The task perked Percy right up. “I shall protect the lair!”
“While staying out of sight,” I reminded. In retrospect, I regretted taking Percy into town when we first met. In my defense, at the time I thought Percy was a simple lizard.
With a last flurry of panicked activity—apparently getting a two-year-old ready to go wasn’t always easy—we set off. The road still had some slippery spots but I handled them with ease.
As we entered the town, I swung by the church first to drop off Zaza. Nicky insisted I come in with her as she wanted the volunteers to meet me in case Nicky ran late at work and I had to pick up the baby. It boggled the mind she would trust me like that. It also pleased me more than expected.
Nicky said goodbye and kissed Zaza. While some kids fussed as their parents left, Zaza toddled off to a corner set up with a play kitchen.
Nicky stared with a sad expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“The one thing I hate about going to work is missing out on her growing up.”
I opened my mouth to tell her she didn’t have to but before I could say a thing, Nicky shook her head. “Don’t. I have to do this. Zaza will be fine. It will be good for her to socialize with other children before she starts school in a few years.”
Would it be good, though? Kids could be assholes. Not Zaza, of course. She was perfect.
“Let’s get you to work.” I put my arm around Nicky as if it were the most natural thing in the world. As we headed outside, I was the one looking back, fighting an urge to grab the baby rather than leave her with strangers.
“You sure she’ll be okay?” I couldn’t help but ask.
Nicky patted my arm. “The first time is always hard.”
No shit.
Next stop, the flashy resort that hired Nicky. We didn’t go in through the front, though. I drove around to the employee entrance and Nicky slid out of the car, but not before leaning over to give me a kiss along with a whispered, “I can’t wait for tonight.”
Now, neither could I!
But first, time to check out that story by those lost tourists.
I drove slowly up the road to the chalet, eyeballing driveways, some of them short enough the parked cars were visible. Those that held some. Too many were empty, the residents either at work or off doing touristy things. Other properties couldn’t be seen from the road, the driveways entering small forests and disappearing from sight.
When the first two passes didn’t net me a hit, I ended up parking a few hundred yards from the hidden addresses and hiking in on foot. I’d come bundled—boots, parka, hat, gloves—but the cold still bit. The closest place to mine appeared to be vacant, the snow around the cabin and in the driveway undisturbed, no smoke drifting upward from the chimney.
The next private residence held two cars, neither of them the one I sought. I made the rounds of the four hidden driveways that came before the chalet. Not one held the strangers’ car. Could be they’d gone skiing, in which case they’d probably return around nightfall. The problem being coming up with an excuse for Nicky as to why I had to go out for a few hours this evening.
What if she thought I was avoiding her? What about her whispered promise? Would I really let my paranoia ruin what promised to be another epic evening? I could already hear my therapist telling me that I was overreacting. He also told me I should trust my wife while he was banging her.
As I headed back to town to grab the paper I didn’t need for my printer and some random stuff, I caught a glimpse of burnt umber from the corner of my eye.
No fucking way.
I whipped the car around and drove slowly past the boutique hotel and what do you know. I found the vehicle I sought parked out front—and not where they’d claimed to be going. It could be they were only visiting their friend for the evening and never planned to spend the night. Could be they were actually tourists.
I had to know.
Since Nicky wouldn’t finish for another two hours, it seemed like a fine time to grab a coffee from the shop facing the hotel. A counter ran the length of the big window at the front offering a perfect view. I sipped my java slowly, wondering if I wasted my time, only luck was with me still.
The woman from the night before emerged, wearing the same white parka with the addition of sunglasses to protect her eyes from snow glare. She got into the hideous orangey car and drove off, leaving the guy behind, assuming he remained in the hotel.
He didn’t. He emerged moments later, glanced up and down the street, and headed off at a brisk pace, hands shoved in his pockets. I abandoned my half-drunk coffee and quickly followed.
To my surprise, I saw the dude entering my grocery store but not apparently to buy anything. I entered and immediately slid behind a display where I could peek unobserved. The stranger addressed a cashier who waved over Enzo. A short conversation ensued before the man pulled out his wallet and tried to hand over some money.
Enzo shook his head.
