Hotline to Murder

could fight off the attacker.
    He finally reached the first floor after a one-step-at-a-time descent that felt like a slow-motion football replay. He ran to the back door of the building, still favoring his knee. He hoped it would hold up. When he burst through the doorway to the outside world, a quick scan revealed Shahla with her hands to her face, and the silver car disappearing around the end of the last shop in the center. He didn’t see Tina.
    Tony trotted toward his car while trying to pull the key out of his pocket. When he had it in his hand he clicked the remote, unlocking his door. He opened it and tumbled into the driver’s seat, not very gracefully. His motions became more fluid as he started the engine and rammed it into first gear. He roared forward and made a quick ninety-degree right turn toward the end of the building.
    Shahla ran in front of the car, waving her arms. Her face looked strange. He jammed on the brakes and stopped. Damn it, she was holding him up. She came forward and felt her way around the car, almost like a blind person. She couldn’t seem to open the passenger-side door. Tony was tempted to drive off without her, but she would never forgive him for leaving her behind. And there wasn’t time to argue. He reached over and opened the door for her. She stumbled into the car. He started fast and the acceleration slammed the door shut.
    As he swerved around the corner of the building, he saw people in front of him, walking to their cars. Double damn. He slowed down—he didn’t want to kill anybody—and weaved his way among them, fast enough to draw stares.
    He drove clear of the pedestrians and saw the silver car make a right turn onto the public street and accelerate rapidly. A few seconds later, he made the turn with the Porsche in second gear and roared after the other car without shifting, as the tachometer needle climbed toward the red line.
    The traffic light at an intersection ahead turned yellow. Tony backed off on the gas pedal and said, “He’s got to stop.”
    The silver car slowed slightly and swerved into the left-turn lane, but instead of stopping, it entered the intersection well after the light had become red. A car starting up from the left barely braked in time as the Chevy fishtailed through the turn and disappeared in the direction of Pacific Coast Highway.
    Tony was first in line at the light, but that was small consolation for losing the kidnapper’s car. He swore silently, thinking that if Shahla hadn’t held him up, he would have caught the other car and at least been able to get the license plate number.
    “Seat belts,” he commanded.
    Shahla fumbled a few seconds before she got hers fastened. She was coughing for some reason. And sneezing.
    Tony concentrated on the light. “He’ll turn north on PCH.” He handed his cell phone to Shahla, saying, “Call the police station and tell the desk officer that. You can use redial.”
    “I can’t see.”
    Tony looked at her. Her eyes were full of tears. Was this a reaction to Tina’s kidnapping? He hoped she would hold up. He took the phone back and placed the call. Then he handed it back to her.
    She was still sneezing. She was barely able to talk on the phone for a few seconds. Then her sneezing stopped and her voice became clearer.
    While she talked, Tony turned on his emergency flashers, edged forward, and revved the engine. He also hand-signaled the cars coming the other way. There was no left-turn arrow at this intersection, and he hoped that if he showed enough urgency, the oncoming cars would let him make the turn in front of them.
    When the light turned green, he started forward, ready to stop fast if it didn’t work. However, the cars at the front of the two lanes of traffic heading in his direction hesitated just long enough for him to complete the turn
He upshifted and headed toward PCH as Shahla spoke excitedly into the phone. “We’re trying to follow the kidnapper’s car. We think he’s going to turn north on Pacific Coast Highway…It’s a silver compact. A…” She hesitated.
    “Chevy Cavalier,” Tony said, crossing to the wrong side of the street to pass the car ahead of him that was slowing to pull into a parking space.
    “Chevy Cavalier.” She said to Tony, “He’s going to keep us on the line, in case we spot the car again.”
    When Tony arrived at PCH, the light was red against him, and he had to wait ten seconds before it was safe to make a right turn. More time