Are You Afraid Of The Dark   ::   Sheldon Sidney

"I'll turn out the lights," Mark said.

She tensed and squeezed her eyes shut. She started to say no, but as she felt his warm body close to her, protecting her, she said nothing.

When Mark turned out the lights, Kelly opened her eyes.

Kelly was no longer afraid of the dark. She* * *

"KELLY? KELLY!"

She was jolted out of her reverie. She looked up, and she was back in the Fifth Avenue jewelry shop in New York, and Joseph Berry was holding out a thick envelope to her.

"Here you are. Twenty thousand dollars, in hundred-dollar bills, just as you requested." It took Kelly a moment to get her bearings. "Thank you." Kelly opened the envelope, extracted ten thousand dollars, and handed it to Diane.

Diane looked at her, puzzled. "What's this?" "This is your half." "For what? I can't-" "You can pay me back later." Kelly shrugged. "If we're still around. If we're not around, I won't need it anyway. Now let's see if we can get out of here."



CHAPTER 34

AT LEXINGTON AVENUE, Diane hailed a cab.

"Where are we going?"

"To La Guardia airport." Kelly looked at Diane in surprise. "Don't you know they'll be watching all the airports?" "I hope so." "What are you-?" Kelly groaned. "You have a plan, right?" Diane patted Kelly's hand and smiled. "Right."

* * *



AT LA GUARDIA, Kelly followed Diane inside the terminal to the US Airways ticket counter.

The agent behind the counter said, "Good morning. Can I help you?" Diane smiled. "Yes, we'd like two coach tickets to Los Angeles." "When would you like to leave?" "On the first available flight. Our names are Diane Stevens and Kelly Harris." Kelly winced.

The ticket agent was consulting a schedule. "The next plane will be boarding at two-fifteen." "Perfect." Diane looked at Kelly.

Kelly managed a weak smile. "Perfect."

"Will that be cash or credit card?"

"Cash." Diane handed him the money.

As they walked away, Kelly said, "Why don't we just put up a neon sign telling Kingsley where we are?" Diane said, "You worry too much." They started to pass the American Airlines booth. Diane stopped and walked up to the ticket agent.

"We'd like two coach tickets to Miami on the next flight out of here." "Certainly." The ticket agent checked the schedule. "That flight will be boarding in three hours." "Fine. Our names are Diane Stevens and Kelly Harris." Kelly closed her eyes for an instant.

"Credit card or cash?"

"Cash." Diane paid the clerk and he handed her their tickets.