these days.”
“She doesn’t know how police business works,” George confided to the trooper.
“Well, like I said, we think this man has probably been checked in for at least a week already.”
“That would be cabin six,” Reggie said.
“Have you listened to anything the man’s been saying?” George demanded. “Have you heard a single word?”
“Cabin six has been here eight days. They don’t want to let us in to clean the room…”
“Really?” The trooper showed real interest for the first time.
“It’s a woman,” George said. “Cabin six is a woman.”
“And a man.” Reggie added. “A big man.”
“You’ve never seen him.” George turned to the trooper. “She’s never seen him, he’s sick, well, not sick, he has this vision problem so they have to keep the shades down and the door closed all the time, which is why they don’t want us in to clean the room…”
“I have seen him,” Reggie said. “It was night and it was dark, but I saw him getting into the car. He looked huge.”
“But he’s definitely with a woman?”
“A very nice woman,” George said.
“He only goes out at night,” Reggie said. “Like he’s a vampire or something.”
The trooper replaced his dark glasses.
“Well… ”
“And they may have a boy in there with them.” Reggie said.
“I just have to apologize for her…” George started. The trooper held up a hand to quiet him.
“How’s that?”
“They might have an elephant in there with them,” George scoffed, “but she hasn’t actually seen it.”
“Why do you say they might have a boy with them?” the trooper asked. When Reggie hesitated, he removed his glasses once more and smiled at her. He was better looking than she had first realized, Reggie thought.
“There was a child’s toothbrush in the bathroom,” Reggie said.
George erupted with scorn. “A toothbrush? That’s it? Did they have any boy’s clothes? Any comic books, any kid’s shoes, any anything? I got to apologize to you, officer. She just doesn’t have a clue.”
“He wasn’t there, so he was wearing his clothes,”
Reggie said uncertainly. She could tell by the trooper’s face that it wasn’t enough.
“The only clothes he had? I don’t think so.”
The trooper replaced the glasses and started for the car door.
“I don’t believe the man we’re looking for would be traveling with a woman,” he said. “If you wouldn’t mind just giving me the names of those single men you’ve got, we’ll run them through the computer.”
George escorted the trooper to the office to find the names of the registered guests, but Reggie did not accompany them. She had crossed her arms over her chest and was standing her ground in the courtyard, studying cabin six. She was still there when the trooper returned, opened his car door, and slid behind the wheel.
“Well, if you should happen to get a single male, powerfully built, with a nine- or ten-year-old boy with him, give us a call, will you?”
“You bet,” said George. “First thing. Should we ask for you personally?”
“That won’t be necessary.” the trooper said, groaning inwardly at the thought. “Just call the state police and they’ll send a detective out to check things out. Okay?”
“You bet.”
As the trooper drove off he tried to imagine how many calls they would get answering that description. He was glad he wasn’t going anywhere with his son this weekend. Half the divorced fathers in the state were going to be investigated if they had the misfortune to sleep overnight with their children. It wouldn’t make any difference to someone like these motel owners if the child was a boy or a girl, either, he thought. The switchboard would be ringing off the wall with a description that vague. This was worse than a wild-goose chase. This was a needle in a pin factory.
“He seemed a little slow to be much of a cop,” George said to Reggie as the patrol car pulled away. “Nice guy, but not too bright.”
“They don’t pick them because they’re bright,” Reggie said. Her eyes were still on cabin six as if she could see through the walls. “You don’t see many college professors driving around in squad cars and asking questions.”
“He was bright enough to know the difference between a woman and a man,” George scoffed. “They never go after women for this kind of thing.”
“What kind of thing is it?”
“Whatever it is,” George said, his voice rising defensively. “Obviously something dangerous. Obviously something violent. They’re after a big hulk, right? Women don’t commit violent crimes… They get you in other ways.” He waited for Reggie to rise to the bait, but she was ignoring him.
“They needle and nag you to death,” he said, watching for her reaction. She continued to study Dee’s cabin. It wasn’t nearly as much fun if she didn’t fight back. George kept at it but without much enthusiasm. “They get illogical and silly. That’ll drive you nuts in the long run, believe me. That’ll kill you just as dead as a slug in the head if you have to put up with it long enough. It’s amazing I’m still on my feet at all.”
“What about the toothbrush then?” she asked suddenly, still not looking at him.
George laughed cruelly. She had the mind of a child. A girl child.
“I don’t know,” he laughed.
“What are they doing with a child’s toothbrush?” she demanded. She turned abruptly to glare at him as if he owed her an explanation. “Answer me that, if you’re so smart.”
She had been listening to him, he realized with relief. It troubled him when she genuinely paid no attention to him; it made him feel alone and foolish. She could pretend to ignore him as much as she wanted as long as he knew she was really listening to him. It was when she truly shut him out that he couldn’t stand it.
“I don’t know, maybe she has sensitive teeth.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Although she had thought that at first herself, it now seemed a woefully weak explanation.
“They don’t have anything else that belongs to a child,” he said.
“And why does the husband go out only after dark?”
“You know why.”
“I know what she’s told you,” Reggie said.
“That’s good enough for me,” said George.
“I know it’s good enough for you. But you’d believe anything your girlfriend told you.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Not for lack of trying on your part,” she said.
“Might as well talk to the trees,” he said. He turned back toward the office. “Might as well howl at the wind. Just trying to explain things to you has given me a sore throat,” he said. He put his hand on his neck and coughed exploratorily. “It really is sore,” he said. “I’m going in… You coming?”
“You’re not getting a cold, are you?” She would have to nurse him for a week. He was such a baby when he was sick.
“I need some of that tea and honey and lemon juice you make,” he said.
As if she had a special recipe, she thought. It was just tea and honey and lemon juice, as simple as that, and for forty years he’d acted like it was a magic potion that only she could make. So he wouldn’t have to. So he could lie back and moan and fill a paper bag with used tissues and act like he was paralyzed. As if he needed much of an excuse.
“I’ll make you some,” she sighed.
As they walked toward the office, George put his arm over her shoulders and Reggie allowed it to stay that way.
