Free Match Play by D. Michael Poppe Page B

way?”
    “David,” he says.
    She looks at him quizzically, waiting for the rest.
    “Steadman, David Steadman,” he responds, revealing his real name for the first time on this trip.
    “Oh, of course…same last name as Joan,” she says grinning sheepishly.
    They walk up to the fourth tee, a par 5, and watch as the players tee off. Each player makes a good drive and they move with the spectators down the fairway.
    He notices a slight change in Emily’s stride and presumes the lorazepam has started to take effect. Emily is drinking her soda and chattering by the time they reach the fifth hole. He likes her; she is attractive, with a compact athletic figure and an endearing personality. It is necessary to keep her placid for the next fifteen holes. He hopes to entice her to switch to beer.
    By the tenth hole, Emily is noticeably relaxed. On the twelfth tee she runs into some friends and greets them. They have a brief conversation and the friends move on; he is sure they notice she is impaired. He had time to move away just enough to seem unengaged.
    As they walk to the thirteenth tee, he pulls her aside and stops at a concession tent and buys two beers. She declines when he offers one.
    “Oh, go ahead, it will refresh you,” he insists as he drops two more pills into her cup.
    After some slight resistance, she accepts the beer.
    They walk away from the sixteenth green to find a restroom and when Emily emerges she stumbles forward and grabs his arm for balance.“I’m tired and don’t think I can finish the last two holes. Maybe we can go to the clubhouse?”
    Although David has been planning this moment all day, he snaps his fingers as if he just got a great idea. “Would you like to get an early dinner somewhere? My treat!”
    Glassy-eyed, Emily looks up at him and smiles. “I’d like that.”
    “Do you mind if we take your car? I’m not familiar with this area; you can probably suggest a good place to dine.”
    “Sure, fine. My car is over there,” she says, slurring slightly and waving her hand with a vague motion toward the player’s parking lot.
    They stop at the Navigator and he changes his shoes and drops off his hat, opens the tailgate and says, “I should get my briefcase, my phone is in there. I’ll just be a minute.”
    “Hey! You have long hair. It’s almost down to your shoulders,” she says too loud.
    “Okay, now where is your car?” he asks with a note of impatience. He has to make sure no one sees them together.
    Walking to the player’s lot, she says, “It’s a dark blue Kia, complimentary, down near the end of the lot about two rows over.”
    They reach the car and he asks for the keys. She digs in her bag, finds the keys and her wallet falls out. She is unsteady and leans on her car; he’s afraid she might be sick but she breathes deeply and composes herself. He takes the keys, presses the unlock button on the key ring, picks up the wallet and walks around to the trunk. He places his briefcase beside her golf clubs and joins her beside the car.
    She sits sideways on the driver’s seat and fumbles while changing shoes. David opens her wallet and reads her driver’s license. Her home address is in San Diego; hopefully her GPS is working or he might have trouble finding her home.
    When he tries to return her wallet and keys, he sees her shoes on her lap; she appears to have passed out. He takes the shoes and tosses them in the back seat, gently shakes her awake and says, “Let me help you over to the passenger seat and I’ll drive. You seem very tired. We should get something to eat soon…any suggestions?”
    She answers with a foggy slur, “Let’s drive to San Diego…there are a lot of cool restaurants and I want something special.” She apologizes for being so sleepy. “I shouldn’t have had that beer.”
    David hands her wallet back and keeps the keys. He starts the car and heads toward the exit.

Chapter 15
    H e knows to go west and then south on the I-5. They continue