“Junior, any news?”
“There’s a team working the river sites. Nothing’s turned up yet. You OK?”
“Yeah. I’m cleaned up and ready to get to work. You ready for some field work?” Jack asked.
“What’s the plan?”
Jack pulled his car into the convenience store lot and stopped at the gas pump. “I have to get some gas and cash and then I’ll pick you up. Be ready to go in fifteen minutes. Bring the files with you so we can take a look at them.”
Jack stopped the Mercury Cougar outside the door of the FBI offices to pick up Ross. “Come on, Junior,” Jack said to the windshield. There was a lot to do and he wanted to get going. He took another drink of the convenience store coffee and grimaced at the bitter taste of the lukewarm beverage. He opened the car door and poured the coffee onto the parking lot. The passenger door opened and Ross got in.
“Had enough coffee?”
“Enough of that coffee. Buckle up; we have a lot to do.” Jack put the car in drive and drove out of the lot while Junior struggled with the seat belt with his one good arm.
“You sure you’re OK, Jack?” Junior asked.
“Patty’s been shot. I’m OK, but I’m pissed.” Jack turned left through a yellow light, and then made a quick right into the drive of the Marriott Hotel at the downtown Depot, a refurbished train station that now housed a hotel, water park, and indoor ice-skating rink.
“What’re we doing here?” Ross asked the empty driver’s seat. Jack was already out of the car and walking back to the trunk. Ross fumbled with the seat belt and opened the door. “You want me to come with you, Jack?”
“Yep, let’s go. This is the first stop.” Jack didn’t stop to check on Ross. Instead, he walked straight up to the front desk.
“Can I help you, sir?” The college-aged woman with blonde, shoulder length hair smiled at Jack.
Jack returned her smile. “Hi…,” Jack searched for her name tag, and Ross joined him at the counter. “Hailey. I need two rooms, preferably across from each other. One with two beds for a woman with two children, the other room can have one or two beds.”
Hailey directed her attention to her computer. “Let me see what we have available.” She guided the mouse as she searched. Her manicured nails clicked on the computer keys.
“Above the ground floor,” Ross added.
Jack looked at Ross, nodded, and turned to Hailey. “Right, above the ground floor.” Jack was glad Ross was along. He may be beat up, but he was thinking straight and had figured out what was going on.
“I have two rooms on the second floor, across the hall from each other. Both have two queen-size beds.” Hailey looked at Jack, then quickly glanced at Ross, his face, and then the arm in its sling and she smiled again at Jack.
“Sounds great, I’ll take them.”
“Did you want the water park package too?”
“For the room with the mom and her two kids.”
“What credit card did you want to put this on?”
Jack took out his wallet. “I’ll be paying in cash.”
“That’s fine, sir, but I still need a card in case there are other charges.”
Jack laid his FBI credentials on the counter in front of the young woman. She looked down and then back and forth from Ross to Jack. Jack leaned forward and spoke in a husky whisper. “I need to pay in cash and I can’t have anybody be able to track these rooms right now.” Hailey nodded, the smile gone from her face, and Jack continued. “I’ll put one room under Julie Jacobson.” He spelled the last name and looked at Ross. “That’s her maiden name.”
“The second room?” Hailey asked.
“Just a minute. Are you working the check-in desk for a while?”
“I’ll be here all day.”
“I’ll have her ask for you. She may be looking for a room under Miller, but please don’t put that in the computer.” Jack smiled, still leaning forward on the counter.
“Not a problem, sir. And the second room?”
“Hailey Fruen.” Jack pocketed his credentials. “And Ms. Jacobson isn’t to know about the second room. Check them in, give them their water park passes and let them enjoy the evening. If they want anything else, keep the bill and I’ll cover it when they check out.”
“You can just pay later, sir.” Hailey slid card keys to both rooms across the counter to Jack. “The elevator to the second floor is down the hall on your left.”
“Thank you, Hailey. I’ll put their bags in their room and return the key to you in a few minutes. Remember, this is to be kept quiet and no word of the second room to Ms. Jacobson.”