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I decided on a 143-calorie lasagna dinner, removed its cellophane wrap, and
popped it into the microwave. While it started on its six-minute route from
rock solid to well done, I filled a Baccarat glass with cubes. It always made
me feel better to use crystal and china when I dined alone, as if I were
having a real meal.
The Scotch decanter was in the den, and Zac followed my footsteps as I poured
a drink. I set one place at the table, with a matching linen napkin and
placemat, facing out my window toward the spectacular view of midtown. When I
turned on the CD player and heard Smokey telling his girl how he lost her when
his heart went out to play, I assisted the backup singers with some Oooh,
baby, baby s til the buzzer told me my entrée was ready.
TheTimes was too unwieldy for the dinner table, the tabloids were too full of
crime stories to let me escape the events of the day, and the misfortunes of
Trollope s Lady Eustace were too convoluted to accompany my modest repast and
were better left until bedtime. I plucked the April issue ofIn Style from the
unread magazine stack in the den and hoped that the elegant spring fashions
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would uplift my spirits.
After dinner, I lounged in the den and called some of my friends. I didn t
expect to find many at home at this hour on a Friday night so I tried Nina
Baum, figuring that the three-hour time difference to the Coast might make her
available for a chat. The answering machine took my message, asking her to
call back over the weekend.
At ten o clock, when I could barely hold my eyes open, I pulled my ski jacket
out of the closet and hooked Zac s leash on to take her for a walk. I headed
out the north end of the driveway and turned left. The wind had died down and
the night air was comfortable, so I led her to Third Avenue, across Lexington,
and squared the block on to Park.
I stopped in the bodega just off the corner of Lex to buy orange juice and
some Colombian cinnamon beans for the morning.
The sidewalks were fairly empty, except for some other dog owners and a
couple of joggers and bladers. Zac and I walked the last block, past town
houses and a private school that was darkened and empty. I waited for the
light to change on Third Avenue and stepped off the curb as the rectangular
sign invited me toWALK.
A little man with a muffler wrapped around his neck and a Boston terrier
heeling at his side was approaching from the middle of the next street. Zac
pulled on the leash, straining to reach the sidewalk, while I was still on the
blacktop of the roadway. Easy, girl, I said, trying to pull her back.
Over my right shoulder I could hear the sound of a car braking as though to
make a sharp turn. My attention had been on the dog but my head whipped to the
side to see what was happening. The car was coming toward me as it took the
corner at a ridiculous speed, two wheels seeming to lift off the ground,
racing directly at me.
Zac lurched forward to sniff at the terrier and I let go of her leash,
throwing myself against the last car parked at the curb before the corner.
The terrier s master grabbed Zac by the collar and called out to me from the
sidewalk. Are you all right? Did he hit you?
I caught my breath and ran to embrace Zac, kneeling beside her as I held on
to make sure she hadn t been hurt. My hands were shaking uncontrollably.
Don t worry, Miss, the man, who most resembled the nearsighted Mister
Magoo, went on. The dog wasn t in any danger. It was onlyyou. Are you okay?
I m fine. I answered, standing up and brushing myself off. Whoever was
driving must have been out of control, drinking or
Whoever was driving looked like he was out to get you, if you ask me. Seemed
deliberately to be heading for you. He tugged at his dog to try to separate
him from Zac, chuckling as he asked, Want me to call the police? You got any
enemies?
Too many to tell you about. Why? Did you notice the plate on the car? I
tried to tell myself that it was ridiculous to think someone had been aiming
for me with that car; at the same time it struck me as a distinct possibility.
No. Fool turned his headlights off as he went through the light. Couldn t
see anything except that it was large and dark colored.
I thanked him for his concern and stroked Zac s smooth cocoa coat, holding
her close against me on the side away from the street as we walked the short
distance to my apartment.
I took my weekend charge upstairs with me and I undressed, carrying a
nightcap into the bedroom in an effort to calm my nerves before trying to
sleep. I wanted to believe the speeding car had just been an accidental swipe
yet couldn t help but wonder who wanted me dead.
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SUNLIGHT STREAMED THROUGH MY BEDROOMwindow for the first time in days. Last
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