shrugged. “Like I said when you called,
it was slow. After midnight there were only three, four men at
best, one walking a dog. He stopped to talk to another guy, but as
far as I could tell they were just friends. I was sitting by the
edge of the river at one point and a dude walked by, giving me the
eye. I started to get up and he hurried away. Either he wasn’t
looking or he decided I wasn’t going to be his flavor of the night
after all. Oh. There was another kid hanging around. Looked worse
than I did. So at least I wasn’t the only one crashing there.”
“Was he hustling, too?”
“Hard to tell, since when I saw him we were
the only two people around. He gave me a nod and kept going. He
headed into the trees like he knew what he was doing so I’d bet
he’s sort of a regular. At least until he decides to move on.”
“All right. Get some rest. It’s noon now.
I’ll wake you around four.”
Keir nodded, toeing off his shoes, then
sliding under the comforter. Seconds later he was asleep.
With nothing else to do until late afternoon,
Teague decided to check out Faircrest as if he was a tourist. That
way he could test his new look in the process. His first stop was
the motel he’d been staying at previously. When he walked into the
lobby the desk clerk who had been there that morning glanced up
from her computer. She frowned momentarily, as if she thought she
recognized him, then with a shake of her head she asked, “Are you
looking for a room?”
“Perhaps,” Teague replied, coming closer.
“What are your rates?” When she told him, he smiled wryly. “Sorry,
that’s a bit too steep for my budget.” She suggested two other
motels in town that were more affordable. He thanked her and
left.
Other than that first second, she didn’t
connect the new me to the old one. Probably told herself I reminded
her of a dozen other guys who’ve stayed there in the past.
His next stop was the restaurant where he and
Hoyt had eaten dinner two nights earlier. Unfortunately neither the
hostess, Kelly, nor the waitress they’d had were on duty at the
moment. The bartender, who’d served them their drinks while they
waited for a table, was there however. Teague took a seat at the
end of the bar and ordered a beer.
“So, I’m at the tag end of a vacation,”
Teague said when the bartender came back with his drink. “Are there
any spots I should check out?”
“Depends on what you’re interested in,” the
man replied, leaning against the bar. “If you’re into sports you
can go white water rafting or mountain biking. There’s historic
spots like the old hotel on Main Street. It’s got rooms dedicated
to famous people who stayed there, like Will Rogers. There’s a
couple of museums and the usual compliment of art galleries if
that’s your thing. You can get a brochure at whatever motel you’re
staying at that can give you better info.”
“Good idea,” Teague said. “Thanks for the
ideas though. I hadn’t thought of rafting, but then this is my
first time visiting the mountains. I bet you really get hit during
ski season.”
Teague kept the man talking long enough to
know that the guy didn’t remember him. After paying for his drink,
leaving the half-empty bottle on the bar, Teague took off. Since he
was hungry, and he was certain Keir would be when he woke up,
Teague stopped by the restaurant where he’d eaten his first day in
town. Again, the people working there didn’t blink twice when they
saw him, even though he had to wait for his to-go order so they had
plenty of time to look at him.
Certain now that his cover was working,
Teague drove back to the motel. After setting out their meals,
Teague shook Keir’s shoulder to wake him, jumping back quickly when
Keir came out of what seemed to be a deep sleep with his knife in
one hand.
“Whoa, it’s just me,” Teague said
sharply.
Keir sheathed the knife with an abashed
smile. “Sorry. Old habits kicking in.”
“Not a problem. I’d
Denise Grover Swank
Barry Reese
Karen Erickson
John Buchan
Jack L. Chalker
Kate Evangelista
Meg Cabot
Jimmy Fallon, Gloria Fallon
The Wyrding Stone
Jenny Schwartz