I took the helmet and set it on the seat.“I’ll go with.”
She gave me a look.“Of course you will.”
“Need to make sure you’re okay.”
“I survived sleeping in that room for four nights.Pretty sure the danger has already passed.”
“Door,” I said.
She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.“Fine.If you want to see the glamorous life of a PI living on the road, more power to you.”
Anchor and Pearl followed us across the cracked sidewalk.
McKayla looked back at them.“Oh good.It’s a party.”
Pearl smiled.“I was curious.”
“About my motel room?”
“About you.”
McKayla paused for half a second, like she didn’t know what to do with that answer.Then she turned back around and dug a key card out of her purse.“Well, prepare to be underwhelmed.”
She unlocked the door, pushed it open, and flipped on the light.
The room smelled like old carpet, stale air, and cheap lemon cleaner.
A queen bed sat against one wall with the blanket half pulled back from where she must’ve left in a hurry.A small table by the window held an open notebook, a disposable coffee cup, and a stack of papers.The curtains were stiff and ugly, patterned in a way that made me think someone had designed them out of spite.
The carpet had seen things.Probably crimes.
McKayla walked in and waved one hand around.“Welcome to luxury.”
Pearl stepped inside behind her and glanced around.“I’ve seen worse.”
McKayla looked over her shoulder.“That is the saddest reassurance I’ve ever heard.”
Anchor stayed near the door while I moved in behind McKayla, scanning automatically.
No signs anyone had come in after her.No forced entry.No obvious disturbance beyond her own chaos.
McKayla grabbed a black duffle bag from the chair and started shoving clothes into it from the open dresser drawers.
“You always live out of one bag?”Pearl asked.
“Pretty much.”McKayla folded a pair of jeans badly, gave up halfway, and shoved them in.“Being a PI means I’m on the go a lot, and I learned pretty fast what I actually need versus what I think I need.”
Pearl watched her pack.“That sounds useful.”
“It is until you realize you own exactly three decent bras and one of them is currently missing.”
Anchor made a noise that sounded like he wanted to be anywhere else.
Pearl laughed.
I looked at the ceiling because apparently that was safer than thinking about McKayla’s bras.
She glanced at me and smirked like she knew exactly what she’d done.
