Today's excerpt

She was literally blown into the house by the force of the blast.

Zeke was awake instantly, picking her up off the floor and staunching the flow of blood from her nose with a tissue.

“What the hell happened? Why were you outside? What WAS that?”

“I don’t know, I heard a noise, and I don’t know!”

He looked out.

“Addy. Your car.” He was dumbfounded.

Will Tatro pulled up in his old pickup and ran into the house.

“Everyone okay here? What the hell happened to your car Addy?”

“I dod dow. There was a car, it woke me up.” She got another tissue. “I think I broke my dose when I hit the door.” Blood was still pouring out of her nose.

Will went to the kitchen and got a bag of ice to put on the back of her neck.

“We might have to take you in to the Copley. That looks bad Ads.”

By now the rest of the neighbors were gathered outside, examining what was left of the car as well as the surrounding area for any clues as to why it had blown up.

“Has anyone called the police and the fire marshal?” This from Will.

“On it!” Zeke picked up the phone and dialed 911.

“Yes, I’d like to report an explosion at Addy Prangle’s house. Yes, yes. Well we think she has a broken nose. Okay.” He hung up and went back to tending to Addy.

“They were already on the way, they’re sending an ambulance as well, to check her out.”

Shortly after, the police car pulled up dispersing the crowd. Most of them went on home when the officer suggested that they would be of no help but a few hung around to see what might happen. As the dawn broke the officers were replaced by the fire marshal. He looked the car over and quickly announced that a bomb of some sort had been planted under the car and triggered by a remote control device.

“A bomb?” Addy shook off the paramedic and went outside, coat and jeans bloodied from her broken nose. “Who the hell would want to blow up my car? Why?” She paused.

“She really meant it, holy fuck, she wants me dead! ZEKE!” She turned back to the broken door and he was right there, behind her, keeping an eye on her.

“I think you need to come inside. There’s no telling if she did it herself or hired someone to do it for her. In any case, you’re too vulnerable out here.” He pulled her back into the house, shielding her from the outside with his body. “We need to get you out of here, to a safe place. If it is her, you can be certain that she isn’t going to stop at this. Trust me Addy, I know her.”

The officers, fire marshal and paramedics all crowded into the front room.

Police Chief Tim O’Donnell spoke to the other officers and they went back outside to send the rest of the still-thinning crowd home.

“Addy, who is ‘she’?” he asked.

Pushing away the paramedic who was still attempting to determine if the nose was broken, Addy looked at her lover.

“Do you want to explain? You know more about her than I do.” She gave in to the medic’s ministrations as Zeke and Tim went into the kitchen to talk.

“Pardon my bluntness, but just who the hell are you?” Tim, like everyone else in town, had known Addy from childhood and couldn’t help being protective of the free spirit.