side pocket. The extra clips went into his jacket on the other side. "And thanks for dinner," he added. "It was delicious."
Gina called a taxi for Flint and Mary, showed photos in three newspapers of angel trumpet assassins to each of them. The angel trumpet society was not referred to in the picture captions. Mary and Flint hugged Ava, shook hands with Murphy, Freddy, and Gina, went with the guard to be put into a taxi at the iron gate .
At the Bristol Flint suggested they both sleep in Ava’s room because it had a bedroom and a sitting area that was separate. He did not want to risk an incursion by the angel trumpet assassins into Mary’s room without his being able to offer some protection.
At the front desk, Mary asked for her own room key and for Ava's, explaining that Ava had gone on to the door of her room because of something heavy that she was carrying—a gift. Flint took his key. After stopping at his room to turn the light on and leave it on, he tapped quietly on Ava's room door.
Mary let him in. They decided that Mary would sleep in the large bed and Flint would take a long sofa in the sitting room. Mary wanted to ask Flint questions, but the long flight and demanding evening had her so tired that she fell asleep immediately. It was early. Flint was awake, thinking about Gina and everything she had said. His mobile phone signaled a call. Laura spoke a cheerful hello.
Chapter 8
As Flint said hello back to Laura, his watch told him it would soon be 11:00 P.M. in Sorrento. So it was nearly 4:00 Sunday afternoon in Austin. Shana Street, nursed her Shiner bock beer. She had initially ordered a gin and tonic because she liked hearing herself say, "I'll have a G & T please." She had cancelled that, switched to a longneck, but her cashmere skirt and matching sweater said G & T as in Bombay Sapphire Gin with Fever Tree tonic water. She sat alone at a table for two in the Driskill Hotel Bar in downtown Austin.
Sometimes, on a Sunday afternoon, Shana dressed in her nicest outfit and went to an expensive bar for one drink. The warm leather, crackling fireplace, muted colors, well framed mirrors, and polished hard woods made her feel like more than a nearly penniless actress waiting to be found by Mr. Right. Today was different. She was meeting Laura Syms who wanted to buy her a drink.
Shana was early; Laura was late by ten minutes. She had parked her 2009 Honda sporty convertible on the street two and a half blocks from the hotel. She hung up with Flint as she strode comfortably through the huge, two-leveled lobby of the Driskill. Laura had a Perrier with a twist. Shana took another Shiner longneck. Laura's highly developed small talk skills weren't needed for Shana. Instead, she pulled from her purse the phone found in Flint's car, laid it on the small table between them.
"The Texas Rangers found this in Flint Rock's wrecked auto. I think you put it there."
Shana looked down, averted her eyes, stayed quiet.
"You might as well tell me," Laura continued. "The Rangers will haul you in now if I make a phone call. They don't know where you are or where you live. I do."
Shana breathed a defeated sigh. "Damn. I knew it was too good to be true." She paused. "Look, will you help me if I tell you? I don't want any police trouble."
Laura watched Shana scrunch her shoulders, which made her look smaller. Laura said, " if I can, I will. I already know that you have a police record in Nevada under the name Margaret Alice Cavendish. Your birth certificate from Pittsburgh gives your name as Margaret Alison Conch. Now tell me about the phone."
Shana looked like she was about to run. Laura slipped the phone back into her purse, pulled out her own smart phone, started to dial.
"Don't do that, don't do that," Shana blurted. "I'm
Gina called a taxi for Flint and Mary, showed photos in three newspapers of angel trumpet assassins to each of them. The angel trumpet society was not referred to in the picture captions. Mary and Flint hugged Ava, shook hands with Murphy, Freddy, and Gina, went with the guard to be put into a taxi at the iron gate .
At the Bristol Flint suggested they both sleep in Ava’s room because it had a bedroom and a sitting area that was separate. He did not want to risk an incursion by the angel trumpet assassins into Mary’s room without his being able to offer some protection.
At the front desk, Mary asked for her own room key and for Ava's, explaining that Ava had gone on to the door of her room because of something heavy that she was carrying—a gift. Flint took his key. After stopping at his room to turn the light on and leave it on, he tapped quietly on Ava's room door.
Mary let him in. They decided that Mary would sleep in the large bed and Flint would take a long sofa in the sitting room. Mary wanted to ask Flint questions, but the long flight and demanding evening had her so tired that she fell asleep immediately. It was early. Flint was awake, thinking about Gina and everything she had said. His mobile phone signaled a call. Laura spoke a cheerful hello.
Chapter 8
As Flint said hello back to Laura, his watch told him it would soon be 11:00 P.M. in Sorrento. So it was nearly 4:00 Sunday afternoon in Austin. Shana Street, nursed her Shiner bock beer. She had initially ordered a gin and tonic because she liked hearing herself say, "I'll have a G & T please." She had cancelled that, switched to a longneck, but her cashmere skirt and matching sweater said G & T as in Bombay Sapphire Gin with Fever Tree tonic water. She sat alone at a table for two in the Driskill Hotel Bar in downtown Austin.
Sometimes, on a Sunday afternoon, Shana dressed in her nicest outfit and went to an expensive bar for one drink. The warm leather, crackling fireplace, muted colors, well framed mirrors, and polished hard woods made her feel like more than a nearly penniless actress waiting to be found by Mr. Right. Today was different. She was meeting Laura Syms who wanted to buy her a drink.
Shana was early; Laura was late by ten minutes. She had parked her 2009 Honda sporty convertible on the street two and a half blocks from the hotel. She hung up with Flint as she strode comfortably through the huge, two-leveled lobby of the Driskill. Laura had a Perrier with a twist. Shana took another Shiner longneck. Laura's highly developed small talk skills weren't needed for Shana. Instead, she pulled from her purse the phone found in Flint's car, laid it on the small table between them.
"The Texas Rangers found this in Flint Rock's wrecked auto. I think you put it there."
Shana looked down, averted her eyes, stayed quiet.
"You might as well tell me," Laura continued. "The Rangers will haul you in now if I make a phone call. They don't know where you are or where you live. I do."
Shana breathed a defeated sigh. "Damn. I knew it was too good to be true." She paused. "Look, will you help me if I tell you? I don't want any police trouble."
Laura watched Shana scrunch her shoulders, which made her look smaller. Laura said, " if I can, I will. I already know that you have a police record in Nevada under the name Margaret Alice Cavendish. Your birth certificate from Pittsburgh gives your name as Margaret Alison Conch. Now tell me about the phone."
Shana looked like she was about to run. Laura slipped the phone back into her purse, pulled out her own smart phone, started to dial.
"Don't do that, don't do that," Shana blurted. "I'm
Similar Books
