like her. She’d like you. You should talk.”
I handed the phone to Wojtowick. She looked at it, then at me, then pressed the receiver to her ear.
“This is Detective Constable Wojtowick,” she said. “I’m sorry I do not recall your name … Commander Dunston, we have a situation here … Is that so?” She looked at me again. “He has not committed any crimes that I am aware of, but I am sure I can think of something to hold him on … I would much rather have him deported.”
“Wait a minute,” I said.
“Was he really a police officer?” Wojtowick said. “Still, it does make me question your professional standards … You are most kind.” Wojtowick recited the license plate number that Linck had written on his registration card. “Thank you.”
About a minute passed.
“Yes, Commander,” Wojtowick said. She wrote whatever Bobby told her into her notebook. “Thank you, Commander … So I have been told from time to time.” She laughed heartily at whatever Bobby told her. “Is that right?… I’ll keep it in mind. Good-bye, Commander … You, too.”
She handed the phone back to me.
“What did he say?” I asked.
“The license plate number is registered to a sixty-seven-year-old female who lives in your city of Bemidji.”
“No, I meant what did he say that made you laugh?”
Wojtowick turned toward Daniel, showing me her back.
“Mr. Khawaja, do you check the license plate numbers people write on the forms against their motor vehicles?”
He shook his head.
“Start.”
He nodded.
“If it is not too much trouble, I require the name of the firm that replaced your carpet. Can you give that to me now?”
“Yes, of course.” Daniel went to his Rolodex and produced a business card that he handed to the detective. “Dooley Brothers. It is a reputable firm.”
“I’m sure it is.”
Wojtowick slid the photograph back into the envelope and held it up for me to see.
“I’m going to keep this,” she said.
“Okay,” I said.
“We’re done here.”
“We are? Don’t you want to go up to room thirty-four?”
“To look at what? Mr. Khawaja, I apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you.”
“What about this?” Daniel pointed at the envelope.
“I will contact Dooley Brothers to see if we can find the old carpet. At the moment this is the only evidence that suggests a crime has been committed in your motel, and I do not trust it. I believe you are a victim of an elaborate hoax, as I said earlier. A hoax”—she turned toward me—“that originated in the United States.” Daniel was visibly relieved by what Wojtowick told him. “If you are telling me the truth about all this, there is nothing for you to be concerned about.”
“I am,” Daniel said. “I am telling the truth.”
“Then I apologize for alarming you.”
“Yeah, Daniel, I’m sorry, too,” I said. “Don’t worry. I’ll find another motel.”
Daniel waved his hand in front of his face as if he were scattering smoke. Or maybe it was a bad odor.
“It is all right, Mr. McKenzie. You may stay.”
“Thank you.”
He waved his hand some more. I took that as a sign that I was to get out of his sight.
* * *
It was only five thirty, yet already night had fallen, as had the temperature. I could see our breath in the light of the streetlamps as the cars whizzed past the motel parking lot.
“Did you get what you’re looking for?” Wojtowick asked.
“No.”
“What exactly are you looking for?”
“The girl, I suppose. If she’s dead, then it’s murder, and I will personally deliver Jason Truhler into your hands to do with as you please. If the girl is alive, than it’s extortion pure and simple, and she’ll be the one who’s in trouble. I’m hoping she’s alive. When I get back home, I’ll check some more missing persons reports.”
“I’m sure your friend Commander Dunston will enjoy that.”
I crossed my fingers and held them up for Detective Constable
I handed the phone to Wojtowick. She looked at it, then at me, then pressed the receiver to her ear.
“This is Detective Constable Wojtowick,” she said. “I’m sorry I do not recall your name … Commander Dunston, we have a situation here … Is that so?” She looked at me again. “He has not committed any crimes that I am aware of, but I am sure I can think of something to hold him on … I would much rather have him deported.”
“Wait a minute,” I said.
“Was he really a police officer?” Wojtowick said. “Still, it does make me question your professional standards … You are most kind.” Wojtowick recited the license plate number that Linck had written on his registration card. “Thank you.”
About a minute passed.
“Yes, Commander,” Wojtowick said. She wrote whatever Bobby told her into her notebook. “Thank you, Commander … So I have been told from time to time.” She laughed heartily at whatever Bobby told her. “Is that right?… I’ll keep it in mind. Good-bye, Commander … You, too.”
She handed the phone back to me.
“What did he say?” I asked.
“The license plate number is registered to a sixty-seven-year-old female who lives in your city of Bemidji.”
“No, I meant what did he say that made you laugh?”
Wojtowick turned toward Daniel, showing me her back.
“Mr. Khawaja, do you check the license plate numbers people write on the forms against their motor vehicles?”
He shook his head.
“Start.”
He nodded.
“If it is not too much trouble, I require the name of the firm that replaced your carpet. Can you give that to me now?”
“Yes, of course.” Daniel went to his Rolodex and produced a business card that he handed to the detective. “Dooley Brothers. It is a reputable firm.”
“I’m sure it is.”
Wojtowick slid the photograph back into the envelope and held it up for me to see.
“I’m going to keep this,” she said.
“Okay,” I said.
“We’re done here.”
“We are? Don’t you want to go up to room thirty-four?”
“To look at what? Mr. Khawaja, I apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you.”
“What about this?” Daniel pointed at the envelope.
“I will contact Dooley Brothers to see if we can find the old carpet. At the moment this is the only evidence that suggests a crime has been committed in your motel, and I do not trust it. I believe you are a victim of an elaborate hoax, as I said earlier. A hoax”—she turned toward me—“that originated in the United States.” Daniel was visibly relieved by what Wojtowick told him. “If you are telling me the truth about all this, there is nothing for you to be concerned about.”
“I am,” Daniel said. “I am telling the truth.”
“Then I apologize for alarming you.”
“Yeah, Daniel, I’m sorry, too,” I said. “Don’t worry. I’ll find another motel.”
Daniel waved his hand in front of his face as if he were scattering smoke. Or maybe it was a bad odor.
“It is all right, Mr. McKenzie. You may stay.”
“Thank you.”
He waved his hand some more. I took that as a sign that I was to get out of his sight.
* * *
It was only five thirty, yet already night had fallen, as had the temperature. I could see our breath in the light of the streetlamps as the cars whizzed past the motel parking lot.
“Did you get what you’re looking for?” Wojtowick asked.
“No.”
“What exactly are you looking for?”
“The girl, I suppose. If she’s dead, then it’s murder, and I will personally deliver Jason Truhler into your hands to do with as you please. If the girl is alive, than it’s extortion pure and simple, and she’ll be the one who’s in trouble. I’m hoping she’s alive. When I get back home, I’ll check some more missing persons reports.”
“I’m sure your friend Commander Dunston will enjoy that.”
I crossed my fingers and held them up for Detective Constable
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