Killjoy

"Don't even think about it," Avery said.

"This is private property," Chrystal half shouted. And then she lunged.

Avery didn't need to defend herself. She simply stepped to the left and watched as the large woman fell on top of the desk. Her precious catalog ripped open and flew to the floor.

What a klutz. "Behave yourself," Avery scolded like a teacher disciplining a child with a harsh warning. "Now get up and go into the store. Move it," she shouted when Chrystal didn't move.

Carrie's driver's license and all of her credit cards were on the desk, except the American Express card. She saw Chrystal slip the card into her pocket. "You just don't give up, do you? Give me the damn card."

Chrystal threw it at her. Avery caught it in midair and then nodded toward the swinging door again.

Chrystal shoved the door open and hurried ahead. She tried to push the door back in Avery's face, but Avery used her foot to block it.

"Bitch," Chrystal growled. Then she saw Ke

John Paul slipped his gun into the back of his jeans and then looked at Avery, waiting for an explanation. She took a step closer to him as she said, "Chrystal was doing a little early Christmas shopping with my aunt's American Express card."

"Aren't they a pair?"

"Yet another good reason I'm never going to get married," she said.

"I don't see any need to get the police involved," Chrystal muttered.

"Who said anything about the police, Chrystal?" Ke

"I didn't, you old goat. Blondie did," she added, pointing at Avery. "And all this is your fault, Ke

"Shut your trap," Ke

Chrystal finally noticed her husband's condition. He was sitting on the counter, swinging his legs back and forth while he held a torn Kleenex to his nose. She gave John Paul the once-over too. "Who's he?" she demanded. "And why are you pickin' at your nose?"

"I ain't pickin' nothin'. That gal behind you broke my fuckin' nose. I'm go

"From jail?" Chrystal bellowed. "You moron. You aren't go

John Paul had about had it with the happy couple. He went to the front door and stood to the side looking out. The teenager

who had been throwing up was now curled up on the porch sound asleep.

"Stop arguing," Avery demanded. She was a little surprised that Ke

"No reason to scream at us, missy. You can see we're cooperatin'," Chrystal said.

"Fine. You're cooperating. Where's the envelope?"

"You mean the one the billfold was in?" Chrystal asked.

"Yes."

"I threw it in the trash by the facilities," she said.

"There was just the billfold, but I'll get it for you so you can see for yourself."

She took her sweet time crossing the store and returned a minute later with the yellow envelope. Thrusting it at Avery, she said, "See. It's empty."

Ke

"That's right. She sure was chatty. She told me you folks were goin' on a treasure hunt. Kinda old to be playin' games like that, aren't ya?"

Avery was close to pulling her hair out in frustration. These people were driving her crazy. "When she came in, did you see her car? Was there anyone waiting?"

"Had a nice new Mercedes," Ke

"Did she tell you where she was sending us?"

Her obvious anxiety gave Chrystal a surge of power. She said snidely, "Depends."

"Depends on what?" Avery asked.

Chrystal rubbed her ringers together, the universal sign for money. Avery didn't have the patience to negotiate.

"The woman left instructions too, but Ke

"Okay, John Paul. We're back to doing it your way. You may shoot one of them. That should get the other one talking."

He liked the way she thought. The gun was out, the safety off less than two seconds later.

"Got a preference?" he asked.

Chrystal put her hands up. "Hold on there. No need for violence. Ke

We'll tell you what you want to know. The woman said a gal would be comin' in. Said the gal's name was Avery." Turning to her, she asked, "You're her, aren't ya? You got to be her."

"Yes. What else did she say?"

"That she'd be callin' and that you'd be leavin' in a hurry, but she was sure wrong about that, wasn't she? I mean, you're still here."

Ke

"Avery, I really want to shoot these people. Put them out of their misery," John Paul said.

She understood how he felt. "Put the gun away, John Paul."

The second he lowered the gun, Chrystal cheered up and managed a smile. "Ke

"We don't need supplies," she said.

"You want directions to where she's sendin' you?"

Avery understood. In other words, buy the damn supplies. "Yes," she answered.

"Don't you be givin' them no discounts, Chrystal. And no credit cards. These folks ain't go

to go through."

Chrystal nodded. "The woman's sending you to a fiver."

What in God's name were they talking about? Then Ke

"That's right, hon," Chrystal said. "You're go

on it and you'd find what you're lookin' for right by it."

"Did she tell you what's on the sign?"

"Coward's Crossing. All the locals use that name too, for that little area where you can look down at the river if you're too

afraid to go in. Years ago, there used to be a rope bridge, which is why they called it a crossing."

"You'll have to hike to get there," Ke

boy, and there ain't no path up there."

Chrystal didn't agree and began to argue with her husband.

Avery reached for the phone and then stopped. One quick call to Margo, she thought, to tell her where she was and what was going on. Should she chance it?

Ke

John Paul had two plastic sacks full of bottled water and food. He grabbed two more protein bars, shoved them into the smaller sack, and headed to the car. Ke

Avery grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down Margo's number. "Chrystal, I want you to drive to another phone and call this number. Tell whoever answers that I was here and where I'm headed. There's a lot of money in it if you make the call," she promised. "But don't use this phone."