able to work anyway.
And last
night when he’d asked about an Internet connection, he’d been told they hadn’t
wired for it yet. No surprise. But he couldn’t keep driving aimlessly, hoping
to find cheap lodgings with Wi-Fi. For one thing, that seemed to be an
oxymoron. For another, he needed to get to work. Bennett had no doubt ordered a
massive search for him and his time until they found him could be limited. He’d
have to find his way into Connelly, hoping it consisted of more than this
motel, and see if someplace had Internet service. Was the town big enough to
have a library? They usually offered connections.
Showered
and dressed in clean jeans and a t-shirt, he tucked his Glock at the small of
his back, throwing on a long sleeved shirt, unbuttoned, to conceal it.
Hopefully he wouldn’t need to use the weapon but in current circumstances it
didn’t pay to take chances. Taking his cell and his laptop, he stopped at the
front office where a woman leaned on the check-in desk. She looked up with a
smile when he walked in.
“How far
are we from Connelly?” he asked, giving her what he intended to be a charming
grin, even though he didn’t feel charming. “I mean, there really is one,
right?”
“Sure.”
Her Texas drawl was thicker than sorghum. “Turn left out of the parking lot,
and in about a mile you’ll start to see civilization.”
“I’m
surprised you built so far away from everything.”
She
shrugged. “We own all the land on three sides. Someday we hope to do more with
the place. In the meantime, we do okay here.” She winked. “We’re about the only
game around.”
Which
gave Trey an unpleasant sense of what he’d find. Nothing.
“Can you
recommend a place to get breakfast? Also, is there a local library with an
Internet connection?”
“Half ’n
Half will take care of both things for you,” she told him.
“What’s
that? It sounds like a coffee shop.”
The
woman nodded. “It is. It’s also a restaurant. Half restaurant, half coffee
shop. Half ’n Half.” She grinned. “Cute, huh?”
“Yeah,
sure.” Trey could imagine what the rest of Connelly would be like if that was
any indication. “And they have Internet?”
“Yup.”
She winked at him. “We’re up to date here.”
“Oh.
Good. Well, thanks.”
“Any
idea how long you’ll be staying?”
Trey
shook his head. “Can I pay for two weeks in advance and then go from there?” He
hoped he could get everything he needed by then and call his friend Max Rider
in Homeland Security.
“Sure.
We’re easy to get along with.”
He
pulled out his wallet and removed four one hundred dollar bills, fanning them
out on the counter. “That cover it?”
“Absolutely.”
She palmed the money so expertly, Trey had to swallow a smile of admiration.
“Cash, huh? Running from an ex-wife?”
“Uh, not
quite but sort of.”
“No
problem. You mind your business, we mind ours. Someone comes asking questions,
we don’t know a damn thing.”
Now he
gave her a genuine smile. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“Don’t
make me regret my words,” she warned.
“Not for
a minute.” He waved on his way out the door.
Sure
enough, a mile down the highway he saw the first signs of civilization. Large
homes perched on wide parcels of land protected by ancient trees. Soon, the
houses became closer together, with smaller lanes intersecting the road. He
noticed street signs and wasn’t the least surprised to discover he was on Main
Street. What else would it be called in a place like this?
Connelly
had the same appearance as every other town he’d driven through since he
crossed the state line into Texas. Same kind of shops—quaint with Western
facades and kitschy names like the Half ’n Half, mixed in with practical
businesses like the hardware store. Same type of offices located in old houses.
If he drove the countryside, he bet he’d find ranches occupying the surrounding
land. After all, what else would you find in
And last
night when he’d asked about an Internet connection, he’d been told they hadn’t
wired for it yet. No surprise. But he couldn’t keep driving aimlessly, hoping
to find cheap lodgings with Wi-Fi. For one thing, that seemed to be an
oxymoron. For another, he needed to get to work. Bennett had no doubt ordered a
massive search for him and his time until they found him could be limited. He’d
have to find his way into Connelly, hoping it consisted of more than this
motel, and see if someplace had Internet service. Was the town big enough to
have a library? They usually offered connections.
Showered
and dressed in clean jeans and a t-shirt, he tucked his Glock at the small of
his back, throwing on a long sleeved shirt, unbuttoned, to conceal it.
Hopefully he wouldn’t need to use the weapon but in current circumstances it
didn’t pay to take chances. Taking his cell and his laptop, he stopped at the
front office where a woman leaned on the check-in desk. She looked up with a
smile when he walked in.
“How far
are we from Connelly?” he asked, giving her what he intended to be a charming
grin, even though he didn’t feel charming. “I mean, there really is one,
right?”
“Sure.”
Her Texas drawl was thicker than sorghum. “Turn left out of the parking lot,
and in about a mile you’ll start to see civilization.”
“I’m
surprised you built so far away from everything.”
She
shrugged. “We own all the land on three sides. Someday we hope to do more with
the place. In the meantime, we do okay here.” She winked. “We’re about the only
game around.”
Which
gave Trey an unpleasant sense of what he’d find. Nothing.
“Can you
recommend a place to get breakfast? Also, is there a local library with an
Internet connection?”
“Half ’n
Half will take care of both things for you,” she told him.
“What’s
that? It sounds like a coffee shop.”
The
woman nodded. “It is. It’s also a restaurant. Half restaurant, half coffee
shop. Half ’n Half.” She grinned. “Cute, huh?”
“Yeah,
sure.” Trey could imagine what the rest of Connelly would be like if that was
any indication. “And they have Internet?”
“Yup.”
She winked at him. “We’re up to date here.”
“Oh.
Good. Well, thanks.”
“Any
idea how long you’ll be staying?”
Trey
shook his head. “Can I pay for two weeks in advance and then go from there?” He
hoped he could get everything he needed by then and call his friend Max Rider
in Homeland Security.
“Sure.
We’re easy to get along with.”
He
pulled out his wallet and removed four one hundred dollar bills, fanning them
out on the counter. “That cover it?”
“Absolutely.”
She palmed the money so expertly, Trey had to swallow a smile of admiration.
“Cash, huh? Running from an ex-wife?”
“Uh, not
quite but sort of.”
“No
problem. You mind your business, we mind ours. Someone comes asking questions,
we don’t know a damn thing.”
Now he
gave her a genuine smile. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“Don’t
make me regret my words,” she warned.
“Not for
a minute.” He waved on his way out the door.
Sure
enough, a mile down the highway he saw the first signs of civilization. Large
homes perched on wide parcels of land protected by ancient trees. Soon, the
houses became closer together, with smaller lanes intersecting the road. He
noticed street signs and wasn’t the least surprised to discover he was on Main
Street. What else would it be called in a place like this?
Connelly
had the same appearance as every other town he’d driven through since he
crossed the state line into Texas. Same kind of shops—quaint with Western
facades and kitschy names like the Half ’n Half, mixed in with practical
businesses like the hardware store. Same type of offices located in old houses.
If he drove the countryside, he bet he’d find ranches occupying the surrounding
land. After all, what else would you find in
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