Javier shrugged. “I thought you might want to sell them. You’re the one that stole them, but I could find you a buyer.”
“I told you I don’t—”
I gave her thigh another little squeeze as I interrupted Gail. “We appreciate the offer, but if we can exorcise the spirit, then we could return them to the University.”
“Yes,” Gail said. “We’ll try an exorcism on them tomorrow and if it works, we’ll give the bracelets to Professor Nichols. He can return them to the university’s storage without anyone knowing they were missing.”
“You want some help with that?” Marta asked, looking at me rather than Gail.
Gail spoke up before I could answer. “We’re good. We’ve got everything we need. We’ll trust you to cover your professor while we cover Professor Nichols after dark.”
Gail took her leather bound book from her bag, flipped it open to a marked page, and then set it on the table between the Morenos and us. “This is the spell I used, there’s a potion element, but the ingredients aren’t obscure. You should be able to find everything you need by tomorrow night. I’ll expect that payment later.”
Marta took a similar book from her bag, opened it to a blank page, and started copying.
When Marta finished, Gail closed her journal and returned it to her bag. Immediately, she slid out of the booth and stood. “Well, nice talking with you. Shoot us a text if you run into the spirit tomorrow night.”
“What’s the rush?” Javier asked. “Sit back down and have another drink. I’m sure Marta and Jesse have a lot of catching up to do.”
I watched Gail’s face. She was ready to go, but she waited to see what I’d say.
“Yes, Jesse, we do have a lot of catching up to do. You can stay even if Gail wants to crash. We’ll drive you back to your room,” Marta said.
I slid out and stood next to Gail. “After the hunt is over, inamorata, until then?”
Marta looked disappointed and Gail tried to hide the satisfaction on her own face but was only partially successful. She started toward the door without another word.
I said goodnight to the Morenos and wished them good hunting. I caught our server’s eye and met her at the bar. She gave me a small slip of paper with our bill and I passed her a couple of twenties and told her I’d cover the Morenos’ beer, too.
When I got outside, Gail was waiting in front of her van.
“I thought that went well,” I said cheerfully as I joined her.
She frowned. “You think that went well?”
“Considering your attitude about them, yes. No one was cut, shot, or battered. I call that a successful meeting.”
Gail broke out of her funk and laughed good-naturedly. “Yeah, I guess you’re right at that.”
She yawned. “I didn’t sleep half the day like someone I know. You drive; find us a motel before I fall asleep in the van.”
I caught the keys when she tossed them and climbed into the van.
Chapter 17 – Sex and Bracelets
The motel I picked was a couple of miles away on McFarland Boulevard. It was in sight of I-20/59, but not so near we’d be hearing trucks all night. I selected it because there was a Waffle House restaurant next door and I like a good breakfast. Gail was half-asleep already, so I checked us in and then backed her van next to the stairs near our room.
“Are you conscious, or should I carry you to the room?” I asked.
Her eyes popped open immediately. She yawned and she shook her head. “I’m good. Grab your bag. Which room?”
I handed her a plastic key card and said, “Two twelve, the top of the stairs.”
She nodded and took the card. Gail grabbed her overnight bag from behind the driver’s seat and slid out her door. I got my own bag and locked the van. She was already at the top of the stairs when I reached the bottom.
The room was the closest to the stairs and Gail had the door open when I got there. She flicked on the lights and didn’t comment as she walked past the single king-sized bed to go into the bathroom. I set my own bag on the short dresser and unzipped it. I took the bottle of Makers Mark we’d purchased before leaving Huntsville from between a couple pair of jeans and looked around for glasses. There was a wet bar with a small refrigerator in the corner. Two glasses, two small mugs, and a two-cup coffee maker sat beside the sink. I rinsed both glasses, checked the refrigerator for ice, but there was no freezer section. I poured a couple fingers of bourbon into each glass and plopped heavily into a chair by the table.
I was half way through my bourbon when Gail called from the bath. “Jesse, do you still have that bottle of bourbon?”
“Of course,” I answered.
“Could you bring me some of it?”
I went to the door and tapped on it.
“Come on in, it’s not locked.”
I hadn’t thought it would be, but a gentleman always knocks, especially when the lady carries a forty-five. I opened the door and stepped into the bath, closing the door behind me. Steam rose from behind the white, opaque shower curtain.
“That was fast,” Gail said and her hand appeared at one end of the curtain. I placed one glass in her hand, sipped at my own, and waited. A half minute passed before the glass reappeared.
“Another one?” I asked.
“Not right now, just set it on the counter.”
“Sure,” I replied.
I was torn between waiting, going back out, and leaving her to her shower. She’d not been at all bashful about me being in the room when she showered and after she let me dry her, I was ready to get back to where we left off when I joined the Army.
After a minute of two of my weighing my choices, Gail finally spoke, “Aren’t you going to offer to do my back?”
“Well, sure
