Out of the Past: A Reed Ferguson Mystery Part 9

"I told you, I need a new dress."

I shook my head.

"I can't stay cooped up for-ever."

I reached down and turned up the volume on the radio. Stephanie harrumphed at me, then made it obvious she was putting her back to me as she gazed out the window. I kept my eyes on the mirrors and tried to enjoy the 80's music, and in a few minutes I pulled into a parking lot at the mall. And I still hadn't seen either a tail or Cal.

"Finally." Stephanie practically threw herself out of the car.

"Hold on," I said, hurrying to catch up to her.

She had no choice but to wait for me at the corner until the light changed, and then we crossed 1st Avenue. She stomped to Calypso St. Barth's door and opened it with a flourish. I strolled in after her, pausing to look out the window. Still n.o.body. Had our tail given up? Had Cal as well? I knew he didn't want to do this, but surely he'd call. I turned around. Stephanie was by a rack of clothes, yanking out a dress, holding it up to herself, then putting it back. A sales clerk was murmuring with each selection.

"What about this one?" Stephanie held up a black sleeveless dress as I approached.

I nodded approvingly. I couldn't help myself. It was gorgeous and I was sure she'd look great in it. Even at a funeral.

"Did you see that?" she said to the sales clerk. "That look in his eye? I've got to try this one on."

And so it went for almost an hour. She tried on several dresses, came out and modeled them, then returned to the dressing room with something different. I admit, I enjoyed seeing her in the first dress. And the second. By the third I was bored. By the end, I could not have cared less. I'm a guy. All I knew was she looked hot in all of them. It didn't matter which one she picked.

"Can we go now?" I finally asked. "They all look good."

"Just like a man," she said as she took yet another dress off the rack.

My cell phone rang and I moved away to answer it.

"I've got him," Cal said without any preamble.

My muscles tightened. "Where?"

"Right now he's outside the store."

"Really?" I said a little too loudly. The sales clerk glanced at me and I turned away.

"Yeah, some guy in a heavy coat and a baseball cap pulled down low. I can't see his face."

"And he's looking inside right now?"

"I think so."

I edged past racks of clothes toward the door.

"Oops, now he's backing away," Cal said.

Dang, he must've seen me. "That's because I was trying to get a look at him," I said. I backed up and stood behind a display of sweaters.

"He's going back to his car."

"When did you spot him?" I asked.

"Once we hit Speer Boulevard. He stayed back quite a few cars. I don't know how he was able to keep up with you."

"What kind of car?"

"A Toyota, but I don't know the model. It's a four-door and it looks new."

"And you're sure it was following us?"

"Pretty sure. We'll know once you leave."

"Can you get the license plate number?"

"I can't see it from here, but I'll try."

I heard Stephanie behind me, telling the sales clerk which dress she was going to buy.

"We'll be out in a few minutes," I said. "She's paying for a dress now. This is what you do. Follow the Toyota and get the license plate. I'll call you once I get on the road and I know you're on him. Then I'll turn down a side street, pull a U-turn and head right back at him. We'll pin him in."

"That's your plan?"

"Yeah."

"And what if he tries to shoot us?"

I paused. "Duck and run."

"Brilliant."

"If he wanted to shoot us, he'd have done it by now."

Cal laughed nervously. "I hope you're right."

"Me, too. Where are you parked?"

"I'm across 1st in the parking lot, down at the end near University. The Toyota's a row over from me."

"We're on the other side of the lot," I said. "Watch for us."

I hung up and a few minutes later, Stephanie and I and her new black funeral dress emerged from the store.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

"Stay close to me," I said as we walked across 1st Avenue.

"Why?" She glanced around. "Is someone out there?"

"Just get in the car."

She made a production of carefully hanging the dress she'd bought in the back seat, then got in. I drove out onto 1st, at the opposite exit from where Cal was parked. Sure enough, a Toyota dropped in behind us.

"Pretty obvious," I said under my breath.

"Huh?" Stephanie twisted around in her seat, staring through the back window. "Which one is it?"

"The Toyota," I said. "Can you see the license plate?"

"I can't make it out."

"What does the driver look like?"

"He's got a hoodie on and sungla.s.ses." A nervous edge laced her voice.

"That's it?" What happened to the baseball cap?

"What more do you want?" she snapped. "He looks like the Unabomber, okay? Why don't you lose him?"

I shook my head. "Cal's back there. We're going to try and trap the guy. Then we find out who it is and stop him."

"That's the plan?"

"Yes."

"Just remember you're in my car."

I gripped the wheel harder. "Let's get this started."

I sped up, zipping between a Lexus and an SUV. Behind me, the Toyota kept pace. I took a hard right onto Clayton, a left of 2nd, and the right on Josephine, headed north. The car stayed with me. I pulled out my cell phone and called Cal.

"Are you back there?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm on Speer. How far up ahead are you?"

"You're on what?"

"Speer," Cal said.

"I'm on Josephine. We drove right by you and turned north, and I've got the Toyota keeping pace with me."

"Wait, then...Reed, who's following you?"

I gulped. "The real tail," I said. "I think you made a mistake."

"I don't get it," he said. "That guy sure looked like he was following you. And right after you left the store, he drove off and I followed him. I couldn't see the BMW, but I a.s.sumed you were up there. Reed, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," I said, eyeing the rearview mirror. The Toyota was still behind me. "I've got to lose this guy."

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

My mind raced. "I don't know. I'll call you back in a minute."

I hung up and stared out the windshield. Stephanie's eyes bore into me.

"I can't believe my father hired you," she said.

"Right now, I'm all you've got," I muttered. I glanced in the mirror. The Toyota was closing in. "And you better hope I'm good."

"What do you..." her voice faltered as she looked out the back window. "What's he doing?"

I suddenly turned a corner. Tires squealed as we flew east down 6th Avenue. I glanced back again. The Toyota had lost a bit of ground.

"Ah!" Stephanie yelled.

I looked forward, just in time to see a truck pull out in front of us. I jerked the wheel and we just missed it. A horn honked as we flew past. I took another right and hit the gas, but the Toyota stayed with us.

"Reed, are you crazy?"

I cursed, taking another quick right. I dodged another car, barely missing parked cars on the narrow street, received another chorus of horns honking, then almost hit a man crossing in front of us. He ducked between two parked cars and flipped me the bird. I couldn't keep this up or someone was going to get killed. And it wouldn't be our tail.

I turned right again on 4th Avenue and checked the mirror. Our tail was right there.

"Let's try this," I muttered.

"What?" Stephanie had her hands on the dashboard, staring straight ahead.

"I'm going to let him go by us," I said.

"H ".

Her 'How' was cut short as I slammed on the brakes. It was a good thing she was bracing herself because we both slammed forward. The BMW skidded on the pavement and the Toyota came barreling down on us. At the last second, I jerked the wheel and we skidded to the left. The Toyota shot past us, stopping twenty feet up ahead. My hands shook and I heard of Stephanie shouting at me.

"Are you crazy?"

"Maybe," I said through gritted teeth. Behind me, someone laid on their horn. I hit the gas and pulled up behind the Toyota.

"What are you doing? He might shoot us!" Had she been talking to Cal? But the car peeled out, tires screeching. And now I was on him.

He raced down the street and made a hard right, peeling rubber. I kept with him. He took a left and zoomed on. At the next intersection a cyclist started to cross. The Toyota sped through, and the cyclist had to turn hard, right into my path. I hit the brakes. The cyclist pedaled across the intersection, and again I got the finger. Once he was safely out of the way, I hit the gas and continued after the Toyota. It turned up ahead and disappeared. I followed and we shot ahead, then whipped around the corner. I hoped I hadn't lost the car.

"There it is!" Stephanie pointed.

The Toyota was sitting at the curb in front of a park. Someone in jeans and a gray hoodie had jumped out and was running through a playground.