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to the
building—or perhaps several buildings—was on the side street.
    Alfred parked on the street and walked up
the driveway into the complex. The gray stucco buildings had
apartments on several levels, reached by outside stairways. He
walked through the big parking area, dimly lit by a few spotlights.
Most of the cars were parked under several long roofs. After ten
minutes he spotted Gary’s car. He became excited. Then he calmed
down. It was a small victory, but now he had to find Penny’s car.
To make sure she was here with Gary. That took another ten minutes,
but he found it, parked in the unreserved section.
    His elation was short-lived. Now what should
he do? There was no connection between parking slots and the
apartments. He wasn’t even sure which building Gary’s apartment was
in. There was only one thing he could do. Wait until they came out
in the morning. If they were leaving on their trip, that might be
early.
    Alfred’s Timex said two-thirty. In the
morning. Had he been searching that long? No wonder he was
exhausted. His car was on the street near the only entrance to the
parking area. He would sit in his car and wait for one of their
cars to come out. Then he would follow it.
    If he followed them and they were leaving on
a trip, he would need some things. Clothes. A toothbrush. He
couldn’t risk driving back to his apartment. That must be close to
thirty miles one way. They might leave before he returned.
Fortunately, he had all his money with him, hidden under his seat.
He didn’t trust banks.
    No, he had to wait here. He settled into his
car, trying to get comfortable. Not too comfortable. He didn’t want
to fall asleep. He opened the front window, letting in the cool
night air. That would keep him awake.

    CHAPTER 4
    If the distinctive engine roar hadn’t jogged
his brain, Alfred might have slept blissfully on. The harsh noise
of the Volkswagen accelerating in first gear woke him with a jerk.
As he struggled to open his rebellious eyes and sit up from the
prone position he had slid into after failing in his effort to stay
awake, he caught a glimpse of Gary’s car, headed down the short
hill toward Atlantic Avenue.
    Alfred fumbled for the key to his Ford, his
hand shaking. It was in the ignition. He managed to grasp and turn
the key, and he heard the engine crank and catch. Simultaneously,
he adjusted his stiff limbs to the driver’s position, blinking his
eyes to dissipate the mist in front of them.
    He failed to check his rearview mirror
before pulling away from the curb, but fortunately, nobody was
approaching from behind at this early hour. As he started down the
hill, he saw the green VW make a left turn onto Atlantic. Gary was
heading north toward the San Bernardino Freeway. That just about
clinched it. He and Penny had to be leaving on their trip. If Gary
were going to his office at IBM, he would have turned right on
Atlantic.
    Alfred had to stop for the traffic light at
Atlantic. A quick glance at his watch told him that it was barely
six-thirty. The sun had been up for an hour, but it felt like the
middle of the night. The odds were overwhelming that Gary was going
to get on the freeway, but in which direction?
    If they were traveling up or down the
California coast, they would head west on the freeway. If they were
going toward Phoenix, say, or Las Vegas, they would head east.
Alfred remembered Penny’s mother saying that Penny wanted to visit
national parks, like Yellowstone. Yellowstone was inland. That
meant east.
    Alfred had to make a quick decision, since
he was approaching the freeway entrance and the green VW was
nowhere in sight. He jogged onto the eastbound onramp and
accelerated as he merged with the moderate morning traffic headed
out of L.A. The cars were moving quickly. The powerful engine of
his Ford enabled him to easily stay with the flow.
    A Volkswagen had a top speed of what—about
seventy miles per hour? By going seventy-five, Alfred should be
able to catch it