Hourglass

Chapter 28

Chapter 28:

Shoot, I need gas. Jasmine drives past Nathan's exit to the gas station, fills up, then swirls in through the back entrance of Nathan's subdivision. The bronze car she'd seen trailing her was parked a block from Nathan's backyard. "Caught ya," she whispers, sliding into reverse to hide her car a couple of streets away. She sizes up the neighborhood, carrying her cell in her palm like a compass. If only I had binoculars.

She snakes toward Nathan's house, crouching behind bushes. She pauses occasionally, scoping the area, and then quietly advances to the next shrub. She feels a mushy substance under her shoe. She sniffs. A foul odor repulses her. She covers her nose, looks down. Oh, my God. Dog crap!

Jasmine cringes as a nauseous twinge climbs up her throat, and she swallows in an attempt to suppress the bile, shaking both arms in disgust.

Eww, eww, eww.

She slides her foot across the lawn, smearing most of the poop on the grass, and then hunts for something to remove the remaining crap. Her best option is to stay low. She quickly wobbles back to the street and tumbles over.

Damn!

Her butt is now wet from sprinkled dew across the lawn. She swipes it with her palm, shaking her head.

Oh, for the love of ...

She scrambles to her feet, walks to the edge of the yard, removes her vile shoe, and scrapes it on the side of the curb.

Yuck!

Back in position, she slowly passes between trees and bushes until she finally spots the man she'd seen at the hospital with the newspaper. He's peering in Nathan's back window. Thrilled with her finding, she fumbles with the phone and presses speed dial.

"Hello." Damn. Her cell, still wet from her fall, drops to the grass.

"Hello, hello."

She scoops it up and wipes it. "Nat ..."

Click.

Darn it. She dials again.

"Nathan, I'm outside your house. That man stalking me is in your backyard."

"What? Who is this?"

Click.

Damn, get your ears checked. She punches speed dial again. Speaking a little louder and with an edge. "Nathan, it's me. Don't hang up."

"Why are you whispering? And where are you?"

"In your backyard, and so is that man that's stalking me."

"Stay put! I'll handle this." He hangs up.

She squats behind a shrub, and then pops up like a jack-in-the-box to get a better view. Her patience grows thin as she scans the yard and sees nothing. Where's Nathan? She sneaks a little closer.

Nathan's questioning the startled intruder. Her cousin reminds her of a chameleon, with the magnetism and charisma of a politician minus the deceit. He can size up anyone and instinctively engage them. The intruder reaches for his pocket.

"Hands up," she yells. She points a nine-millimeter pistol at the intruder's skull.