But how does he know?
There’s only one possibility. Brie, my love, you have been talking out of school. How did he do it? Did he threaten you? Or did you see the police closing in and grasp desperately at one very limp straw?
It doesn’t matter. Jesse is being clever. He must have known I’d find his room sooner or later. It’s impressive. But this isn’t chess. This isn’t a horror movie, either, where people always avoid doing the obvious thing.
That’s not me. This hotel is lousy with cameras. I’ll soon track him down. And then I’ll get rid of him, once and for all.
But to do that, I’m going to need more hundred-dollar bills.
It coststwo grand and two trips to the ATM to get through Jerry, the security guard. He escorts me into the office and tells me I have five minutes. I give him my floor number and thehours I was at the restaurant. Jesse must have been watching me and crept into my room between late afternoon and after dinner. A period of four hours, max.
Jerry fast-forwards through the material, pausing on every person who comes onto my floor. There aren’t many people—there’s only a handful of large suites on the tenth floor, and I’m positive most of them are empty. There’s some hotel staff, a cleaner vacuuming the carpet in the hall, two elderly guests.
Then, nothing for over an hour, until around six, when a figure appears. Not Jesse, though. A woman carrying a cooler and a backpack. It must be holding the pebbles and the water. When I see her, I gasp like I’m a character in a soap opera. I never thought I’d see her again.
But here she is. Like a ghost.
She looks over her shoulder, then swipes a keycard into the door. I suppose I’m not the only one able to bribe receptionists. She’s inside for a little more than two minutes. When she returns, she goes past the elevators and disappears out of frame.
“Where’s she gone?” I ask.
Jerry clicks around, then shows a feed from the stairwell.
“Of course,” I mutter. “She wants to avoid me.”
“This woman breaking into your room?” he asks. “You want me to report this?”
“No. But do me a favor. Where is she staying?”
“Let’s see.” He pulls up a series of other cameras in the stairwell. She exits on the third floor. He notes the timestamp and pulls up another view. “309.”
“Thanks, bud.” I slap the guard on the shoulder. “You’ve been a champ.”
“Hey, man,” he says, turning to face me. “You’re not going to do anything crazy, are you? This woman, she’s just a friend? It was just a practical joke or something?”
“Definitely something,” I say. I drop another envelope onto his lap. “That’s another grand. Text the number on the envelope when she leaves her room.”
“Pal, my shift’s nearly up. It’s late.”
“I’ll have another grand for you tomorrow if you come through.” I’m astonished at his greed. I’ve already given him what he earns in a month. “Isn’t that worth one late night?”
He hesitates, then nods. Once again, I see how predictably pliable humans are. A little flattery, a little bribery, a little coercion, and we’ll do anything not to disappoint another human.
All it takes is someone without shame, with willpower and a plan, and the world can change. I’m living proof.
The text comesat 4 a.m.
She’s on the move. Just left her room.
I’m out the door in seconds.
Slow her down.
The elevator is painfully slow. I get off on the second floor and take the stairs so I don’t run into her too soon.
On the move again. Heading to the parking lot.
I sprint out the side entrance. The parking lot is brightly lit. As I see her walking across the asphalt, my heart swells. She’s wearing black yoga pants and a black top, looking like a cross between a rich mom and a cat burglar. I take a shortcut throughthe garden bordering the parking lot and arrive at her vehicle just in time.
