Serial Read Free

entertainment area. He wedged his car into a tiny parking space near the back, shut it off and waited.
    While he sat there, quite a few college students stumbled through the lot at various times in search of their cars. Most had come in groups, piling into overloaded vehicles and driving away in a manner that guaranteed the Las Cruces police would be contacting parents to tell them their child was dead or in jail. Isaac just watched them leave. They weren’t for him.
    After nearly two hours, the lot dangerously close to being empty, a young woman appeared around the corner and made her way toward a battered, old Mustang. She fumbled with her keys as she walked, bumping into the wall and nearly tripping on a curb as she drew closer to where Isaac waited. He watched her as she went to the Mustang and did her best to put the key in the lock.
    Isaac stepped out behind her. “You all right?”
    She started and dropped her keys, spinning around to press her back against her car. Her eyes were wide circles of white, her hands trembling before her.
    “Relax,” he told her as he kept his distance, brandishing his badge. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just don’t want to see you try to drive in the condition you’re in.”
    The young woman went stiff and stared at the badge. He knew she couldn’t read it from where she stood, but he held it aloft all the same. “Is there someone you can call to give you a ride home?”
    “Uh,” she sputtered, apparently trying to think, before settling for a shake of her head.
    “How about a cab? Can you afford that? I really don’t want to have to take you to jail.”
    “No, I, uh—” her eyes darted around as if looking for a place to hide.
    “Hey, it’s cool. I know how it is being young and broke. How about I give you a ride home? You can come back and pick up your car tomorrow. I’ll call the station and have them circle the area tonight and keep an eye on it.” He stepped a few feet closer, the badge still out where she could see it. He kept his fingers over the part that identified him as being from El Paso.
    She did her best to focus, but it was clear she was too far gone to do anything more than pretend she had confirmed its authenticity. Her eyes rose from the badge to Isaac’s face. “I live, like, way…way on the other side of town.”
    “That’s fine. I’m off in about ten minutes anyway. This just gives me an excuse to beg off early.”
    She stared at Isaac for a moment, and finally nodded. “Yeah, sure. Cool.” She started toward the car.
    “Don’t forget your keys.” He pointed to the colorful jumble that lay on the ground beside her car door. She giggled and snatched them up, almost falling over as she bent for them. Righting herself against her car, the woman clutched her keychain and wandered over to where Isaac held the passenger door of his car open. She slopped down inside, bouncing the car on its shocks as he shut the door.
    Isaac went around to the other side. He spotted something out of the corner of his eye and snapped his head around to look. There was nothing but the wall and an old fire escape ladder hanging above the ground. He shook his head, angry the new killer had him jumping at shadows, and slid into the driver’s seat.
    His keys still in the ignition, he started the car up, turning to glance at the woman. “Buckle up,” he said as he shifted into gear. She battled with the seat belt for a second, rolling her eyes at him. Isaac waited until he heard the latch click before he pulled out of the driveway. He drove slowly and casually, doing nothing to draw attention.
    “You have a name?”
    “Karen,” she answered, doing her best to adjust her legs to keep from bumping into the cooler at her feet.
    Isaac gestured to the cooler. “I was preparing for having the next few nights off. You want an ice-cold beer?”
    She turned in the seat to stare at him. “But you’re a cop.”
    He looked at his watch and laughed. “Only for another