Bloodline (Sue Thomas FBEye)

Bloodline - Chapter Two

The brave smile Sue offered him didn't dim the tears shining in her eyes.

"At the first sign of trouble, promise me you'll leave the cabin." The gun he left on the night table was a poor substitute for his presence, and they both knew it.

"I won't take chances, I promise." She played with a button of his shirt. "You need to go. And don't forget to call me when you stop alongside the road."

"I'll make lots of stops, and I won't forget the code, so you know it's me calling you. I love you."

Heart-wrenched, Jack indulged in one last kiss in the doorway before leaving her cabin at dawn.

Arms crossed over her chest, Mrs. Baxter was standing on the porch of the main building.

"If it isn't Agent Stud Muffin. Your car hasn't moved from last night. Step in and sign in, please. It's $50 extra a night for each additional guest."

"Fifty?" The woman had to be associated with the local racketeer, though her sense of observation might come handy. "Add the amount to the credit card on file. Listen, I need a—"

Backtrack, Stud Muffin. She ain't paying for you to keep her up all night. That'll be cash, debit or credit. Your credit card. And don't give me the bad wife story. I've heard every version of it."

The woman had missed her vocation, she should have been a writer.

"I'm not married, but I'm secretly seeing Sue, so could we keep this under wraps?"

"Credit cards keep my lips sealed." From behind the counter, she extended her hand. "I'm not getting any younger here."

He relinquished his Visa card.

"How many nights are you planning on secretly showing up?"

"Last night only. I have to get back to work."

"Ain't that sad." She rolled her eyes as she swiped the card into a pad. "If by any chance you end up with a night off, don't forget to stop by for the payment."

If he didn't, he had the feelings she might get his car towed away.

"Sue needs her privacy this week. You can't knock on her door or talk to her, is that clear, Mrs. Baxter?"

"But what if there's something wrong?"

Were these genuine concerns he perceived? He pulled a business card from his pocket. "This is my number. I carry my cell phone with me at all times. If you see anyone approaching her cabin, if you notice anything unusual, if you're worried about something, as trivial as it may sound, please, call me. Day or night, call me right away."

She tucked the card inside her V-neck. "Anything else?"

"A list of your employees would be nice."

"My... nevermind," she grumbled as she reached for a pen. "Would you also like their sign of the Zodiac?"

The woman was a force to reckon with.

"Have you hired anyone new recently?"

"Yes. Tyler. Three winters ago. He replaced his uncle Charles who drank to death. Why?"

"Simple curiosity." Why did he have the feeling that checking the names would be an exercise in futility? "Thank you."

"Not so fast, Stud Muffin." She presented him with a second sheet of paper. "Add your name to the registration and sign."

If a copy of that registration form ever surfaced at the Bureau, he'd better be prepared to defend his actions and his job.

***