“This is really the mature way to deal with this situation,” Ketcham said, extending the wrist that still had a handcuff attached, obviously expecting Prasko to free him of that cuff,
too.
Instead, Prasko firmly took Ketcham’s arm and led him into the bathroom, where he ordered him to sit on the floor beside the toilet. Then he attached the free end of his handcuff to the pipes running to the flushing mechanism of the toilet.
“What are you doing?” Ketcham asked.
Prasko ignored him, went out of room 138 to the car, and tried the passenger-side door. It was locked.
“Come out of there, honey,” he ordered.
He saw the blonde looking up from the floor with horror in her eyes.
“Open up,” Prasko ordered.
The blonde tried to move away as far as she could.
Prasko unholstered his revolver and used the butt as a hammer to shatter the window. Then he reached inside and unlocked the door.
“You can come out,” he said, “or I can drag you out.”
She scurried across the floor to the open door, which caused her skirt to rise even higher.
Peggene had legs like that when I first met her. Now her legs look like shit.
He took the girl’s arm and led her into room 138 and closed and locked the door without letting go of her arm.
When she saw Ketcham handcuffed to the crapper, she sucked in her breath.
“What you are, honey,” Prasko said, “is an accessory to a felony, possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute.”
“Ronny?” the girl asked, looking into the bathroom.
“We’re working something out, Cynthia,” Ketcham said. “Just take it easy.”
The girl looked at Prasko defiantly.
Prasko walked to the bathroom door and closed it. “He had some money,” he said to the girl. “I may let him go. What have you got to trade?”
“I’ve got a little money,” she said.
“He had twenty thousand. You got that much?”
“No!”
“Then I guess you’re both going to jail.”
“I could probably get you some money,” the girl said.
“Twenty thousand? That kind of money?”
She shook her head, no.
“How about five minutes of your time?” Prasko asked.
“Five minutes of my time? I don’t understand.”
“Yeah, you understand,” Prasko said.