Dancing with the Devil

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Audrey wondered what was taking Rodger so long. He had said he was simply going to get them a bite to eat from the café and then they would go down together and see the sheriff here in Briggston. Audrey, of course, had gone straight to the station upon arriving to learn if the sheriff knew anything about Barnaby Wallace or the whereabouts of her daughter, but the man had been out of town and was due back quite soon. She hoped Rodger would hurry or she'd simply have to go speak to the lawman alone. 

Nearly three weeks, Audrey and Rodger had been traveling together. Audrey was becoming more and more uncertain of her decision to accompany Rodger. His advances were getting harder to fight off and it seemed he was growing weary of taking no for an answer. But he did seem determined to help her find Penelope and, if for no other reason, Audrey was thankful for his presence. 

Audrey was growing increasingly worried about her daughter by the day and yet her determination to find the girl had not wavered. Briggston made the seventh town they had stopped in and Audrey prayed that this town would be the one to hold the answers she so desperately sought. 

Casting one last glance at the clock, Audrey determined that she could no longer wait for Rodger and she went to the door.. Stepping in the hall, Audrey glanced both ways but found that she was alone.  Making her way down the carpeted staircase, Audrey saw a man enter the hotel lobby. 

The sight of him had her stopping her tracks. 

He was tall, around six and a half feet of broad, lean, trail hardened man. His dark hair was sticking out at messy angles beneath his sweat-stained leather hat and the same color hair covered his jaw and chin in a thick beard. There was a jagged scar upon his cheek that stuck out in sharp contrast beneath that scruff and his clothes were worn and dusty. 

The man glanced up and his eyes met hers. His eyes caused Audrey's breath to catch in her chest. Never had she seen a man with such brilliantly blue eyes. They were a different shade from Rodgers, whose eyes were nearly the color of ice. This man's eyes were closer to the shade of blue of the autumn sky when it was free of clouds and shining brilliantly against the orange and yellow leaves. 

Then, just as quickly as the man had looked at her, he scowled and averted his attention to the wiry man with thin-rimmed glasses at the desk. "Hello, Mr. Adams!" the concierge beamed. "How may I help you this morning?" 

"We're ready to check out," the man, Mr. Adams, replied. His voice was just as rough and sharp-edged as the rest of him. Audrey shivered as she came to stand behind him to await her turn to speak to the man at the desk. She could only imagine the type of man this was in front of her. He certainly seemed the bad sort--it was intriguing to sit and imagine just what he had seen in his life.

"Is the little lady feeling well enough to travel finally?" the man behind the counter inquired. 

Mr. Adam's grunted. "We wouldn't be checking out if she wasn't." 

Audrey hid a smile behind her hand as the hotel clerk became quite flustered and began shuffling papers. Apparently friendliness wasn't Mr. Adam's strong suit. She tended to appreciate people who were raw and true to who they were--even if that meant gruff and mean. At least they were honest and you knew what to expect from them. 

Unlike Rodger who seemed to be hiding something far more sinister than a friendly U.S. Marshall beneath his surface. 

"I'll need the key to your room and for you to sign here," the hotel clerk announced as he pointed to an empty space on the hotel registry. Mr. Adam's snatched up the dainty fountain pen in a massive, calloused hand and scribbled down a few markings before tossing the pen back onto the counter. He shoved his hand into his pocket and fished around a moment before tossing a brass key beside the discarded pen.