The New Year's Party Read Free Page A

“I hit him. We’ve got to go back.”
    â€œNo!” Beth screamed, her voice full of panic. “Get out of here now. Before we get caught!”
    â€œBeth, we have to help that boy. We can’t just leave him there!”
    â€œIt wasn’t a boy, Jeremy,” Beth insisted. Sherepeated the words again and again in her mind. Wasn’t a boy. Wasn’t a boy. Wasn’t a boy.
    â€œI saw his face.”
    â€œNo, we hit a raccoon or something.” Beth pulled her hair back behind her head.
    â€œWe’ve got to turn around and go back. Maybe he’s okay. And if he isn’t, we’ve got to get some help for him. We’ve got to, Beth.”
    â€œYou can’t!” Beth cried. “You’ll lose your license—maybe forever!”
    Jeremy frowned. “Forever?”
    â€œAnd what if—what if—the boy is dead?” Beth stammered. “They could charge you with murder, Jeremy.” She shuddered.
    â€œBut … it was an accident,” he protested.
    â€œYou were driving recklessly, speeding. It was
your
fault,” Beth insisted.
    â€œWait—what’s that?”
    Beth heard it, too.
    A siren. In the distance. Growing louder.
    â€œThe police!” Beth exclaimed. “We’ve got to get out of here! If it
was
a boy,
they’ll
help him. Now,
go!
”
    For a moment Jeremy hesitated. Then he floored the gas pedal. The tires squealed over the ice. And they sped away.
    This time Beth didn’t tell Jeremy to slow down. She watched the snowbank fly past in a white blur, her heart pounding.
    She thought she saw the flash of a police car’s red light behind them. But when she peered out the back window, the road stood empty.

    We’re okay, she thought. We’re going to make it. We’re going to get away.
    â€œI can’t see,” Jeremy complained. “The windshield is completely fogged now.”
    â€œI need something to wipe it,” Beth answered.
    â€œThere’s a rag under the seat.” Jeremy leaned over the wheel, struggling to make out the road in front of them.
    Beth felt around for the rag. She pulled out a crumpled map, a soft drink bottle, a screwdriver, a Burger Basket wrapper. “Here it is!” she cried.
    She frantically wiped the windshield. But every time she cleaned a spot, the fog came right back.
    She was still wiping the glass when the car slid out of control.
    She saw the look of panic on Jeremy’s face as he fought with the wheel, turning it hard, one way, then the other. Trying to pull them out of the skid.
    It all seemed to happen in slow motion.
    The headlights swept over the icy highway. Then, as the car whirled, spinning faster, faster, the high snowbank spun into view. Then the icy highway again.
    Beth opened her mouth in a shrill scream as the car smashed hard into the snowbank.
    â€œUnh.” Her scream ended in a grunt as she was thrown forward and her head cracked against the dashboard.
    Darkness filled the car as the tall snowpile covered the windshield.
    Beth felt warm blood trickle down her forehead.She squinted hard, struggling to see through the blinding pain.
    The pain …
    She felt another jolt as the car broke through the snowbank.
    The car plunged down. Down the gorge beside the road.
    She could feel it topple, but she couldn’t react.
    She felt the warm liquid roll down her face. Felt shock after shock of pain.
    The car bounced hard. Rolled over. Toppled and rolled.
    Down, down.
    â€œJeremy!” she choked out. “You’ve killed us. You’ve killed us both.”

PART TWO

THIS YEAR

Chapter 5

THE BODY IN THE CLOSET
    â€œB rrr!” Reenie Baker shivered as she closed the back door behind her. It was only November, but already the weather felt as cold as January.
    â€œReenie, is that you?” Mrs. Baker called from the living room.
    â€œYeah, Mom, it’s me,” Reenie answered. She hung her heavy winter coat on a