Honeymoon for Three

who tried to navigate the curve too fast from ending up on the rocks in the bay behind him. He practiced looking through the windshield of each car that came by. It would work as long as his concentration didn’t waiver. He had to stand, which was a good thing. He would never get too comfortable.
    If he spotted Penny or Alfred, he would try to get the license plate number of the vehicle. If he turned and looked at the rear of the vehicle after it passed him it should be going slowly enough so that he could read the plate. He practiced doing this when traffic was light. He had a pad and pencil available to write the information down. He had a thermos of coffee to help keep him awake, but he would drink it sparingly, because he wouldn’t move from this spot, even if he had to go to the bathroom.
     
    CHAPTER 30
    In contrast to her somber mood, Penny noticed that Alfred acted as if he were feeling very lighthearted this morning. He asked her how she had slept and solicitously examined the cut in her head. It became obvious to her as they ate breakfast that in her depravity she had done exactly what he wanted last night. She should use that to her advantage. Maybe she could get him to trust her more. She forced herself to smile at him and pretend to be happy. It was difficult, but it might help buy her freedom.
    They repacked the stove and dishes in the camper and were ready to leave. Penny climbed into the passenger seat. When she saw Alfred pick up the roll of duct tape, she said, “Is that really necessary?” in her sweetest voice.
    He hesitated, looking at her. She could almost see the wheels spinning in his brain. She held his eyes, trying to look her most seductive and most innocent at the same time. Promising bellybutton blow jobs and strict obedience. Finally he looked away and threw the tape into the storage cabinet.
    Alfred sat in the driver’s seat, inserted the key into the ignition, and gave it a twist. There was no answering response from the starter. He tried again. Same result.
    “The battery’s dead.” Alfred hit the steering wheel with his hand in frustration.
    Penny didn’t know whether this was good news or bad news. The reason for it came to her.
    “We left the dome light on last night.”
    Alfred looked blank for a moment. He peered back at the offending light. He had obviously forgotten all about it. He got up and switched it off. He returned to his seat and tried the starter again. Nothing happened. He slumped over the steering wheel, at a loss as to what to do.
    Penny knew what to do. She and Gary had been on one of their pre-honeymoon trips when they hadn’t been able to start the Beetle. They had both pushed it, and when its speed hit five miles per hour, Gary jumped into the driver’s seat with the ignition on and put it in gear. When he disengaged the clutch, it started. The camper had the same kind of transmission. The only problem was that it was a lot heavier, and they were parked on an uneven surface.
    She debated whether to tell Alfred what to do. Was she better off with or without the camper? It was several miles to Route 1. She could certainly walk that distance—she had proved that—but would Alfred let her do it? She couldn’t outrun him. He might decide he couldn’t risk having her on foot and kill her here.
    “It’s got a manual transmission. We can push-start it.”
    “We can?”
    Penny explained how she and Gary had started the Beetle. Then she and Alfred got out of the camper and surveyed the area. Even if they could move the camper with a push, it would be impossible for them to get it up to five miles-per-hour on the rough terrain. Penny saw that the only possibility was to push it back to the road, a distance of some thirty feet. The road sloped downhill toward the ocean.
    Once the camper reached the road, it would roll of its own accord. One of them could jump into it and put it in gear. Then it would start easily. If she were the one to do that, she could just keep going and leave Alfred behind. She would be free. She was very tempted to try to talk him into it.
    On the other hand, the person who jumped into the camper had a dangerous job. What if she didn’t make it and fell under the wheels? What if she didn’t gain control of the steering wheel soon enough and it hit a tree or went into the ditch that ran along one side of the road? It could easily roll over.
    No, she would rather give Alfred that job. If he got hurt, she could make her escape. It