Dead Echo

  *

  Cab Able also found himself milling around in the neighbor’s yard though he hadn’t been one of the ones trying to break the door down. He could tell by now the show was over in there and really couldn’t imagine hanging around here anymore, anyway. He didn’t like the weight of the tire iron hanging from his right hand. Not that there was a hell of a lot he could do about it, but…. Things were just the way they were, and that was that. He nodded. Yeah, some things just weren’t worth figuring over.

  He turned back to the street and whistled hollowly. The woman’s car was still right where she’d left it, and that had slipped his mind. Damn driver’s side door hanging open. There even looked to be a bright splash of blood on the bottom panel, probably almost dried by now in this late afternoon sun. He noticed Murphy and Nell walk past it without looking on the way back to their house. Murphy dragging the shovel behind him like a kid pulling a wagon. Little sparks jumping out from underneath it every so often, both of their shoulders slumped like they were both being pulled by the same string as they went along. No sense calling out to them though, everyone had his or her own responsibilities and Cab knew his was resting over there on four tires. Murphy and Nell didn’t have a damn thing to do with that now. Cab looked down and thumped the tire iron against his leg, once, twice. Sighed like a guy who finally realized at the end of the day no one had remembered his birthday.

  Started out across the street and less than a minute later was standing beside the car. Sure enough, it was blood on the bottom panel, and a lot more of it on the street and through Whatshername’s yard. He spat on the asphalt. Stepped closer and grabbed the door, throwing it open a little wider so he could see inside. Expensive number fucker and, yeah, the keys were right there. Still in the ignition. He smiled thinly and stepped over a splash of congealing blood into the driver’s seat. He had to scrunch over and work the lever so his knees weren’t up around his goddamn ears, but when he finally got it right it was better. Leather interior, nice color. She’d really taken care of this baby.

  So it was with a slight pang of regret that he considered giving it up, but of course he would. What was the alternative? Granted, the woman they’d just killed wouldn’t be using it but he sure as hell couldn’t.

  He reached down and twisted the key to ON. The engine turned over on the first try and he sat there a moment, slowly moving his foot up and back on the accelerator, trying to imagine it on the interstate. Then he frowned, glanced in the rearview mirror and saw his own car parked right behind. Funny, until now he’d forgotten all about that, hadn’t even seen it, but there it was. A rush of fragmentary guilt surged through his mind and he quickly looked away. At least his door was shut, he reminded himself for reasons unknown. He could feel the keys through his pants on his thighs and tried to think of nothing. Nothing at all.

  He knew he had to hurry and get the car down to the guy’s house at the back of the neighborhood. Of course Cab had no idea what that guy’s name was or what the hell any of this was all about, but he’d damn sure get this car, and then, by God, Cab’s part in this whole fucking circus would be up. Then he could go back and deal with Mamma.

  That was the main thing on his mind right now.