“What about Javi?” Vero asked. “We can’t just stop looking for him. He’s been out there, alone, god knows where for more than two days. He could be hungry. Or cold. Or—”
“We’re going to find him,” I assured her. “Just not tonight.” I brushed a blond lock of her wig back from her face and wiped away the start ofa tear. “Javi’s biggest threats are on ice in that bathtub, and we’re not going to solve anything if we’re too exhausted to think. We need rest,” I said firmly as she started to protest. “Cam doesn’t have any leads, and we have no idea where to start looking for this garage. We’ll come up with a plan once we’ve all had some sleep.”
“Fine, but I’m not sharing a bed with Teen Hugh Hefner or Kevin Bacon. I’ll sleep on the floor,” she said, taking a pillow from the closet and tossing it onto the carpet.
“You’re coming with me. Nick’s getting suspicious, and if you don’t show your face at the Royal Flush soon, he’ll probably send out a search party. We’ll catch a few hours of sleep and sneak out again in the morning.”
“With three cops watching our room?”
“We’ll come up with something. Let’s go.” I turned her toward the door as Cam’s laptop slid from his legs and he drifted off to sleep. I scribbled a note on the hotel pad, letting him know we’d be back in the morning, and to text us if he found the owner of the mysterious phone number on Louis’s notepad or, better yet, the location of the garage. Then I set his laptop on the dresser, drew the blanket over his legs, and switched off the overhead light.
I checked to be sure theDO NOT DISTURBsign was hung securely on the knob, and Vero and I headed back to the Royal Flush.
“So how are we going to play this?” Vero asked as we got into the elevator at the Royal Flush and pushed the button for our floor.
We had changed out of our costumes in the first-floor bathroom, where we’d stashed a bag of our clothes and shoes earlier that night. I shook out my hair, wrinkling my nose at the faint smell of lavender on my hands. “It’s after midnight. Everyone’s probably in their rooms for the night. We’ll just be really quiet and hope Sam’s not on her laptop watching the security cameras.”
The elevator opened to a cacophony of raised voices. Sam, Georgia,my mother, and Steven were gathered in the hall, each one shouting over the other. Vero lingered in the elevator, her finger poised over the button for the lobby.
I held the doors open, listening as my mother snapped at Steven. “The children know better. They would never have done that!”
I stormed out of the elevator, raising my voice over them all. “What on earth is going on? If you all don’t keep your voices down, you’re going to wake them up!” My mother whirled around. She clapped a trembling hand over her mouth.
Steven paled. “They’re not with you?”
“Of course they’re not with me. They’re supposed to be with you.” My stomach bottomed out as he closed his eyes and swore.
“They were asleep in the room,” he said. “I went downstairs to get something to eat.”
“You left them alone?” I cried.
“Your mom was right next door!”
My mother clutched her robe to her chest. “I didn’t know Steven was gone. They must have woken up and left the room while I was asleep.”
“How long ago?” I asked, my palms growing clammy.
Steven shook his head. “We don’t know. I got back thirty minutes ago and they weren’t in their bed. I assumed they’d woken up and gone to your mom’s room. We didn’t realize they were gone until just now.”
Vero put a hand on my shoulder, but it was shaking as badly as I was.
“I’ll check the security footage,” Sam said, darting back into her room.
“I’ll check Nick’s room,” Georgia said, jogging to his door.
“I’ll check the vending machines,” Vero said, tearing off in the other direction.
“I’ll get dressed and help you find them,” my mother said, leaving Steven and me alone in the hall.
My voice shook as I paced. “I can’t believe you left our children alone in a hotel room!”
“I was looking for you! It was getting late and you hadn’t come up to your room, and I was worried.”
“You were worried, or you were checking up on me?” We locked eyes in a silent standoff, both of us shaken.
Georgia knocked loudly on Nick’s door. He answered it, half-dressed, as if he’d been readying for bed. “What’s going on?”
“Delia and Zach are missing,” my sister said. “Are they with you?”
