AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When the double automatic doors opened, a group of uniformed men and women filed past him pulling roll-aboards toward a waiting van. Flight crew, Rudkowski figured. Their departure left the lobby empty.
The receptionist greeted him as he approached the check-in desk. “Good afternoon, sir.”
“Hi.” He produced his badge and gave the young woman time to read his name on his ID. “It’s pronounced just like it’s spelled, short u. I need to speak to the manager, please.”
“She’s at lunch. She left me in charge.”
He leaned across the counter and read her name tag. “Ms. Li?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m here to ask about a guest—”
“Special Agent Easton?”
Rudkowski scowled. “How’d you know?”
“Because he’s the only FBI agent I’ve checked in.” She beamed a smile. “He’d be hard to forget anyway, because he was so nice.”
Rudkowski wanted to grind his teeth. “Yeah. Hell of a guy.”
“Are you—”
He cut her off. “I’ll ask the questions, Ms. Li. If you don’t mind.”
Her warm smile turned cooler. She bobbed her head.
“How many nights did he stay?”
“He didn’t.”
“He checked in but didn’t stay?”
“They were here for only a couple of hours. But Mr. Easton paid for a full day.”
“‘They’? Did he bring a woman?”
“Nothing like that,” she said, her lips pursing primly. “He was here for a
meeting with two associates.”
“Mallory and Lewis?”
“I didn’t get their names.”
“Was one of them a fat guy, face like a bulldog?”
Seeming to be offended by the description, she said, “He was…heavyset. Not a handsome man.”
“Not handsome and nice like Agent Easton.”
She didn’t say anything to that, only looked at him with unblinking eyes.
He asked, “What about the third man?”
“I don’t remember him very well.”
Gif Lewis, Rudkowski thought. That guy faded into the woodwork. Rudkowski worried his lower lip between his teeth. “Easton used a credit card?”
