'I'm not going to hurt you', Ron tells her. 'I'm taking you somewhere where nobody will ever hurt you again'. She's on the floor. He didn't put her there ... she slid off the seat. It crossed his mind that he should put her in the trunk but he was afraid she'd suffocate. Anyway without streetlights, you can't really see into other people's vehicles. 'How are you doing?' he asks. He glances over. Her face is turned away. He can make out only the tender curve of her neck and the earlobe with its pearl stud, like a drop of saliva. 'Is the airconditioning too cold for you there?' He adjusts the direction of the vents. She's able to breathe, he knows that. He was careful not to tape her nostrils. It was like taping a doll.