61...

Alexis tried, fiercely, to focus with pristine attention on the road. She tried to keep her quickly twitching eyes roving to the Honda's mirrors, to those devious small side roads that began to seem more and more like snake holes where some unseen danger sat ready to spring and consume her.
But as much as she attempted this act of supreme focus, she was unable to keep from losing herself in the painful memories of the last couple of days. The memories battered at her tired mind with a sickening clarity. She would never consciously admit to prayer, but some small voice within prayed heartily for the protection of distance. She wished so much for soft focus, for rounding of edges and distortion that time graciously brought to memories. But everything was still too fresh, and too horrific to be banished to some locked door waiting room within.
She could see clearly the hazy and brown view afforded by the bookstore's cashier counter. She could see Robin's drawn face and the anger and desperation that seemed to cling to her like a tailored suit, well kept but lifeless hair, and some black and cancerous anger in her eyes. She saw Matthew’s hunched shouldered slink through the store, his wide eyes belying some heinous thought or deed that Alexis was almost positive she would find pedestrian, but that he himself found reprehensible to the core. And there was Jeff, jolly and bordering on plain old fat, strutting over with so much empty and overdone pomposity.
“Hey Sheryl,” Jeff nodded his dimpled chin towards her.
“Hello Jeffery,” Alexis replied with a sinister and somewhat knowing sneer.
Alexis had adopted a pseudonym and certainly not for the first time. Alexis could find a false identification faster than an alcoholic could find trouble in a distillery. Alexis had never had to deal with the embarrassment of forgetting her ill gotten name.
"Oh Sheryl," Jeff leaned over onto the register counter and rested his chin on his bridged hands. His attempt at casual sexuality came off as subtle as rancid syrup. Jeff had the annoying habit of mistaking Alexis' contempt for desire. "I suppose you've heard."
He actually batted his eyelids a little bit. If it was an overblown, prancing little bit he was doing it wouldn't have been funny, it would be just a little less disturbing than it was already.
"Heard what?" She tried to keep the seething anger out of her voice.
"Corporate’s sending a newbie out here. And I want you to do your training thang."
"Okay first," Alexis began with a sigh. "The use of the word corporate? Probably unnecessary as we are a chain of three stores. And second, why should I train them? Robin and Matthew have been here longer than me. I've only been here for like a week."
Jeff leaned a little closer and dramatically looked over his shoulder. It was all an attempt to make it seem as if they were sharing a conspiracy together, something they could chuckle about later when they were alone.
"Sheryl, you're much brighter than those two. I trust you with my life."
Jeff gave a small wink and slapped his hand down on the counter as a way to indicate that he had spoken, that he was done. As he shuffled away towards the back room, Alexis fantasized about driving a spike into the back of his head.