The Mystery at Sag Bridge

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Valerie grinned as she drove alone down the dark, deserted road. She was confident her letter to the News Local had served its purpose and wrecked Cora's election chances. Pleased with her efforts, she chuckled and shot a fist into the air. "Yes!"

She drove into a fierce wind, trees bending violently and debris swirling across the pavement. She was only ten minutes from home, though, and could probably make it before the storm hit.

The polls closed three hours ago. Valerie pictured Cora checking the results on the County Board of Elections website and discovering she had lost the election. She would shed tears of disappointment, and surely guess who was responsible. Valerie hoped she made some trouble for that snotty reporter, too. She smiled widely, waved her arms and wiggled happily in her seat, doing a little celebratory dance, singing, "We will, we will, rock you, boom, da-da boom."

Suddenly a powerful gust of wind hit her car, knocking it into the oncoming lane. Not a problem-no other traffic on this road. Then a downpour struck, and Valerie could barely see the pavement.

That's okay, she'd be home in minutes. Molly was safe with a sitter, but she was terrified of storms, and Valerie was anxious to be with her.

Wiper blades on high speed swept back and forth, thumping with each pass. Sharp claps of thunder, the deluge pounding on the car roof, the wind-the din was deafening. Continuous flashes of lightning created a strobe-like, disorienting effect. She felt isolated, as if nothing in the world existed but her car and the storm.

She slowed the car, visibility improved, and she relaxed as she drove carefully down the narrow and now slippery road, feeling in control of the car and allowing her thoughts to return.

Valerie traveled this road frequently and knew she was moving into an area of open fields with nothing to shelter the car from the wind and rain. Instead of the increased battering she expected, the rain abruptly slackened and revealed unbelievably on the road ahead...

"No! It can't be!" She screamed and rammed her foot frantically on the brake pedal.

It was over in an instant-the car went into a spin, there was a loud thud, and incredibly the driver's side window just exploded, glass flying, the car struck nose down, dizziness....

Then excruciating pain, loss of consciousness, and she saw no more.

---

"Jean, you know Valerie Jablonski pretty well, don't you?" the aide asked, entering the ER unit, where Jean was dressing a face wound.

"I suppose so, although there's been a recent change in that. Why?" Jean asked.

"Well, get ready for another change. An ambulance just brought her into Unit Three, and she doesn't look so good," the aide said.