“Yeah, I think maybe you had a weird dream or something. You feeling OK?”
“I think so,” said Jack, though by now he was sweating profusely and his hands shook uncontrollably.
“Yeah, see, the thing is, the factory isn’t open at night. Your train didn’t arrive until after five p.m., right? So, I don’t think you could’ve fucking done the audit. You weren’t scheduled to come in until eight a.m. And Mr. Henry said you weren’t there. He said he called your hotel, and the clerk told him he gave you a wakeup call, and that you came downstairs with all your bags andleft. How do you explain that?”
Blood roared in Jack’s ears. He’d done the audit. He knew he had. Still felt the stiffness in his neck, the increase in his blood pressure. There was no reason for Dan to lie to him, but there was no reason to believe him, either.
Yesterday wasn’t a dream or delusion. Too clearly, he remembered the hunger that plagued him, the stench of rubber, the awful heat, his itchy suit, the sole of his shoe rubbing against his foot through the hole in his sock, the way words swam across paper so brilliantly white that his head ached.
Nothing strange or dreamlike had happened. Jack hadn’t found himself with a drink in his hand, a leopard prowling across the factory, or workers speaking gibberish. The paperwork wasn’t stuck together with ink turning to rivers of fresh blood.
“I… I was there. I can prove it,” said Jack, reaching for his satchel, where he’d stored the most important papers. “Here, let me read you my notes.”
“That’s doesn’t count as proof,” scoffed Dan. “You could be making it all up. Iknowyou’re making it all up. Don’t make this any worse than it is. Come back tomorrow, give us the paperwork, and you can take your stuff home, OK? I’ll get you your last paycheck. Hell, I’ll even work up a referral. This isn’t the job for you, but I like you. I wanna make sure you’re gonna be OK.”A loud exhale. Definitely cigar smoke. “Just take it easy tonight. I’m real sorry to do this to you. But you don’t gotta lie anymore. Have a good night, Jack.”
The line cut out.
“Fuck,” Jack groaned, slamming the phone onto the hook. He pressed his forehead against the keypad and groaned again—something feral, akin to a snarl. “Fuck.”
CHAPTER
FOUR
“Is thereany chance I can convince you to let me stay another night?” Jack asked Boris.
The trek back to the hotel was a long one. His suitcase burst open and dumped his underwear onto the sidewalk in front of an old woman who’d spun away with a shriek like he’d just flashed her. Someone else snickered.
Jack gathered his things and fled. People in Hidden Cove were sensitive to his eccentricities. If he ruffled too many feathers, he might find himself sitting in the police station, praying one of his family members answered the phone.
Especially given that he was likely going to be spending the night on the street.
With a loud sigh, Boris set his magazine on the counter. A blond model in a pink bathing suit beamed up at them from the hood of a sports car. “Another night? Sure, why the fuck not? I need to see an ID.”
“I’ve lost my wallet,” said Jack tonelessly.
“Then no dice. No ID, I can’t do anything for ya.”
“Not even if I’ve got cash?”
“You don’t carry your cash in your wallet?”
“I have some set aside for emergencies,” said Jack, avoiding Boris’s gaze.
“Maybe we can make a deal, then. You wanna leave the day after tomorrow? The nineteenth?”
“The day after tomorrow?” Jack frowned. “No, I wanted to leave tomorrow. I just needed to stay tonight.”
Boris frowned at the ledger in front of him, then turned to examine the calendar. A wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows. “You’re already booked through tonight. You don’t need to change anything.”
“I am?” said Jack, unable to stop himself. He shouldn’t question his luck. Should take advantage of Boris’s confusion for another night of shelter.
“Yeah,” said Boris, pointing to the ledger. “Room three-oh-nine, right? Mr. Hazel?”
“Jack,” said Jack with a nod. “Yeah.”
“Yeah. You’re good. Are we done here, or are you gonna keep wasting my time?” Boris crossed his meaty arms and glared, but his gaze lingered on Jack just a moment too long, softened just a little.
“We’re done.” He stepped away from the desk before the blush rising on his neck could become obvious. “Thanks for your help.”
