It still seems you’re reaching for something that isn’t there.”
“And it was Pinnacle Investments that sent the
wreath,” Josh said.
Bob shook his head in disbelief. “So you are saying James Mitchell ran you off the road, found out who you were, then sent you a wreath as some sort of sick joke. And by coincidence, you happen to be one of his firm’s customers. Forgive me, Josh, but it doesn’t sound plausible.”
“Who says that he’s an insurance agent? Don’t you think it’s funny that just as all this shit happens, Bell comes back on the scene wanting money? It occurred to me today they might be working together. I saw them talking last night.”
“Jesus, Josh. You don’t know that.”
“Neither do you.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Then help me find out. Prove me wrong,” Josh said.
Bob looked down at his feet and kicked a small
chunk of gravel into the road. He thought for a minute.
“How do we do that?”
“We’ll pay him a visit. You picked him up from his hotel. You know where he’s staying.”
“Yeah, but I’m sure he was making off for San Francisco today or tomorrow.”
“Well, we won’t know if we don’t try. Let’s go now.”
“No, Josh,” Bob said. “Your friend has just been
killed and your wife is worried sick. Go home.”
“He’ll get away.”
Bob sighed. “I’ll pick you up first thing in the morning and we’ll go to the motel and check out James
Mitchell, together. But you’re going home right now.
Okay?”
“Okay.” Josh agreed reluctantly.
“Good. We’ll settle this tomorrow.”
Bob picked up Josh from his home before eight the following morning. They trudged across the city on
commuter-clogged roads like blood struggling to flow through a diseased heart. Bob drove to the southeast side of the city, where he had picked up James Mitchell Saturday night.
Bob found it difficult to strike up a conversation. So far, Josh had given him a collection of one-word responses.
This wasn’t like him. He and Josh never ran
out of things to say. He would make Josh talk to him.
“How are you and Kate?” he asked.
“Okay.”
“No, really. And don’t give another single word answer.
Talk to me, damn it.”
Josh sighed. “Not good. She feels I’m a different person.
She thinks this accident has gotten to me more
than I think. We argued again. Even Abby and Wiener are treating me differently,” he said.
Bob guessed what it must be like living with Josh, if his friend’s behavior was anything like his ramblings yesterday. Life must be hard for Kate, and it couldn’t be doing the kid any good being exposed to Josh right now. Bob hoped their meeting with Mitchell would
clear things up and Josh could move on. Of course, he still had the blackmail hanging over his head. Bell hadn’t been worth it in his opinion. Jesus, Josh had screwed up and it was coming back at him tenfold. Bob pulled off the freeway and the motel came into view.
Bob slotted the Toyota into a parking space at the River City Inn. The motel was positioned on a development that was home to the social security office, a Shell service station, another motel chain and very little else.
Bob had stayed in places like these when he was a salesman on the road. He was glad he’d established roots and built up his own insurance business. Bob didn’t envy James Mitchell’s life. He locked the car and he followed Josh to the motel reception.
“Let me do the talking,” Bob said. “I don’t want to freak anybody out if this turns out to be nothing, especially Mitchell. I still deal with Pinnacle Investments
and I don’t want to alienate them.”
Josh nodded in agreement.
The motel receptionist, a pretty blond woman in her mid-twenties, all lipstick and cotton candy hair, looked up when Bob and Josh entered. Her name
badge said tammy. She flashed a welcoming corporate smile. “Hi there, welcome to the River City Inn. Can I help you?”
Bob leaned on the reception desk and flashed the
same plastic smile Tammy gave. “Yes, I hope so. I was looking for a colleague of mine, James Mitchell, but I can’t remember what room he’s in.”
“Let me check that for you, sir.” The receptionist looked up James Mitchell’s name on the computer
records. “I’m sorry, there’s no James Mitchell here,”
Tammy said.
“Oh, he did say he was checking out either yesterday or today,” Bob said. “Did he leave a forwarding address?”
“No,
sir. I don’t have a James Mitchell checked in or
out,” she said.
Bob looked at Josh in confusion. “I don’t understand, I picked him up from …” Bob let his words
trail off. “I must have the wrong motel. Thanks very much for your help. I’m really sorry to have put you to any trouble.”
“No problem at all, sir,” Tammy said, still smiling.
Josh shot Bob a baleful look that said everything.
“We may have his name wrong, he’s only visiting
us,” Josh said.
“What did he look like?”
“He’s about forty-five, average height, medium build, brown, graying hair, very ordinary looking,” Josh said.
“We have a lot of men here who fit that description.”
“C’mon, Josh, we’ve got the wrong place,” Bob said, and started to move away from the reception desk.
Tammy’s smile collapsed immediately when the two
turned their back on her to leave. A non-corporate look of puzzlement replaced her smile.
In the parking lot, Josh couldn’t contain his frustration.
“What was that? You bailed on me, Bob.”
“Hang on, Josh, wait a minute. I know this is the place I came to on Saturday and I don’t know why they don’t have a record of him, unless he gave them a false name. And I don’t see a reason for an insurance agent to give a false name.”
“So what are you saying?”
“I think you’re right.”
Josh calmed down. “Hey, I’m sorry. It’s just that I feel no one’s in my corner.”
“Believe me man, I’m on your side. Something is beginning to smell here.”
“How did you meet him on Saturday?”
“I met him in the reception area. He was ready and waiting.”
