The Last One Home

Part 12

A heavy ball of regret had settled in Max's stomach. He had just stolen a car and left a woman stranded by the side of the road. Images of a frozen lifeless body, its skin discolored and its eyes staring accusingly interrupted his thoughts.

Could that happen? Is it possible he had just sentenced an innocent person to death? That was nonsense. She had her phone. She would call for help and be reunited with her family. He would use her car to get to his family. It was a win-win.

Max would've loved to have gotten into a 4x4 but this car would do. It was a larger sedan than his old Honda and the added weight helped navigate it through the snow. The car smelled strongly of pine air freshener. The dashboard photo showed two small children. He imagined the air fresheners may have been covering the smells of multiple spills and dirty diapers.

Max checked his mirrors. There was no'one behind him. He gripped the steering wheel with both hands, his left wrist still sore.

Outside, the snow was beginning to wain. Max was able to increase his speed with little drama. He was even able to turn off the windshield wipers. 

The soft glow of a gas station sign illuminated the blanketed roadway. The older sign stood in contrast to the new LED lighting under the station canopy. The gas station was the first sign of life Max had seen in several miles. Instinctively, he checked the gas gauge. The needle stood just below half a tank. Thank God for small miracles. He would have plenty of gas to cover the last five miles home.

Max couldn't wait to get out of the car. Everything about driving it felt so wrong. He had committed a crime to get it, and once he was home he would make it right somehow. Once he was home he could make sure his family was safe. That was the only thing that mattered right now.

As the time slowly ticked by and the miles dwindled, his unease towards the car faded. Max began to feel good. In fact he was nearly giddy. In three miles he would be home. He hoped that the whole thing was a misunderstanding. He hoped that he would be able to sit down with his family and enjoy Thanksgiving. He knew that's what his father would want. From this day forward he would make more time for his family.

Unfortunately, those good feelings wouldn't last long.

At first, Max wasn't sure if he had actually heard anything. He switched the heater fan to low so that he could listen. Soon the sound came again. It was a soft rustle just behind his seat. Max glanced into the rearview mirror. Nothing seemed out of place. He imagined this would be the time when the killer lying in the back seat would slowly rise, knife in hand, ready to cut his throat. But nothing of the sort happened.

The sound came again. Max began to feel uneasy. He lowered his speed and allowed the car to list to the right. He intended to pull over. Another vehicle was approaching behind him. It appeared to be a fairly large truck. The bright headlights flooded the interior with light. Max had to squint away from the mirror. But not before he saw something that made his blood run cold. 

He yanked the wheel to the right and brought the car to a sliding stop. The truck blew its horn as it passed. The driver waving angrily in his direction.

Max unclasped his seatbelt and turned completely around.

The car seat.

How the hell had he missed that?

It was a rear facing seat. A low convertible style that was almost invisible from the front.

His mouth suddenly dry, Max found it difficult to swallow. His heartbeat was a bass drum in his head.

His greatest fear was confirmed when he saw that the seat was not empty. When he craned his neck he could see just the very top of a head and a wisp of brown hair.

God no! He thought. There can't be a child in the car! It was bad enough he had committed an assault, now he could add a kidnapping charge.

Max threw open the drivers door and stepped out into the slush. His legs felt rubbery and his feet threatened to slide out from beneath him. A rumbling plow truck threatened to cover both him and the car with powder as it passed by. Max could see the outline of the car seat through the frosted window. The rear door pulled open with a stubborn creak.

Max reached into the car seat and let out a laugh. The pinched smile of the baby doll leered back at him.

Just a stupid baby doll, he thought. He wanted to grab it and throw it out the window. He stopped himself because it was obviously a child's doll. He imagined a young girl getting out of the car seat and carefully buckling her doll in her place.

The culprit for the noise he had been hearing were several large rolls of wrapping paper. He imagined they were rolling across the floor any time he changed his speed. He wedged them under the seat before he got back into the car. 

He had lost more precious time, but the plow truck had made a nice path down the center of the road. Max increased his speed and hoped he would be able to make the last five miles without any more interruptions.