Mystery Noir

Down Below Part 1

I had just crossed into Texas when I saw a young woman, complete with backpack, hitchhiking on the side of the road. For miles around, there was nothing else. No copse of trees for another vehicle to be hiding in, no indication of anyone else for miles. Though I turned the camera on my phone, resting in its holder on the car dash with a clear view of the road as I slowed down and pulled over.

I saw her give my car a glance over, looking inside more than outside, before walking over to the door and opening it part way. I saw her look into the back seat and relax a tiny bit, probably upon seeing that it only contained my bag and computer bag. No creepy other people back there.

"You need a ride?" I finally asked, drawing her attention back to me.

" Yeah, I guess." She offered a small, tired smile and shrugged. "As far as you're going."

"Well, I'm headed to Terlingua, so I'm headed right across the state." I offered a shrug as she grinned and climbed in.

"I'm Penny, by the way. " She fastened her seat belt and settled her bag between her legs, fortunately being small enough that she could fit comfortably like that.

I raised a brow, hit the camera off button and pulled back onto the highway. "You can throw your bag in the back, though I understand why you want to hold onto it. Where are you headed?"

Penny frowned thoughtfully, tugging on her long black braid as she watched the landscape move by. "I'm not sure, actually. I'm kind of just going where I'm taken. You're not a serial killer, right?"

"No." I laughed and shook my head. "Though I always figured that someone in the hitchhiking scenario usually is, and if it is not me, it's probably you."

"But women aren't serial killers. Statistically." Penny flashed me a hopeful smile that had me smiling back.

I shrugged. "I mean... Yes and no. There are female serial killers, but I think there will be more, as women are accepted as being equals to men. I think female serial killers in the past just weren't... socialized in ways to make them kill vast swathes of strangers."

The girl gave me a weird look, before shaking her head. "You're one of those true crime people?"

"No." I shook my head as well, offering a shrug. "I used to be in the FBI, I'm a psychologist and a private investigator. My name is Nina."

"Oh, that's gotta be so interesting !" Penny grinned wider to me, bouncing in her seat. "I mean, I know you're just claiming these things, but I got a good feeling about you, I can see you like telling the truth more than lying. Not that I'm... damn it... now you probably think I'm crazy."

"Not at all, Penny." I shook my head and offered a shrug. "So, you're going to ride with me until you feel like getting out?"

Penny paused them, shrugging. "Sometimes I get the feeling to go a new direction, but generally I'll go for as long as you will tolerate me. I don't mind sleeping outside if you want to get a hotel or something. Weather's nice enough out here."

I side glanced at the girl, before inclining my head. "I'm not going to make you sleep outside."

She looked like she wanted to say something, but merely nodded and pulled out a pair of headphones, plugging them into her phone and putting them in her ears, she leaned back and pulled her sunglasses down from where they had rested on top of her head.

I don't know if she slept. I suspect that behind the dark lenses, she watched me. I didn't blame her, to be honest I was surprised she had even gotten in the car with me, or that she was hitchhiking at all. She seemed pretty level headed on a personal security kind of aspect, and hitchhiking was a way to find yourself buried in a shallow grave.