Page 56 of Until the Sea Runs Dry

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Cars screeched by. Horns blared, their drivers glaring through their windows at Jane with barely concealed annoyance.

As if any of this nightmare was of her making.

She’d been driving along, happy for the first time in days, when the car had started spluttering. Not knowing what to do, she had pulled off to the side — it was just unfortunate that she had been on a narrower stretch of road than usual when the problem occurred.

After some twenty or so minutes trying to find what was wrong, she had given up and was now trying to figure out how to call for help.

She didn’t have a phone, and with only Summers’ number — safely squirreled away in the pool house — and Clare’s, it seemed too much to burden her for help when they had only just met.

Loki whined, unhappy with being stuck in the car. As was becoming the norm, he picked up on her anxiety and was not liking it one bit.

“I know, Buddy, I don’t like this any more than you do.”

She considered her options. But, with only the cars streaking past, there wasn’t a break in the road for miles.

If it wasn’t for Loki, she would have risked leaving the car and walking until she could get to a phone or flag down assistance, but he was only a puppy and jumpy from all the commotion. She wouldn’t be able to get anywhere safely with him, and it was out of the question to leave him there alone.

She leaned back in the driver’s seat, arms wrapped around him, unsure who was calming who. All she could do was wait and hope that someone would take pity on her and stop.

But this wasn’t a city known for its neighborly ways.

Cars raced past, the occasional driver scowling their displeasure as they talked on their phones. She hadn’t been in LA long, but already she was starting to see how the people here were always in a hurry, multitasking even when at the wheel.

A woman drove past, touching up her makeup — and not only her lipstick. She dabbed eyeshadow onto the corners of her eyes and had even looked directly at Jane, all while at the wheel of her car. She had seen her plight, but it hadn’t been met with any sympathy.

When the sun started sinking lower, and the skies became awash with red, sirens screamed into the fast-approaching night. A police cruiser appeared and slid up alongside. A policeman with salt and pepper hair emerged from the car and gestured for Jane to wind the window down.

It might have been the hostile expression on his face, or the way he swaggered toward her as if he owned the world, but something about his presence made her uneasy.

“Ma’am, can you step out of the car?”

Looping Loki’s leash around the steering wheel, she got out and closed the door firmly behind her to stop any thoughts of escape the puppy might have.

Despite how unthreatening she must have looked, he kept one hand on the gun strapped to his hip, and barked, “You can’t stop here. You pose a serious risk to yourself and other vehicles who might not see you until it’s too late.”

Thanks, Sergeant Obvious. She hadn’t thought of that.

“I was having car trouble. It started making a strange noise, so I pulled over, but now I can’t get it to start again.”

He stared at her beneath a pair of bushy eyebrows. “Why haven’t you called for assistance?”

“I don’t have a phone,” she answered truthfully, squirming under his gaze.

He didn’t speak for several moments, pinning her in place with those eyes that clearly found her version of the story wanting.

“I can radio for help for the car, but I’ll need to see your license first.” He started toward her, hand outstretched as he waited for the requested item.

A sudden dread came over her at his request.

She had been so desperate to feel even one iota of control that a license had completely slipped her mind. Even college kids knew better than to drive without a one. What a stupid, stupid thing to forget!

The blood drained from her face. She found herself stammering a reply. “I don’t have one on me…”

His eyes turned flinty.

Forty years on the job and he still couldn’t believe how the rich behaved.

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