The Good Samaritan
by R.M. Haag
Smashwords Edition
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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Copyright © 2010 by Ryan M. Williams, writing as R.M. Haag
All Rights Reserved.
Publisher's Note
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
The Good Samaritan
by R.M. Haag
Jane geared up for battle before she left the safety of the library walls. She had her backpack secure over both shoulders. She kept her hands in her sweatshirt pouch with her keys sticking out between the fingers of her left hand and her small bottle of pepper spray in her left. Around her neck she wore a whistle on a string. With two girls already dead this month she didn't plan on taking any chances.
"You alright gonna out all by your lonesome?"
She took a breath and looked back at the janitor standing beside her cart. Wanda was a tall woman with very wide hips and a beehive of red hair. Each night it was the same. Wanda came in as she closed up to clean the building.
"I'm fine." Jane smiled. "Anybody mess with me, they'll be sorry."
Wanda clucked her tongue and shook her head but didn't argue. "You be careful, girl. You don't know some of these guys. They're sneaky, they are."
"I know, Wanda. Good night."
"Good night to yourself."
Jane pushed out through the doors. Cold October air stung her face. Decaying leaves gathered around the walls. Light posts lit up the square but a fine chilling drizzle was falling. Not quite cold enough to turn to snow but cold enough. Jane hunched her shoulders and headed out into the mess.
Away from the building the wind blew the freezing mist into her face. Jane huffed and tried breathing through her nose. It was colder than she'd thought. If it got much colder maybe they'd see an early snow. Too early for snow in Olympia, she thought. But that's global warming for you. All sorts of crazy weather.
She made it across the square and headed up towards the Loop. A little old woman stood beneath the street light huddled in a yellow parka with bright green flowers. Jane couldn't see her face but she saw the breath curling out of the hood. Beside her was one of those wire carts on wheels. It held the old lady's bag, one of those big black bags that clasped at the top. But if she was waiting for a bus she was going to have a long wait. The last bus left the Loop for downtown a half-hour before Jane closed up the library. She started to walk on past but the thought of the old lady standing out there in the freezing weather made her hesitate and stop. She turned around.
"Excuse me?"
"Yes?" The old lady said, her voice quavering or maybe shaking from the cold.
"Are you waiting for the bus?"
"Oh yes. I think it should be along soon. I hope so."
Jane shook her head. "Ma'am, the last bus came a little more than a half-hour ago."
"Oh. Oh, dear. It did?"
"Yes. The last bus leaves just after eleven thirty."
"Oh, dear. I fell asleep in the library. I didn't know it was that late. What am I going to do?"
Jane tried to remember if she'd seen her in the library. It had been quiet but she could have been in the stacks and missed the old woman. "Is there anyone you could call? Someone that could come get you?"
"No, no one." The old woman shuffled around and grabbed her cart. She turned back towards the square. "Is the library closed?"
"Yes. We closed before eleven. You should have been able to catch the bus." The old woman hadn't been any of the usual stragglers when she'd closed up. She stayed after closing to finish up some work.
"I tried to find some coffee. It's so cold tonight."
Jane felt the cold. The wind-blown drizzle was soaking her and it was icy cold. "You don't have anyone that can come get you?"
"No, I don't know. What time is it?"
"Nearly midnight."
"Oh. Oh, dear. That's late. I didn't know."
Jane shook her head. She had to get home but she couldn't leave this old woman out here to freeze. People did that. She wondered if the old woman even had a place to go. She could be homeless.
"Where do you live?"
"The Boardwalk apartments."
"That's downtown right? Near the Pier?"
"Yes, dear. That's right."
That wasn't too bad. She had to go near there on her way home anyway. "Come on. I'll give you a ride."
"Oh, that's nice. Are you sure?"
"Yes," Jane said firmly. "Come on, my car is this way."
"Okay dear. That's nice."
The old woman grabbed her cart and started shuffling towards Jane. She moved as slow as a banana slug.
"Wait," Jane said. "Why don't you wait here? I'll run down, get the car and come around to pick you up."
"Oh, okay. Thank you."
"Sure." Jane took off at an easy jog. The sooner she got this done, got home and into bed the better she'd feel. At least she could say that she'd done her good deed for the day. In the future she was going to make sure if the old lady came back to the library that she got out to catch her bus.
The car wasn't far from the loop. She glanced around as she approached the car, one of the few left in the lot and didn't see anyone suspicious hanging around. She walked like she was headed towards one of the other cars then at the last minute swerved, went to her car and quickly unlocked the doors. She tossed her backpack into the passenger seat, slid in, locked up and started the car. It only took a few seconds to get out of the lot and head up around to where the old lady waited. She stopped and unlocked the doors.
The old lady shuffled to the back door and opened it, letting in a gust of cold and rain. She struggled to get her cart into the back and then slid in after it. The door shut with a thunk.
"You all set?"
"Yes dear, thank you."
Jane nodded and pulled out. She got the heater going before they left the Loop. Her headlights cut through the icy drizzle and by the time they reached the parkway the interior of the little car was feeling a lot warmer. She looked in the rear-view mirror and saw that the old lady still had her hood up. Jane couldn't see her face.