Page 39 (1/2)

My gaze rocketed past black riding boots, black pants, and a billowing black cloak to the rider’s face Or where his face should have been The space above the collar where one usually finds a head sat empty

I screamed and fell back The horse reared up then retreated a few precious steps It was enough for h the gift shop and out the front door, asking no one in particular, "Are you kiddingme?"

The headless horseman didn’t follow, thank God I slowed my steps as I descended the outside stairs and forcedback every few seconds, I went to the car, a coppery crossover, to wait for Cookie

"There you are," she said when she found ht you were still inside"

"Nope" I shiftedfor her to unlock the doors She did so, and I practically dived inside

"You okay, hon?" she asked when she climbed in

"Yep"

She really needed to hurry

"Okay Oh, did you hear a scream?"

"No Someone screamed? That’s weird"

"Yes, it is" Her tone was full of suspicion

"I say we go sole, she started the car and backed out "That would take a while How about we go somewhere in Tarrytown?"

"Okay"

We talked all the way to the restaurant, which was a quaint little hole-in-the-ith a food We’d discovered it by accident one day while shopping for flip-flops In the snow

"So," she said to onna tell me what happened back there?"

I’d wanted to spend the afternoon with her, to tell her all my dirty secrets, but how could I do that to her? How could I introduce the world that I can see to soed? Unaffected? Not that she’d believe s ht the whole story about her friend Charley and how she disappeared, but I still felt like she was holding so on And if et a lot of answers

There was one surefire way to get those answers: the threat of physical violence

"I’ll tell you what," I said, opting for negotiations first If those didn’t work, then violence "I’ll tell you everything if you’ll reciprocate"

Anxiety spiked inside her, but she pasted on a bright smile and said, "What do youAbout me I can tell"

"What?" She smoothed her napkin on the table "I don’t knohat you’re talking about"

"I think you do" I raised ritted teeth

She gasped Slammed a hand to her chest Heaved her boso"

Dah of disappointment "You’re not even scared"

"Yes, I am," she assured me with a nod

"Oh my God, you’re not" I dropped the knife on the table "You aren’t even remotely scared"

She hesitated Chewed on her bottom lip "Sure I am"

"You are, like, the worst actress"

She lowered her head in shae"

"Broadway?"

"Kindergarten"