“The cops don’t care?” John asked.
“Hell no. You know how it is. This city has a lot bigger problems than what kind of cups people prefer their coffee in. I’m sure some pencil-pushing inspectors will come by and inspect all the bodegas and restaurants at some point. But there are so many of them, it’ll take them years to get them all.”
John looked over at him and grinned. “I’m glad you aren’t a dick cop. Some are, you know.”
Jack threw his head back and laughed, his body shaking so much that a little bit of coffee sloshed over the side onto his finger. He didn’t seem to mind the heat. “I can’t argue with that.”
Across the street, several cars turned into the circular drive.
With all the traffic over there—and the bellhops and valets going about their work—it was hard to make out people in great detail. The distance didn’t help either.
But John could make out enough to feel pretty confident in what he was seeing.
“What the hell?” Without taking his eyes off the scene before him, he put his coffee in the cupholder and opened his door. His boots were on the sidewalk in seconds.
“What’s up?” Jack called as he got out of the car.
John stood there for a moment but didn’t waste much time before he waited for a break in traffic and darted across the road. “That’s Trixie! I swear Trixie just got out of that silver Honda that pulled in and drove away.”
“I’ll call Athena,” he heard Jack say.
John didn’t know what was going on, but he sure intended to find out.
And quickly. Before his Little girl got hurt.
Chapter Twenty
Trixie tried to appear as casual as possible as she walked through the lobby doors, past the open bar, and toward the check-in counter to speak with a hotel employee.
“Good morning. May I help you?” the friendly young man asked.
“Hi. I’m locked out of my room. It seems I left my room key at a friend’s house.”
“Of course. It happens all the time. What room are you staying in?”
Trixie told him as he typed on the keyboard and stared at the computer in front of him.
“And may I see your ID, please?”
As she retrieved it, she fought hard not to appear nervous or rushed. But every minute that she was in that lobby was another opportunity for her old employers—or whoever they’d hired to search for her—go get her.
She wanted to just slip in and out as quickly as possible.
Her mind went back to the conversation she’d had with John on the phone. The room was clean. Didn’t seem to be anyone watching it. At least that’s what she thought he’d said.Her memory could get a little fuzzy sometimes with all the stuff floating around in it.
“Now, we can reissue this one for free, but there is a small fee if we have to do it again.”
“That’s fine!” Trixie said a tad too loudly.
The employee looked up, smiled pleasantly, and kept his eyes on her for a moment.
Come on, come on! Just get with it already!
Trixie would never be rude to anyone. But her nerves were frayed. Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea after all.
Had Auntie Atehna or Trevon realized she was missing yet?
Were her friends in trouble?
