Rob studied her steely expression.

She definitely was not joking.

He removed the gas nozzle from the rear of the Galaxie 500 and docked the handle on the pump cradle. The pump’s digital display asked him if he wanted a receipt. He pushed the button marked N and turned back to the car. The girl was already waiting for him on the convertible’s passenger side. He circled the car and pulled the door open for her. The car’s top was down. So were the windows. Of course. It was a nice, sunny day. Only a jackass would cruise around in a cool old car like this with the top up on a day like this. But now Rob wished it had been raining. With the top and the windows down, there would be no blind spots for the psycho chick as he circled back around the car, and she would have a clear shot at him the whole time.

Her smile told him she knew exactly what he was thinking. “Close the door after me like a gentleman and get in. And be cool about it. I feel like anything hinky is happening, I’ll start blazing.”

“Hinky?”

The girl gave him a quick peck on the cheek-presumably for the benefit of any casual observers, a continuation of the boyfriend-girlfriend charade-and smoothly eased herself into the Galaxie’s passenger seat. Rob wiped lipstick from his cheek and stared for a second at the bright smear of red on his thumb. It looked like blood.

Fuck, he thought. This is really happening.

Run. For fuck’s sake, run.

The girl was looking up at him, her expression hard again. And her right hand was in the tote bag again. “This,” she said.

“What?”

“This thing you’re doing. Standing there.” The girl’s hand moved inside the tote bag. “It’s hinky. You should do something to ease my mind right about now.”