Where the Sun Sets
Chapter 28
Josephine had no idea where she was. They had been driving now for over an hour.
She followed her lead into a service station, where Antonia's abductor had stopped
for gas. Josephine parked back in the depths of the shadows. Lights off, she was
confident she would not be seen. She watched as Salvatore got out of the car and
walked around to Antonia's side. He opened the car door and got down on his haunches.
Reaching inside the car, it seemed as if he were fixing the blanket around Antonia.
He grabbed a duffel bag from the back seat and used it to prop up her head, like a
pillow. For all visual purposes, it seemed as if Antonia was sleeping.
Closing the car door he stood up straight and stretched as if relaxed and comfortable.
Pulling a couple bucks from his pocket, he handed them to the attendant and went
inside the one stop.
From where Josephine was parked it was impossible to see what Salvatore was doing.
Josephine kept watch on the car. If she was quick she could drive right up and steal
her friend back from the monster. Steal her back and take her home, where she belonged.
But speed and agility were never her strong suits. She prayed the attendant would
notice something was wrong with Antonia. Prayed for a police car to pull up for
anything, a donut, coffee, gas, anything. But that didn't happen either.
Salvatore came back outside and headed for his car. He didn't get right in though.
He stood outside and had a cigarette while chatting with the attendant as if they were
old friends. Josephine thought perhaps she should start taking notes. She opened the
glove box to search for something to write on. She held back the scream that begged
to escape as Billy's gun fell out on the floor. She glanced up over the dash board
carefully, just in case she was loud enough to have been noticed. But the guys were
still chatting amongst themselves. Josephine found no paper or pen. She shut the
glove box quietly. The gun remained where it had fallen. Through her hand bag she now
scavenged. Picking up the pace, nearly dumping all of its contents out onto the seat.
Eyeliner and an envelope. She jotted down the name of the service plaza and everything
she could remember passing on the way to this spot.
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