Playing Possum by Dane McCaslin

Author:Dane McCaslin [McCaslin, Dane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
Published: 2021-05-18T21:00:25+00:00

Chapter 13

Before I knew it, I was behind the steering wheel, chauffeuring my passengers to Seattle. If we were headed to the Emerald City, where were Dorothy and her trio of misfit pals?

I moved the rearview mirror slightly and snuck a peek at my back-seat passengers. Brent, his blond hair sticking up as though he’d combed it with a rake, was the perfect Scarecrow. Next to him, Rachel, with her charcoal gray sweatshirt and metallic-toned eye makeup, could be a Tin Man stand-in.

And sandwiched between Rachel and the passenger door sat our own Cowardly Lion, Marcus, in all his plaid glory. How he’d ended up on this road trip was still a mystery.

That left Dorothy and the Wicked Witch. Wishing I’d worn my red Birkenstocks, I glanced over at my seatmate. The bright neon green of Nora’s top and her dangling peridot earrings made me smile. The gang was all here, minus Toto One and Two. They were staying with Roger and the golden retrievers, safe from flying monkeys and other misadventures that might await us.

“Hey, Miss F.” Brent leaned forward and tapped my shoulder, drawing me back to reality. “Can we stop and get something to eat? I’m starving.”

“You had two cheeseburgers and fries barely an hour ago.” Rachel’s voice was gently reproving. “You need to give that stomach of yours a break.”

“My mom says I’ve got a hollow leg.” He kicked the back of my seat as he demonstrated. “My stomach feels pretty hollow too.”

Nora looked back at him, shaking her head. “I’m thinking it’s your head that’s hollow, kid. No one could possibly need to eat as much as you do.”

“I could use some coffee.” Marcus, who’d been silent for the most part, spoke up. “That stuff I got at that last gas station had to have been the bottom of the pot.”

“Didn’t you pour it yourself?” I glanced at the mirror and met Marcus’s gaze. “Common sense would say not to get it if it’s that bad.”

“You’d think that, wouldn’t you?”

His words were as dry as the desert, and beside me, Nora shifted in her seat. Apparently, she’d struck again by offering to get his coffee, and if I was Marcus, I’d probably get my own coffee (and everything else) from here on out. A Shakespearean quote about a woman’s scorn and fury popped into my head, and I smiled inwardly. When my best friend got on a roll, she stayed on it until she was satisfied and felt she’d made her point.

And that point was aimed directly for Marcus.

“I vote for a break.” Rachel leaned forward and spoke in my ear. “Maybe we could stop at a fast-food place? That way Brent can get his food refill, and we can get freshly brewed coffee.”

“That’s fine with me.” I pointed to a large sign that advertised several places to eat. “The next place is only seven miles, if that works.”

“Works for me. I just need to visit the facilities.” Nora reached behind her neck and gave it a brisk rub.

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