Chapter 2

Johanna left the Capitol By 1:00 p.m. after spending a luncheon with President Harrison. The food was bland and boring, the conversation was intriguing, of course, the topic of the day was the bomb scare, and when the president gave what little details that he had to the existing gossip, it became scandalous. Imagine an assignation attempt, and if it would’ve been successful the results would be terrifying. A bomb in the middle of a joint session of congress with the president and the vice-president, and the justices of the Supreme Court, think of it, a best-case scenario, no one dies, unlikely. Worst case all of them die. Chills ran down her back. She was grateful the bomb was found.

She was driving home in the snow, the snow was falling faster and heavier then it had been in the early morning, roads were icy and visibility close to zero. She hated driving in D.C snow, she never got used to doing it. She was from California, the only snow they got was in the northern part of the state, and then only in the mountains, she never went there.

The wind was blowing the snow across the roads, creating drifts. She was going as fast as safety would allow, the speedometer of her black Mercedes read 38 miles per hour, and there were moments she thought that too fast. She was in the right lane when she noticed a large sedan, pull up behind her, it crossed lanes and started to pass then without warning it skidded and lost control, it slammed into Johanna’s car on the left side, then ricocheted off and spun into the ditch.

Joanna lost control of the car, then started to skid, the car was sliding towards the ride shoulder. She turned the steering wheel in the opposite direction, in a panic, the car’s tail end came around to soon and she went off the road. When the car finally came to a complete stop, she checked herself for obvious damage. Just a couple of bruises, and a bump on the head, nothing serious. She then grabbed her cell phone out of the briefcase, which had been thrown to the floor. She got out of the car and saw that the rear passenger door and left rear quarter panel were badly damaged. The fender would not impede the tire by the look of it, but it was going to require repair as well. Then she went around to the front of the car the right side fender and bumper was badly scratched, “Must be from the tree, I thought I missed it.” She mused to herself. But the worst news was that she had blown out the front right tire.

“Damn it!” she cursed, why do these things always happen when Jack isn’t here she thought, he would be able to change the tire.

She got back into the car where it was warm. Then she dialed the auto club. As soon as the line was answered she began.

“Hello, this is Joanna Lennon, I require a tow truck, I am on I-95 Northbound, I am about 15 miles outside of D.C I am driving a black Mercedes S-500. Please do hurry, I have been involved in an accident so please do send the police as well.”

“We will attempt to be there within an hour ma’am.” The faceless, young female voice answered.

“An hour, is there any way to get here sooner? And what about the police?”

“Ma’am you have to call the police yourself, we are to busy taking calls at the moment.”

Johanna disconnected the call and called the police.

“911 dispatch how may I direct your call?” a voice answered

“Police department and I may need an ambulance,” she said thinking it odd she hadn’t seen the other driver yet.

“One moment I am connecting you the police department now ma’am”

“Washington D.C Police Department how may I help you.”

“My name is Joanna Lennon”, she began,” I have been involved in an auto accident, and I may need an ambulance, I haven’t seen the other driver, so I don’t know if he is hurt or not.”

“Where are you Located, ma’am?”

“I am 1-95 Northbound, I am about 15 miles outside of D.C.”

“Is your car drivable ma’am?”

“No. I have already called my Auto club they are sending a tow truck for me.”

“Okay, I will dispatch someone to your location, it may take forty-five minutes to an hour if it is possible to stay in your car with it turned off but run the heater until we get there.”

“Okay,” she cried.

Then she tried to call her husband, he did not answer the phone.

That scared her, more then the crash had. Jack always answered his phone. She was supposed to be meeting him at the airport, he was flying at about 6:00 p.m. Which was four hours away? “Could he be on the plane already?”

A knock on the window woke her from her sleep. She looked out the window and saw a police officer. She lowered the window, and was immediately met by a blast of cold air, it chilled her to the bone. “Ma’am if I could see your driver’s license, registration, and your proof of financial responsibility, please.”

She dug through her purse, found her wallet, and took out her driver’s license and then lowered her visor and got the registration and insurance information. She handed him the paperwork and raised the window after he went back to his patrol cruiser.

“Probably freezing his balls off.” She said to herself.

She looked up, just as the wrecker pulled up. The wrecker driver got out of the vehicle and made his way toward her. She lowered the window, but only enough to speak, and heard him ask.