Body Rides Read Online Free PDF

drive you home in my car. Wait here for aminute. I’ll back it up to the rear of the van.’
    Leaving Elise crouched beside the van, Neal hurried to his car. He jerked open the door. The overhead light came on. He dropped behind the wheel and swung the door shut, quickly but silently. The car went dark.
    He reached to the ceiling, removed the courtesy light’s plastic cover, and popped the bulb out of its socket. After tossing the cover and bulb onto the passenger seat, he dug the keys out of his pocket. He fumbled in the darkness for the ignition key, found it, slid it in and gave it a twist. The engine started.
    Keeping the headlights off, he backed slowly to the rear of the van. He stopped and shifted. Brakes on, he called out the window, ‘Stay low and get into the back seat.’
    Eyes on the side mirror, he watched Elise rush forward. She squatted beside his car, reached up and opened the rear door. After climbing in, she pulled the door shut gently.
    Neal drove forward.
    He kept his headlights off.

Four
     
    After turning right at the corner, Neal put his headlights on. ‘You okay back there?’ he asked.
    ‘Fine.’
    ‘Why don’t you stay down for a few minutes? I’ll go ahead and drop off the videos.’
    ‘What time is it?’
    He glanced at the bright green numbers of the clock. ‘Twelve forty-five. Guess there’ll be a late charge.’
    ‘I’ll pay it.’
    ‘It’s no problem. Let’s just make sure nobody sees you.’
    A couple of minutes later, he steered into Video City’s parking lot. Though brightly lighted, it was nearly deserted. A few cars remained on the lot, as if abandoned there. The store’s interior was dimly illuminated. Nobody seemed to be inside. Nor was anyone roaming the lot – or loitering near the entrance.
    More often than not, a filthy vagrant could be found in front, standing sentry at the video return slot. All set to snatch the videosout of your hand, drop them into the slot, and demand a fee for the service.
    Neal had wondered what to do about the guy.
    He didn’t want to risk an encounter. Best to keep the videos and drive on by . . . return them tomorrow.
    He was glad to find the post deserted.
    ‘Coast is clear,’ he said, and swung into the space in front of the return slot. ‘Stay down, though. This place is really well lighted.’
    He climbed out of the car and walked casually toward the slot, swinging the two videos by his side and keeping his back to Venice Boulevard. It had a fair amount of traffic. He knew he could be seen by anyone in the passing cars.
    The night was somewhat cool. After such a hot day, however, nobody was likely to find it peculiar that he didn’t wear a shirt. He hoped Venice was too far away for anyone to notice his injuries, filth and blood.
    He dropped the videos through the slot, one at a time, then turned around.
    A cluster of cars approached on Venice, still crowded together after being released by a nearby traffic signal.
    Neal raised his forearm and rubbed it across his face as if wiping sweat away. He kept his face hidden until after he’d turned toward his car. Quickly, he pulled open the door and climbed in.
    ‘How’d it go?’ Elise asked from behind him.
    ‘No problem.’ He backed out of the space and steered toward one of the exits. ‘Where to?’ he asked.
    ‘Well, you said you’d take me home.’
    ‘To your place.’
    ‘That’d be perfect,’ she said. ‘Do you know how to get to Brentwood?’
    ‘You live in Brentwood ?’
    ‘If it’s too far away . . .’
    ‘No, no. I’ll drive you anywhere you want. Hell, I’d drive you to San Francisco if that’s what you want.’
    She made a soft, laughing sound. ‘Brentwood will do fine.’
    ‘Venice runs into Bundy, doesn’t it?’ he asked.
    ‘Centinela, I think. It turns into Bundy after a while.’
    He made a right-hand turn out of the parking lot and ontoVenice Boulevard. ‘Where did that guy get you?’ he asked.
    ‘At home.’
    ‘In