"You say after three," the woman said. "Okay now?"
It was 2:45. The woman's timekeeping was as lousy as her English. But the bigger a deal Adele made of it, the more likely the woman was to remember her, maybe report it to her boss.
"Sure," Adele said. "Now's good."
She cast one longing look around the room, wishing she'd searched it before getting sucked in by that damned computer. Other than a trash can overflowing with takeout cartons, the room was as neat as a pin. Even the beds were made. There was no way she could start hunting now and mess things up with the cleaner watching, and the longer she stayed, the more of an impression she'd make.
"I'll just... head out," she said as the woman wheeled her cart in. "Let you work in peace."
Adele got as far as the neighboring room when the door clicked open behind her.
"Miss? Miss?"
Adele turned, her lips smiling, legs tensing, ready to bolt. "Yes?"
"Phone ringing."
"Oh, that's okay. They can leave a message."
She waited until the door had almost closed, then darted back and caught it before it locked. "On second thought, I'd better get that."
She walked slowly to the silent phone, giving the person time to finish his message. When the light flashed, she picked up the receiver and retrieved the message. As she listened, her smile grew.
When she hung up, the light continued to flash, message delivery incomplete. That was fine. She'd heard what she needed to know. Better if there was no sign someone had already listened to the message.
* * *
HOPE
When Hope reached the rear of the ice cream stand, she slowed her jog to a more respectable fast walk. Her gaze was already on the horizon, scouring the strip malls for stores selling shirts. If the same store sold moist towelettes for Karl to clean up, all the better. She just needed -
Hope stopped. While her gaze was focused beyond the ice cream stand umbrella tables, something about those tables pulled her attention back. Before she left, six of the eight had been occupied. Now, only two were, and Robyn was at neither.
Their two cups were still at their table. At the ice cream stand a single patron waited - a round-faced teenage girl.
No cause for panic. Robyn might have needed to use the bathroom or decided to grab a magazine.
Hope called Karl. He answered on the first ring.
"Small delay." She walked toward their table. "Rob stepped away. Looks like she'll be back in a sec. She left her drink - " She stopped, staring down at Robyn's cup.
"Hope?"
"Her milkshake melted."
"What?"
"She was drinking a milkshake and it doesn't look as if she touched it since I left. It's melted, with a puddle of condensation under it." Hope shook her head. "Probably because she wasn't that interested in it in the first place. Just buying an excuse to sit down. Sorry, I'll stop worrying."
"Do you see a place to buy a shirt?"
"Not from here, but I'll go across the road and take a better look."
"Just grab anything. I'm going to start heading that way."
"You think something happened?"
"No, but I think you'll feel better buying my shirt rather than sitting around waiting."