The Night Monster_ A Novel of Suspense - James Swain [91]
“In my car.”
“I don’t know about that.”
I took out my wallet, and let him see the cash I was carrying. Money had a way of solving most problems, and I saw his resolve slip away.
“Well, I guess it will be all right.” His finger ran down the open register, then stopped. “You can stay in Room Twelve. Two double beds, hot shower. Cable TV is extra. Fifty bucks a night. No smoking. Pay up front.”
I counted the money for two nights onto the counter. The manager held each bill up to the light to make sure it wasn’t counterfeit. Satisfied, he put the money into the register, then gave me the key.
“Don’t want no trouble out of you and your friend,” the manager said.
“No, sir.”
“No getting drunk and busting up the furniture.”
“Of course not.”
“Or bringing in girls from the strip clubs and having sleepovers.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Don’t get smart with me, boy, or I’ll toss you out of here.”
It had been a long time since someone had called me boy. I shut my mouth and backed away from the counter. The manager slipped back into his chair, and resumed watching TV. People called Florida the Sunshine State because of the great weather and friendly people. The manager wasn’t going to be a goodwill ambassador for us anytime soon.
I found Linderman where I’d left him, Buster in his lap. The dog eyed me and slipped into the back. I started the Legend and drove down the line of rooms until my headlights were resting on the door to #12. It looked small and depressing.
“You were in there awhile,” Linderman said.
I killed the engine. “It was quite the welcome wagon. The manager asked me more questions than my first job interview. He wasn’t friendly.”
“Think he was checking you out?”
“I sure do. He was way too suspicious.”
“Did you give him a credit card?”
“I paid in cash.”
“Good. He can’t put a trace on your card, and do a background check. Of course he could have a check done on your car’s license plates.”
“The car’s in my wife’s name.”
“So our cover is still intact.”
“So far.”
I lowered my windows and got out. Buster tried to join me, and I made him lie down in the backseat. He curled up into a ball but didn’t shut his eyes. I retrieved our bags from the trunk while looking over my shoulder at the front office. I spotted the surly manager standing by the window, spying on us.
“We’re being watched,” I said.
“Think he treats all his customers this way?” Linderman asked.
“It bothered him that we were out-of-towners.”
“Who else is going to stay here?”
I unlocked the door to #12 and switched on the lights. I’d never been in the army, but the room reminded me of what a barracks might look like, with a pair of lumpy beds, a scuffed dresser with a washbowl, and walls painted a sickly green. The promise of a television set was nowhere to be found. I decided not to complain.
Linderman used the bathroom first. His flush of the toilet sent a thunderous roar through the paper-thin walls. I went next. When I came out, he was gone.
I found him outside, kneeling on the ground beside the car.
“Lose something?” I asked.
“Yes. I can’t find my journal. I had it a few minutes ago.”
There was a hint of desperation in his voice. I got on the ground and helped him look. The journal was hidden beneath the car. Linderman wiped it clean on his shirt, then checked the pages to make sure none were torn. Satisfied, he went back inside.
I got to my feet, and saw Buster sitting behind the wheel. His ears were sticking up, and he looked mad as hell at being left behind. I ignored my best friend, and went inside.
I lay on one of the beds in my clothes. I was dead tired, and needed to catch a few hours sleep if I was going to be sharp tomorrow. Linderman stripped down to his boxers, got into the other bed, and killed the lights. For a long moment neither of us spoke.
“I’ve had that journal for five years,” he said when I thought he was asleep.
I rolled onto my side to face him. “What do you write in it?”
“I write things that I want to tell my daughter.”
There was pain in his voice. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness,