Redemption Road (On Hold)

Chapter 1 - Road Trip

"I couldn't believe it was actually them!" Mrs. Holt gasped.  "I was lucky to have my camera, and lucky that they didn't see me."

When asked what it was like to be within several feet of the criminals, Mrs. Holt replied:  "A thrill and a heart attack is the best way I can describe it.  I knew they had already killed one person, and then I found out about that poor man who died during this robbery."

Mrs. Holt was vacationing in Albuquerque when the bank robbery occurred, and happened to be crossing the street when Driscoll and Mendel were leaving the scene.

Melissa Langley's eyes poured over the old newspaper article for probably the millionth time, then she shifted her gaze (for probably the millionth time) to the picture accompanying the article.  The caption read:  Driscoll and Mendel leaving the scene of the Albuquerque robbery.  Photo taken by Evenelle Holt of Denver, Colorado.  The picture showed a young man and woman getting into a brown '88 Cadillac Seville.

The woman getting into the driver seat was tall and thin, and her long red hair was topped off with a gray newsboy cap.  Her eyes were cast downwards and would have been nearly invisible if not for an excessive amount of purple eye-shadow and black eyeliner.  A long bumped nose sat above a pair of full lips colored to look like rose petals, and her cheeks had so much blush applied to them that it looked as though someone had been slapping her around.  A short jean skirt covered the upper part of the woman’s thighs and the red leggings that hugged her long legs and disappeared into brown slouch boots.  Her torso was covered with a tight purple tank top, a cropped jean jacket, and there was a red handkerchief tied around her neck.

The man getting into the passenger side was tall and thin, with short, messy, wheat colored hair.  His eyes were also downcast, and his thin lips were pinched together in a serious line below the short pointy nose that protruded from his angular face.  His choice of clothing was no where near as adventurous as his companion's, consisting of cowboy boots, blue jeans, an olive green shirt, and a black leather jacket.

Melissa smiled and absentmindedly tucked of few strands of bleached blonde hair behind her ear.  Owen Mendel looked particularly handsome in that picture.

"MELISSA!" A man's voice bellowed from behind her.

"Oh!" Melissa gasped and spun around.

Her boss, Mr. Preston, the owner and main cook of the Blue Plate Diner, stood with his arms crossed firmly across his chest and a flush of red slowly creeping up his neck.

"I told you fifteen minutes ago that those burgers were ready, but apparently you were zoned out over your scrapbook again."  Mr. Preston's steady gaze pierced Melissa with guilt.  "If I catch you doing that one more time, you're through!"

Melissa hung her head.  "Yes, sir.  I'm sorry."

"Tell it to the people who had to wait for their dinner."  Mr. Preston growled before going back to the kitchen.

Melissa sighed and closed the scrapbook with a soft thump.  She set the four plates of food on her tray and carried it over to the family of tourists, her red converse squeaking slightly on the black and white tile floor.

"Well, it's about time!" The mother huffed, eyeing the two streaks of blue and purple in Melissa's bangs.  "I'll bet that hair dye affects your brain cells!"

"Mary!"  Her husband gasped.

"I'm really sorry about the delay.  You can pick out free desserts if you like."  Melissa ignored the insult and plastered on a friendly smile.

"Will we have to wait for those too?" The mother sneered.

The two kids looked uncomfortable and their father attempted to smile at his wife, but the corners of his mouth lifted only slightly.  "Eat your dinner, honey, and then you'll feel better."