the car when it left the curb. The other one didn't. Got that?" "I've got it," Malone said, "but I don't exactly know what to do with it." "Just hold on to it," Burris said, "and listen to this: the cops were about two blocks behind at the start, and they couldn't close the gap right away. The Cadillac headed west and climbed up the ramp of the West Side Highway, heading north, out toward Westchester. I'd give a lot to know where they were going, too." "But they crashed," Malone said, remembering that the pieces were at 125th Street. "So—" "They didn't crash right away," Burris said. "The prowl car started gaining on the Cadillac slowly. And—now, get this, Malone—both the cops swear there was somebody in the driver's seat now." "Wait a minute," Malone said. "One of these cops didn't see any[Pg 15]body at all in the driver's seat when the car started off." [Pg 15] "Right," Burris said. "But on the West Side Highway, he did see a driver," Malone said. He thought for a minute. "It could happen. The start happened so fast he could have been confused, or something." "There's another explanation," Burris said. "Sure," Malone said cheerfully. "We're all crazy. The whole world is crazy." "Not that one," Burris said. "I'll tell you when I finish with this thing about the car itself. There isn't much description of whoever or whatever was driving that car on the West Side Highway, by the way. In case you were thinking of asking." Malone, who hadn't been thinking of asking anything, tried to look clever. Burris regarded him owlishly for a second, and then went on: "The car was hitting it up at about a hundred and ten by this time, and accelerating all the time. But the souped-up squad car was coming on fast, too, and it was quite a chase. Luckily, there weren't many cars on the road. Somebody could have been killed, Malone." "Like the driver of the Cadillac," Malone ventured. Burris looked pained. "Not exactly," he said. "Because the car hit the 125th Street exit like a bomb. It swerved right, just as though it were going to take the exit and head off somewhere, but it was going much too fast
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