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Mind whirring with how she could escape Styles’ attention to become the mystery woman again, Beth leaned back in her seat and sighed. “Sure. A night off would be wonderful.”
At the hotel, Beth paced up and down in her room. She needed to show at the Dancing Lady Saloon, so that the bartender spotted her and called Styles. If she didn’t, he’d be convinced the Tarot Killer was a woman and that would make her life considerably more dangerous. Right now, having an ambiguous persona suited her just fine. She changed into a leather jacket and pushed her hair under a black woolen cap. Before leaving, she ordered room service and then headed downstairs. Strolling out of the hotel she pulled on sunglasses and walked to a convenience store, went inside, and purchased a ton of candy. With her back to the CCTV camera, she slipped a burner phone from the display and took everything to the counter, hunching slightly to make herself look older, she leftand sprinted along the sidewalk. Back inside the hotel, she removed her temporary disguise and used the phone to book a cab to pick her up at the corner at eight. She’d just opened the door to room service when her phone chimed. “Agent Katz.”
“It’s me.”Styles laughed.“Don’t you look at your caller ID?”
Beth pulled out some bills from her pocket and handed them to the server. “Ah, yeah usually, but room service just delivered my dinner and I was searching my pockets for a tip. What’s up?”
“Nothing. I just updated the director with our progress.”Styles answered a knock on his door.“Hang on, my dinner has just arrived.”
Beth waited, hearing muted conversation. “What did he say?”
“He wants the evidence in detail and uploaded to the server ASAP. We’ll wait for Wolfe’s findings first. He was surprised Dryer was the killer, but he’s not making any excuses for the Tarot Killer. He feels much the same as we do. As in, what did we miss the Tarot Killer noticed?”Styles blew out a long breath.“Anyway, I’ll leave you to eat your meal. See you in the morning. Do you want me to call if the bartender contacts me or wait for the morning?”
Beth sighed. “Wait for the morning. I’m going to sleep right through. I’m exhausted.”
“Night.”Styles disconnected.
FORTY-EIGHT
Running a plan through her mind, Beth ate dinner so distracted she didn’t notice if the food was good or not. It filled her belly and gave her energy and that was all that mattered. Now every second counted. She pushed the tray outside into the passageway and attached ado not disturbsign on her door handle. She picked up her phone and called down to the desk. “I don’t want to be disturbed. Please hold any calls until eight in the morning.” She turned off her cellphone and left it beside the bed and checked the time. It didn’t take her long to morph into the mysterious woman, and finding another suitable pair of heels, carried them in one hand and slipped out of the door. Unconcerned about CCTV cameras, as the hotel didn’t have any apart from one on the front counter, but fully aware Styles could be walking the dog and meeting him at the elevator was too risky, she headed for the stairs. She took the fire exit from the hotel, pushed her feet into her heels, and walked the two blocks to an old redbrick building that offered apartments to rent. Five minutes later, a cab rolled to the curb, and she jumped inside. “Twenty-two Barn.”
The address was close to the Dancing Lady Saloon and she didn’t want anyone knowing her real destination, just in caseStyles got over-inquisitive. It was nine-thirty by the time she removed her jacket and walked inside. The Saloon was busy and karaoke night was in full swing. The bar was hot, and scents of perfume and male sweat mingled with beer hit her in a wall of stink. Wanting to be seen, she pushed her way through the crowd at the bar but didn’t get far before a smiling guy in a baseball cap moved alongside her. Surrounded by tall men, she had to elbow her way to the bar. The stranger stuck to her like glue.
“Can I buy you a drink?” The guy smiled at her. “Or do you have a lazy boyfriend who risks sending you into a pack of miners to get him a drink?”
Not wanting to touch anything and a glass would hold her fingerprints, which were on record, she took the golden opportunity. She kept to her Southern drawl like before and raised her voice over the noise of the music. “Thanks. Whatever you’re having will be fine.”
The stranger ordered two beers and pulled out a seat for her. She climbed onto the barstool. “I’m Sue. Thanks for the beer.” She didn’t touch the bottle but stared right into the face of the bartender, who gave her a nod and then walked to the other end of the bar.
“Josh.” He stood beside her giving her a slow once-over. “Do you sing?”
Smiling, Beth shook her head. “No, but I like being in a crowd of people.”
“Me too.” Josh took a long pull on his beer.
The bartender had help and the others moved up and down the counter serving the crush at the bar. The crowd was moving like ants over their nest, people changing places, getting drinks, and then moving away. She hoped the bartender had seen her and followed his back as he walked to the other end of the bar. Everything around her froze and her heart gave a jitter. Styleswas sitting at the bar staring right at her. She avoided eye contact, but panic gripped her when he got to his feet and tried to fight his way through the crowd to get to her. She waited precious seconds for a large man to move in beside her and turned to Josh. “Watch my beer. I need to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
“Sure.” Josh gave her a brilliant smile.
Pushing wildly through the crowd, Beth headed for the women’s bathroom. The passageway led to the bathroom and farther down a light shone over an exit sign. She made straight for it, her heels clicking on the tile. Throwing caution to the wind, she dragged off her short brown wig and stuffed it into her purse. Her long hair dropped over her shoulders. The reversable jacket, she’d worn, she turned inside out and pulled it back on. Carrying her shoes, she sprinted for the cab stand. She jumped inside and was whisked away into the darkness. As the vehicle hit the highway, she pulled out the burner phone, removed the SIM, and wiped it clean before tossing it out of the window.
“Ma’am.” The cab driver peered at her in the mirror. “You in any trouble? There’s been a vehicle following us since we left the saloon. He’s some ways back, but I took a back road and he was right on my tail.”
Swallowing hard, Beth turned in the seat and peered out the back window. In the distance she made out headlights, not close but some distance away. “Maybe leave the highway and go back onto it again just to be sure. I left the saloon because a guy was being a pest. I didn’t figure he’d follow me home. Maybe he’s the Night Creeper?”
“Okay, I can do that, but all these changes of directions will cost more.” The cab driver frowned. “You got the cash to pay for the ride?”
Starting to get frantic that Styles was on her tail, Beth nodded. “I’ll give you double, just keep me away from that creep.”
The cab took a few detours but the following lights stuck with them. Beth gripped the back of the seat in front of her. “He’s persistent. Any ideas?”
“Maybe cover up that hair and pull up your hood. I’ll drop you at the end of an alleyway. It’s close to the address you mentioned. It runs alongside the hotel. Maybe go in one door and out the other to avoid him.” He tossed her a black woolen cap from beside him. “Here, use this.”
Beth pulled her hair into a ponytail and pulled on the cap. She reversed her jacket again and pulled the hood over the cap. As they approached the hotel at high speed, she took bills out of her purse and thrust them at the driver. “Thanks.”
The cab slowed and stopped just long enough for her to leap from the vehicle. As Beth hightailed it down the alleyway, heart thundering in her chest, she chanced a glance behind her. The lights of the following vehicle hadn’t turned the corner yet. She threw herself into the side entrance of the hotel and stood panting for a few seconds before peering both ways along the passageway to the stairs. Taking off at a run, she thrust open the door and, taking the steps two at a time, ran back to her floor. She opened the door a crack just as the elevator pinged its arrival. Frozen in place, she stared through the crack in the door as Styles walked out of the elevator and down to her room. Panic had her by the throat as he stared at her door for a few agonizing seconds before shaking his head and heading to his room.
As Beth put one hand on the door to push it open, Styles’ door opened again and he walked out with Bear at his side and went to wait for the elevator. When the dog’s head turned her way, Beth sprinted back down the stairs to the floor below. Behind her the sound of Bear’s bark sounded like a hurricanesiren. She burst into the passageway and went to the elevators. One was going down and she pressed the buttons like a woman possessed on the one going up. The doors opened and she fell inside, riding the elevator to her floor. Holding her breath as the doors hissed open, she looked both ways. The floor was empty and she made it inside her room in seconds.
