years had passed and the fugitive student was pushing forty. Jane had met Kristen Alvarez years later, and had done a favor or two for clients of hers.
Jane went to the front desk in the hotel lobby, and waited for the young man in a sport coat to acknowledge her presence. He looked at her and raised his eyebrows.
'Hi,' she said. 'My name is Carol Rosen. I reserved the room for Mr. Leland, two-sixteen. I wondered if you have a second room available for me for the next week.'
'For seven days' He went to the computer, and from the way he looked at the screen and typed, she could tell he knew he had one. 'Yes,' he said. He typed in some other mysterious information. 'And how would you like to take care of that'
'You can put them both on the same American Express card,' Jane said. 'It's the one that ends in 65951, right Carol Rosen'
'Uh . . . yes. Do you happen to have it with you'
'I'm sorry, but I left it with my purse upstairs. Can I just stop in later and you can take another impression' She gestured toward her leg. 'I've got a bad sprain, and I . . .'
'Well, sure,' he said. She could tell that he didn't feel comfortable and wasn't supposed to do it, but was determined to be nice to her. She was obviously a good customer. He produced a card with the number of the room and the usual address and phone number information. 'Just initial here and here, then sign here.'
Jane did, and he said, 'It's vacant right now, so you can have early check-in. How many keys will you be needing'
'Two.'
He produced two key cards, stuffed them into a folder, wrote Room 392 on it, and handed it to her.
'Thanks,' Jane said.
'You're welcome, Mrs. Rosen.'
Jane limped off to the parking lot. She got into the black car and shut the door. Iris sat up. 'Sorry to keep you waiting.'
'That's okay,' said Iris. 'I guess you need me to get out of the car, right'
'Not in the way you mean it. Here,' she said. 'I brought you a key card for your room. It's on the third floor, 392.' She handed the little folder to Iris, and kept one of the two key cards. 'It's vacant, so you might as well go right in.'
'Oh, Melanie. How am I going to pay for it'
'You're not. It's charged to the American Express card of a woman named Mrs. Carol Rosen.'
'Is that you'
'Sometimes it is. Tomorrow you can be Carol Rosen, except with the desk clerk on duty this morning. Get a look at him. You can sign for meals and charge them to the room. Also laundry. And I haven't explored the hotel, but I think there's a shop or two in there, so feel free to charge some clothes, too. Signing for things won't help anybody find you. There's no trail. Everything is in Carol Rosen's name, and I always pay the bill when it comes. I have a ride, so I'm leaving you the car. If something changes so you don't need it anymore, leave it somewhere safe, like an airport lot, call Sarah at the Lifeboat, and she'll send somebody to pick it up.'
Iris leaned over and hugged Jane. 'Thank you for everything. Are you leaving right now'
'No. I need to get some sleep first. Don't worry. I'll be back for you in a week or so. In case I'm late, here's the cash that Sarah gave me before we left.'
'But then-'
'I'll have what I need.' Jane put the money in her hand. 'If for some reason you can't be here when I get back, call Sarah at the Lifeboat and let her know where I can find you. All right'
'All right.'
The two women got out of the car, and walked toward the hotel. 'See you,' Jane said. She walked to the end of the building, then turned the corner and stopped to look back. She watched Iris hesitate for a few seconds, standing outside the building and looking aimlessly in one direction, then another. She was afraid to go in and pretend to be someone else, afraid to drive away, and afraid she was attracting attention by standing where she was for too long. Finally, she lowered her head and stepped in through the double doors.
Jane watched the doors close. Good. One foot in front of the other. You'll make it.
6.
That morning it was hot in Austin, Texas. Gorman drove the rental car with the air-conditioner fan blowing hard while Wylie sat in the passenger seat beside him looking for the right address. Maloney announced the house numbers from the back seat. 'Eighty-nine seventeen. We're close. Eighty-nine twenty-one. There it is. Eighty-nine twenty-nine. The white one up there.'
'I see it,' Gorman said. 'Want me to go around the block to park'
'Hell no,' Wylie said. 'Just park.'
Gorman made the Lincoln Town Car swoop to the curb behind a parked SUV.
'I'll go get started with one of the neighbors,' said Wylie. 'You two stay here, but watch the front door.'
He got out of the car and went to the house to the left of 8929. He rang the bell, but nobody appeared. He knocked, but there was still no answer. He walked down the sidewalk and went to 8929. He rang the bell, knocked, looked in the front window. The place appeared to be deserted. He looked back at Gorman and Maloney in the car, and moved his index finger slightly to point to the house on the right, then walked to it. This time, when he rang the bell a woman opened the door a few inches. He could see that she was thin, about fifty years old, with long auburn hair, and that she was wearing blue jeans and flip-flops.
She looked at him suspiciously, as though she were planning to slam the door if he moved toward her.
He didn't move. He smiled and said, 'Hello, miss. My name is Bobby Simms. I'm an old friend of Sarah Shelby. Actually, I'm more than that, because I'm a distant cousin, too. I just drove here all the way from New Orleans. I called her a few times on the way, but I haven't been able to reach her. I'm a little worried. Have you seen her in the past few days'
The woman behind the door frowned. 'Are you a reporter'
'A reporter Me Lord, no,' Wylie said, and then gave a surprised laugh. 'I've never been accused of that before. Why would you ask that'
The woman's brows knitted, as though she had forgotten her suspicion and was concerned about him. 'You know about her brother, right'
'I haven't kept up. I haven't seen either of them in a few years. What's wrong with Jimmy Is he sick or something'
'I'm sorry,' she said. 'I can't really go into their personal business. Sarah left town about a week ago, and I'm not sure when she's coming home. If you'd like to leave a message for her, I can give it to her when she's back.'
'Well, then, what about Jimmy Do you have a number or address for him'
'No, I'm afraid I don't.' She looked distinctly uncomfortable. 'I'm sorry, but I've got some things to do.' She began to push the door shut.
'Wait,' he said, and she left the door open about half an inch. 'Is there anyone else in town who might be able to give me a number or address'
She pulled the door open a few more inches to answer. 'I honestly can't think of anyone. She left without telling me anything, but I'm sure there isn't anything wrong. She just said she was going on vacation for a while, and to keep an eye on her house.'
The woman had a tell, a small mannerism that revealed when she was lying. It was a habit of looking in the upper right corner of her field of vision whenever she was forming the answer to a question, instead of looking into his eyes. He had been watching her do this since he'd first spoken to her. He sighed and turned to look in the direction of his car, as though he were straining to think. He suddenly hurled his body against the front door.
The heavy wooden door flew inward, struck the woman, and knocked her onto the living room carpet on her back. She was so stunned that she lay still, trying to fathom what had happened. Finally, she took in a deep breath.
Wylie closed the heavy door and took two swift strides, dropped to his knees beside her, and grabbed her throat, choking off the scream. 'You're lying to me,' he said. 'Lying to me is about the craziest thing you could
