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He wondered if he would find Katie waiting up for him in the
living room or whether, as she’d teased, he would find her in his
bed.
It was the kind of thing that Carly used to say. They might have
been talking about the business or whether her parents were
enjoying Florida, when out of the blue, she’d announce that she
was bored and ask him whether he wanted to go to the bedroom
and fool around.
He stared at the clock. A quarter after ten and Katie was waiting.
On the side of the road, Alex saw half a dozen deer frozen on the
grass, their eyes reflecting the headlights, glowing like something
unnatural. Haunted.
Kevin watched the fluorescent lights above the gas pumps flicker
off. Lights in the store went out next. From his hidden vantage
point, he watched Roger locking the door. He tugged on it,
making sure it was secure, before turning away. He walked to a
brown pickup truck parked on the far side of the gravel lot and
got in.
The engine started with a whine and squeak. A loose fan belt.
Roger revved the engine, turned on the headlights, then put the
truck in gear. He turned onto the main road, heading toward
downtown.
Kevin waited five minutes, making sure Roger wouldn’t turn
around and come back. The road in front of the store was quiet
now, no cars or trucks coming from either direction. He jogged
over to the bushes, where he’d hidden the cans. Checked the road
again, and then carried one of them to the back of the store. He
did the same with the second can, setting them next to a couple of
metal garbage cans filled with rotting food. The stench was
overwhelming.
Upstairs, the TV continued to bathe one of the windows in blue
light. There were no other lights and he knew they were naked.