L A Woman

“Did she say what she wanted?”

“Nope, didn’t say she’d be back, either.”

Hondo shrugged. “Thanks Arch.”

Arch said, “No problem-o. Hey Ronny, go take a chill pill. You have to face the fact that Hondo’s more photogenic than you. Come to think of it, so am I. Haw!” With that, he grinned and went into the gym.

I unlocked the office door and as we stepped inside, Hondo stopped. There was a handwritten note lying in the center of his desk. Hondo said, “I’m assuming you didn’t put that there.”

“Not me. I’ve been with you all day.” I examined the lock on our office door while Hondo read the note once in silence, then aloud to me: “Thank you for saving my life. I’m sorry I had to break in, but I couldn’t wait for you. It’s been a long time since anyone helped me, much less risked what you did. I will never forget it. Maybe we’ll meet again someday.” Hondo said, “She signed it: Grateful.” He rolled the note into a tube and tapped it against his palm.

I said, “At least she thanked you.”

“Uh-huh. Broke into our office to do it.”

I said, “She didn’t leave a mark on the door, either.”

“What did I do, save a professional thief? First, she steals a car off a sales lot in broad daylight and nobody sees her, then she disappears from sight at the scene of an accident, and now she breaks in after talking to Archie. That’s ballsy.”

“Or desperate,” I said.

“Desperate, yeah.”

“Like you said, she’s running.”

“From the people in the pickup,” Hondo said.

“Yep. We need to find out who they are, then we can get a better ID on this phantom girlfriend of yours.”

“We can start tomorrow. The news tape will be delivered in the afternoon, they said around three.”

“What about the audition?”

“We’ll have time.”

I said, “Okay, so tomorrow’s good. Right now, I need to go home and take some alka-seltzer or something. My stomach’s rumbling like Krakatoa.”

“Next time don’t eat so much.”

“Hey, it was a buffet. I’m obligated by law to overeat.”

“Remember those words at three AM when nuclear heartburn hits.”

He was right.

**

The Le Montrose is a trendy hotel that a lot of rock stars and movie stars use. I got there a little before eight and went into the lobby.

I saw the two actors from the Mongolian coming toward the front door and I stood where they could see me. I looked at the ceiling and frowned.

They came over and Bob-O touched my shoulder and said, “Professor McCawley?”

“Oh, hello fellows,” I studied them for a second, then said, “Oh yeah, the Mongolian, right?”

“Yes sir,” said Davester. He cleared his throat and continued, “What, what are you doing here?”

I pointed at the ceiling, “Got a call about the nano-quake last night that epi-centered here at this hotel. It’ll take about an hour for me to okay the building. I’ve already ordered a group of folks that were in the meeting room to vacate until it’s safe. You boys should leave too, just in case. Come on back at nine and check with me.”