Oh, goody! I stood in Kevin’s foyer, holding the package. My phone rested in my pocket where it belonged. I wasn’t wearing handcuffs anymore. Sometimes, it really was the little things that made all the difference.
Apparently, getting arrested knocked me to the beginning of this loop, or whatever it was. Since I didn’t have any interest in spending time in a jail cell, that was completely okay with me. Not as okay as figuring out what was happening and getting back to my regular life, but I wasn’t in a position to be choosy.
From my last loop, I’d confirmed a few important things: first, there wasn’t much time between when I found the package and when the police arrived, but there might be enough to get away. Second, someone killed Tony after I left the bakery. Third, the police thought it was me. I didn’t blame them. The evidence was compelling.
They weren’t going to get a chance to arrest me again, though. I raced for my car, slamming the button to open the garage door on my way past. I dove into the front seat of my Prius, stabbed the ignition button, and shifted into gear in one solid movement. The garage door was still rumbling upward when the car sprang to life. I stomped the accelerator and my car jumped backward, screeching down the driveway.
Left. The police arrived from the left. I reversed in a half circle, pointed my car right, and took off again.
This was a pretty long street, so they’d see me as soon as they rounded the corner. At the first intersection, I swung a left, barely lifting my foot from the accelerator. In my rearview mirror, I hadn’t spotted any flashing lights yet, but they couldn’t be more than a few seconds away.
Someone screamed.
Instinctively, I stomped on the brakes as I turned to look. My tires skidded on the ice.
Mrs. Chang’s cat crouched, frozen, in the middle of the street.
Uh-oh. I yanked at the wheel, desperate to avoid it. The car swerved to the right. So did the cat. I pulled the e-brake. I closed my eyes. I prayed. Mrs. Chang screamed again.
Oh, f—-