The Cocky Thief

Chapter 18

The building was so small that Jennifer could tell the exact moment that Austin walked in. The girls up front had been giggling and laughing over something and once that little bell over the front door rang, everyone was quiet.

That's right, girls. Take it all in. Once they started to talk, Jennifer used the opportunity to push open the door she'd found wedged open. Chances were one of the girls was a smoker. Apparently, they didn't realize the habit was dangerous in more ways than they realized.

"Ladies, I hate to cause trouble, but I don't have a reservation but after a bit of an accident this morning, I'm in need of a good car for a few days. Do you think you can help me out?"

Come on, Austin. She needed to get this done. Get to distracting.

Then she heard someone squeal and a muttered curse from Austin.

"I'm so sorry," said one of the girls.

"Don't worry about it," said Austin. "I'm sure we can get this cleaned up in no time." Then there was an audible female gasp. "Is there a kitchen or anything? I was always taught to wear clean clothes. Never want to meet a gorgeous woman and not be your best."

She rolled her eyes as she peeked from behind the corner to see what was happening. Her jaw dropped as she saw Austin pulling his white shirt off.

"I, um, I can maybe show you to the break room," said the girl closest to him as she reached for the shirt.

"It's a big stain. I should help too," said the other clerk.

If they weren't sold before, Austin gave this half grin that showed the perfect amount of teeth. "You ladies are too nice. But I need all the help I can get because I don't know the first thing about this stuff..."

Good grief, Jennifer was halfway to revealing herself and offering to help him too. She was somehow able to contain herself until they'd walked off. Jennifer snuck back the open door to the break room, not allowing her eyes to linger on the planes and ridges of Austin's back. She did have a thing for a muscular back...

She had to give Austin credit, though. The girls had gone back with him without even locking their computer screens. She'd never seen this system before, but it wasn't too hard for her to bring up the list of reservations for the day. After a few scrolls, there it was. The alias that Ajax had provided to Mel.

And she'd never picked it up. They'd left the small hotel room two and a half hours ago. What the hell would've kept her?

A knot formed in her throat as the only real answer hit her. There was no reason Mel would've bailed. Not without leaving any notice. Before she and Austin had even walked in, she'd known that this was just the last sickening blow.

A snort of laughter broke through her momentary despair and she remembered what she was doing. She clicked off the reservation screen and went to the other side of the counter, where she sat on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs. Austin was doing too well back there. If Mel was gone...

More giggling from the back room and Jennifer thought she was going to lose it. This was wrong. So wrong. She was supposed to be at her mother's wedding today, not on the run and fearing the worst had already happened to Mel...

That was it. She jumped off the chair and ran to the counter, slamming her flat palm on the surface. "Hey! Anyone here!" she called. She just needed to grab Austin and once she was back with Isobel, she could think more clearly. Really, as long as she could get away from Austin... She couldn't think around him and she needed her head in the game. "Am I just going to keep waiting?" she called again before she finally started to hear the sound of shuffling feet signaling they were coming her way.

Jennifer tightened her lips and drummed her fingers on the counter while she waited. Right before they came out, something red and black caught her eye. She reached over the counter and picked up the business card next to the computer.

"Can I help you?" asked one of the clerks breathlessly.

Jennifer stared down at the card wordlessly.

"I'm sorry about the wait, ma'am, but can I help you?" asked the clerk again, sounding a bit confused why Jennifer had gone from furious to dead silence.

Jennifer shook her head. "Where did you get this?"

Now both the clerks were behind the desk and each exchanged a confused glance with the other. "Someone left it here this morning," said the newcomer. "I was going to toss it but it looked cool."

Jennifer took a step back. Mel had been here then. She'd been here and she'd left this for Jennifer. Maybe that meant there was hope.

Something touched her shoulder; she jumped at the shock and turned around. Austin looked down at her with a concerned look on his face. He wore his white, now coffee-stained, shirt. There was water around the brown stain, showing that the girls really had been trying to help him clean it. He didn't say anything, but his questioning raised brow told her that he didn't know whether he was supposed to be in character.

It didn't matter anymore. She'd gotten all the information she needed to from DriveRite. "I'll give you a ride," she said, barely convincingly. "Come on."

She turned and led the way out as Austin said a quick thanks to the women and followed her. "Hey," he said once the door had closed, but she didn't stop.

"We need to get to Isobel. How far away are they?"

By then they'd reached the SUV and she allowed Austin to drive because she didn't know where they were going.

"Should be about twenty minutes from here." He obligingly started the car and backed out before he asked the question he had probably really wanted to ask. "What was that card you found? Why did it freak you out?"

Jennifer took a deep breath. "It didn't freak me out," she admitted as she flipped the card over in her hand. "It gave me hope. I looked in the computer. Mel never picked up her car, but this is proof she was here. Blonde number 1 said she found this outside, so Mel might never have made it in the building or the clerks were in on it, but she was here."

"How do you know she dropped it? What does the card say?"

"It's a website." The card was very simple. Black background and big red text: tonihateseverything.com.

"What does that mean to you?"

"I think I know who Toni is. And I think that if Mel dropped this, she wanted me to find it."

"All right, tell me what I'm missing."

"Toni is my other sister. If Mel is in danger, this is her telling me that Toni might be able to help us find her."

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