It had been days since her blackout and Amanda couldn’t believe her mind hadn’t recovered a single memory from it. And she hadn’t been able to fill in more blanks since Big Danny had headed out of town. Gambling trip with his buddies, he’d said.
But whether her stomach harbored queasiness or just worries was still unclear. Ever since that day, she felt as though someone had been following her. Spying on her.
Or perhaps it was just paranoia after what Big Danny had told her.
What friend from church? Had David come over? She pulled out her phone, hesitant to call him, wondering if the police would read something into that. Lori’s death was still so recent…
Deciding against it, she returned her phone to her purse and headed into a coffee shop instead.
Caffeine could make her even more antsy, she thought while waiting in line. When she reached the barista, she opted for an herbal tea and a granola bar. Something to soothe her nerves instead of feeding the paranoia that already inhabited her.
She sat at an empty table in the shop, staring out the window for a while, pondering while glancing around, when she noticed a dark gray sedan a block and a half from where she sat.
Hadn’t the same car been parked by her apartment this morning when she’d left?
She shook the thought away. She just needed to sleep it off.
That edible experiment had been an epic fail. She really had to give Joshua hell when she ran into him next.
Had he been the friend from church who’d showed up?
Why couldn’t she identify that man? Wouldn’t he have contacted her again?
This whole week had been a nightmare, she realized as she once again forced herself to put aside those negative thoughts.
Ditching her empty cup and wrapper in the garbage on her way out, she walked home.
But as though a tiny voice spoke up in her mind, she turned around. The sedan was leaving its spot. She continued marching down the sidewalk, then turned into a random street, curious to see if the car would follow her.
Sure enough, it did.
Whether it was the anger she felt at her inability to fill in her blackout or the adrenaline from something else, she pointed straight at the car, then dashed toward it, her elbows pumping at her sides. No way in hell was she going to be followed by some creep.
She wouldn’t be stalked. It was broad daylight. She risked nothing. She could scream her heart out if that sedan driver was the killer coming after her.
Someone would hear her.