Rundown

Tish pulled into the service center, angling her head to see around the smoke pouring from under the hood. The car was borrowed from a woman sympathetic to her situation and she'd been warned that it wouldn't go far. She sighed and pushed her hair out of her face, the toll of running from her husband was starting to wear on her.

A man with a greasy jumpsuit approached the car. Tish read his name tag and smiled, "Hi Joe. I hope you can help me."

Joe wiped his bald head with a red rag and tucked it into his back pocket. "I can try."

He took the keys and motioned at the garage office. "AC's in there."

Tish nodded and walked toward the office. She looked around, not comfortable that her troubles were behind her. She left Megan at the library in town with the phone number of a safe house in case they'd made the news in Alabama. She doubted the local police would listen to a woman accused of kidnapping her daughter, despite the evidence against her husband. Boys in blue stuck together.

The air conditioning felt like heaven and she was just settling in with a copy of People magazine when Joe opened the door. "Can you fix it?" she asked.

"I can, but it will take a few days. I have to order parts."

"My mother is ill and I need to keep moving. Could I sell it to you for parts?"

Joe looked her in the eye. "I'm not in a position to help you, but I understand your need to get back on the road. The owner of the shop is the town sheriff and usually stops by around noon. Do you need a lift somewhere?"

Tish shook her head and bolted.

Written for "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge"   by Arakun the Twisted Raccoon Word Count: 299