A red car moving slowly up the road.

Doug’s heart skipped a beat.

The mailman was driving up to the top of the ridge.

A wave of cold passed over him. Ridge Road ran parallel to the highway through town before swerving up to the top of the cliff and unceremoniously dead-ending in an empty field strewn with boulders. The road intersected Oak right next to the school and was used as a lovers’ lane by many of the high-schoolers, but no one lived on top of the ridge.

There was no place on its summit to deliver mail.

The car passed over the top and Doug looked up from the telescope, standing. Even with his naked eye, he could clearly see the road from here, a light slice curving through the darkness of the ridge. He could not make out the detail he could through the telescope, but he would have no problem seeing a car go up or down the road.

He stared, waiting.

Waited, staring.

The sun sank lower in the west, throwing the face of the ridge into shadow until he could no longer differentiate between trees and cliff and road. Although he would have no trouble seeing the mailman’s car descend if its lights were on, there was no way he’d be able to spot the car with its headlights off.

He had a gut feeling, however, that the mailman was still up there on top of the ridge and would be for some time.

What could he be doing? Doug opened the screen door quickly and sneaked inside the house before the bugs hovering near the porch light could follow. Tritia was putting away the last of the dinner dishes and Billy was already upstairs.

“I’m going to cruise down to Circle K,” Doug announced.

Tritia closed the cupboard. “What for?”

He had no lie handy, but his voice didn’t falter as he made up an excuse on the spur of the moment. “I just had a sudden urge for a candy bar. You want one?”

She shook her head. There was a suspicious look on her face, but she said nothing.

“Big Hunk!” Billy called from upstairs.

“What if they don’t have any?”

“Reese’s!”

“Okay.” He turned back toward Tritia. “Anything for you? Granola bar maybe?”

“No.” She was quiet for a moment and looked as though she was about to say something, but she remained silent.

“I’ll be back in fifteen minutes or so.” Doug opened the screen door and stepped out, closing it behind him.

Tritia followed him onto the porch. “Be careful,” she said quietly.

He turned to look at her. She knew something or sensed something. He could tell she was worried. He wanted to talk to her, to let her know what he was going to do, but somehow the words wouldn’t come. He nodded, saying nothing, and walked down the steps to the Bronco.