(2)

Friday evening, Ragen jumped out of bed, thinking he had just gone to sleep. He went to the dresser. The money—money he didn’t even remember stealing—was gone. He ran to the closet, pulled out a .25-caliber automatic and searched the apartment, kicking open doors, looking for the burglar who had broken in while he was asleep. But the apartment was empty. He tried to reach Arthur. When he got no response, he angrily broke open the piggy bank, took out twelve dollars and left to buy a bottle of vodka. He came back, drank and smoked a joint. Still worried about the bills, he realized that whatever he had done to get that money, he had to do it again.

Ragen took a few amphetamines, strapped on his gun, put on his jogging top and a windbreaker. Again he jogged west to

Columbus, reaching the Ohio State University Wiseman parking lot at about seven-thirty in the morning. Off in the distance, he recognized the horeshoe-shaped football stadium of the Buckeyes. Behind him, he noticed the sign on the modem concrete-and-glass building opposite the lot—upham hall.

A short, chubby nurse stepped through the doorway. She had an olive complexion and high cheekbones and wore her black hair braided in a long ponytail down her back. As she walked toward a white Datsun, he had the odd impression that he recognized her. Someone—Allen, he thought—had seen her a long time ago in a student hangout called the Castle.

Ragen turned away, but before he could leave, Adalana wished him off the spot …

Donna West felt exhausted after her eleven-to-seven shift at the university psychiatric hospital. She had told her fiance she would call him from the hospital to meet him for breakfast, but she’d worked late this morning after a terrible night, and all she wanted was to get out of there. She’d call Sidney when she got back to her apartment. As she walked toward the parking lot, a friend passed, waved and shouted hello. Donna headed for her car, always carefully parked in the first row facing Upham Hall.

“Hey, wait a minute!” someone yelled.

She looked up to see a young man in jeans and a wind-breaker waving to her from the other side of the lot. Handsome, she thought, like some actor whose name she couldn’t recall. He wore brown-tinted sunglasses. She waited as he came over and asked directions to the main parking lot.

“Listen, it’shard to explain,” Donna said. “I’m going around that way. Why don’t you get in and I’ll drive you around?” He sat on the passengers side. While Donna was backing the car out, he pulled a gun from inside his jacket.

“Just drive,” he said. “You’re gonna help me out.” Seconds later, he added, “If you do what I say, you’re not gonna get hurt, but believe me, I’m willing to kill.”

This is it, Donna thought. I’m going to die. She felt her face bum, her blood vessels constrict, sick deep down. Oh Christ, why hadn’t she called Sidney before she left? Well, at least he knew she was supposed to call him. Maybe he’d notify the police.