun.
    Where were the police?
    â€œHere.” Gwen stood two feet from Kirsten, holding out her right hand. “I think you left these behind.”
    In her palm was a set of keys. Dangling from it was a small block of wood carved into the name KIRSTEN.
    â€œWhere—?” Kirsten whispered.
    â€œHe had them,” Gwen said, gesturing toward the ambulance. She shrugged. “They won’t do him much good now, will they?”
    Rob had taken her keys! After she had given him her jacket. We want your arms to be free. Another lie. How could she ever have believed him?
    What was he planning to do? Sneak into the house at night? She would never know now.
    â€œWhat are you doing with these?” Kirsten grabbed the keys and stuffed them into her own pocket.
    Gwen’s smile was gloating, triumphant, icy. It cut through Kirsten like a dagger. “I found them. When I found him.”
    â€œGwen, you are sick,” Maria said in a choked voice. She tugged Kirsten backward.
    But Kirsten could not break herself from Gwen’s murderous gaze.
    As Gwen took a step forward, her lips drew back from her teeth like a wolf about to pounce. Kirsten felt the hairs rise along the back of her neck.
    â€œI—” Gwen choked on her words. Her eyes began flashing with emotion, like clouds across the moon. Hatred wrestled with confusion, finally giving way to a wash of sudden tears.
    With an anguished cry, Gwen turned on her heels and sprinted away.
    â€œHey!” Virgil shouted. “That little—” He let go of Kirsten’s arm and ran after her.
    â€œVirgil, no!” Maria called after him, but he was lumbering across the sloping, well-trampled lawns, halfway to the sidewalk.
    Maria shook her head. “Big hero. He picked today to turn macho. Let’s go, Kirsten.”
    Kirsten let herself be led. She was not aware of walking. Her head seemed swollen and she felt nauseous.
    Rob stole my keys. I left Rob alone in the dark. Gwen killed Rob.
    Three sentences. Each was like a blow to the stomach.
    Maybe Rob had taken the keys accidentally. Maybe he would have given them back today, with a charming apology.
    Maybe everything would be just fine.
    But Gwen had been in the park. And now the world was turning inside out. Good was bad, dead was alive, hope was fear.
    Rob was dead.
    â€œOh …” Kirsten’s legs gave way again. She slumped to the ground, taking Maria with her.
    A sob exploded from deep within her. Kirsten could hold it back no longer. She wailed with a strangled, anguished fury so loud and strange it seemed to be coming from somewhere else.
    â€œWho-o-oa, sshhhh …” Maria said, drawing her closer, massaging her back. The two of them rocked back and forth, sitting on the dewy grass. “It’s okay.”
    Kirsten pushed away. “It’s not okay, Maria! This is all my fault!”
    â€œSsshh, what are you talking about?”
    â€œYou saw Rob pick me up yesterday. Well, he gave me a driving