The Rocky Road to Romance by Janet Evanovich

believe,” Steve said. “Why would anyone want to steal your car? You sure it didn’t just roll away? Have you looked at the rest of the parking garage?”
    â€œIt’s gone,” she said. “It’s been stolen.”
    â€œMust have been one of them mercy stealings,” Elsie said. “That car was pitiful.”
    Daisy flapped her arms some more. “How am I ever going to manage without my car? How am I going to get to work? How am I going to go grocery shopping?”
    Steve tried to look sympathetic, but he was having a hard time keeping the grin off his face. He hated that car. “I wouldn’t worry about it. It only gets a couple miles to a quart of oil. I’m sure it’ll turn up before long. All we have to do is listen for a traffic jam.”
    â€œI know it wasn’t such a great car,” Daisy said. “But it was all I had. I can’t afford to buy a new one.”
    â€œI have an extra car,” Steve told her. “I’ll loan you mine until yours is found.”
    â€œThat’s very nice of you, but I couldn’t possibly accept.”
    â€œYes you can. I can’t drive two cars at once. I don’t even want two cars.” He turned to the policeman. “Is there anything else?”
    The officer shook his head. “I have all the information I need. If she comes to the station tomorrow, she can pick up a copy of the report for insurance purposes.”
    â€œWell, I’m going home,” Elsie said, heading for her Cadillac. “I got a date tonight. I told Clarence Funk I’d go to bingo with him.”
    Steve took Daisy by the hand and led her to his SUV. “We should go home, too. If the police find your car, they’ll call you.”
    She was quiet on the ride home. She stared straight ahead, lost in thought. Every now and then her lower lip quivered ever so slightly, and she’d clamp down hard on it with her front teeth.
    Steve reached over and covered her hand with his. “It’s only a car,” he said gently. “You’ll get another one.”
    â€œIt’s not the car so much,” she said. “It’s being a victim of a crime. I’ve never thought about it before…never experienced it. It makes you feel very vulnerable.”
    â€œMaybe it was a mistake,” Steve said. “You know it was a little disreputable-looking. Maybe it accidentally got towed away.”
    She brightened at that. “And when the garage discovers its mistake they’ll bring my car back!”
    He slowly drove down his street and parked in front of his house. The black car was parked in the driveway. “In the meantime, you’re going to drive my car. It’s worthless to me. Bob doesn’t fit in it, and it takes up space in my driveway.”
    â€œWhy don’t you put one of your cars in your garage?”
    He looked at her blank-faced for a minute while his mind raced for an answer. “It’s locked, and I can’t find the key,” he finally said. “I can’t get the door unlocked.”
    â€œAnd why are the garage-door windows painted black?”
    â€œI don’t know. I’ve never noticed. Weren’t they always black?” He ran around the car and opened the door for her. “Anyway, it’ll be easier for me with only one car.” He took keys off his key ring and handed them to her. “You drive, and I’ll ride along with you to pick up Bob. I left him with Kevin this morning.”
    She reluctantly climbed into the car and put the key into the ignition. “I don’t know about this,” she said, peeking over the black leather steering wheel. “It feels a little racy for me.” That was an understatement. It was like being in the cockpit of the Batmobile. She felt like she should be wearing a garter belt and black leather boots that came up past her knee and had high spike heels.
    â€œIt drives like any