Chapter Nineteen

(1)

Ragen jogged eleven miles across the city of Columbus and, at seven-thirty Friday morning, reached the Ohio State University East Belmont parking lot. He had no plan; his only thought was to find someone to rob. From the curb between the College of Medicine and the lot, he saw a young woman park a gold Toyota. As she got out of the car, he saw she wore a maroon pants suit under an open buckskin coat. He turned away to look for someone else; he had no intention of robbing a woman.

But Adalana, who had been watching, knew why Ragen was here. She knew he was tired from the cross-city run and the amphetamines and vodka were getting to him. She wished him off the spot …

As she approached the young woman, Adalana saw her lean over the seat to pick up some books and papers from the passengers side. She took Ragens gun out of the holster and pressed it against the womans arm.

The woman laughed without turning to look. “C’mon, guys, stop kidding around.”

' “Would you please get into the car,” Adalana said. “We’re going for a ride.”

Carrie Dryer turned and saw it was not one of her friends, but someone she didn’t recognize. She saw the gun in his gloved hand and realized this man wasn’t joking. He motioned for her to slide in to the passenger’s seat, and she scrambled over the stick shift. He took her car keys and slipped in behind the wheel. At first he had difficulty releasing the emergency brake, but he finally pulled out of the parking lot.

Carrie Dryer observed his appearance carefully: reddish-brown hair, a mustache cut straight and neat, a mole on his right cheek. He was handsome and well-built, about 180 pounds, five feet ten or so.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“For a ride somewhere,” he said softly. “I don’t know my way around Columbus very well.”

“Look,” Carrie said, “I don’t know what you want of me, but I’ve got an optometry exam today.”

He pulled into a factory parking lot and stopped the car. Carrie noticed his eyes drifting from side to side, as though he had nystagmus. That was something she would have to remember to tell the police.

He went through her purse, taking out her drivers license and other identification, and his voice turned harsh: “If you go to the cops, I’ll get to members of your family.” He pulled out a pair of handcuffs and secured her right hand to the Toyota door handle. “You said you’re gonna have a test,” he murmured. “If you want to go ahead and study for it while I drive, that’s fine.”

They drove north of the Ohio State University campus. After a while, he stopped on the tracks at a railway crossing. A train was slowly moving down the tracks. He jumped out of the car and went around to the trunk. Carrie was terrified that he was going to leave her stranded there, handcuffed and with a train coming. She wondered if he was crazy.