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“Just so. It will take the day to clear.” Gunther shrugged.
Xavier grunted, “Shit. Okay, so you have a friend we can stay with?”
Allegra’s shoulders bunched tighter. She didn’t want to put anyone else in danger. “Um, maybe that’s not the best idea,” she murmured. “With these men looking for us…”
“She’s right,” Xavier agreed. “As much as we need help, we don’t want to bring trouble to anyone else’s door. We feel bad enough about involving you, Gunther.”
“It is fine. My friend has a guest house.”
“Is very nice.” Lena smiled.
“Okay then. I guess that will work.” Xavier looked at Allegra who nodded and finally put the toiletries on the counter.
Lena rang them up and added them to the bags of clothing. “Here you—”
“Shit,” Xavier said as his body jerked to attention. “Do you have a back way out?”
Allegra glanced toward the door. Two men in white ski jackets were climbing out of an SUV. Her knees buckled and she steadied herself with a hand on the counter.
“No.” Lena shook her head.
“You must hide.” Gunther took the bag. “I will put this in my truck. Meet me at my friend’s place. Lena will tell you the way.”
He turned and made for the door.
Xavier looked at Lena. “Any ideas?”
“The changing rooms?” she suggested. "I will hide your old clothes." She dropped Allegra's coat, skirt and top into a bag and shoved it under the counter.
“Changing rooms are too obvious,” Xavier said. “There’s got to be somewhere we can hide.”
Allegra looked around the store. Then it hit her. The racks of clothing were round. There was space in the middle. Her mom used to talk about hiding in them whenhermother took her shopping. “The clothing racks. The ones with the long coats. Get in the middle.” She ran to the closest one, parted the coats, and then dove inside. Turning she grabbed Xavier’s hand and yanked him inside the circle. Then she adjusted the coats to cover the hole they’d made. She yanked him into a squat just as the bell above the door sounded.
“Hello,” a male voice said.
Lena was silent but she must have done some sort of greeting because then the voice said, “We’re looking for some friends. A man and a woman. We think they might have come in here. Have you seen anyone today?” He had an accent but it wasn’t the same as the people in the town. It sounded more Austrian to her. She’d been living there for the last few months and was starting to recognize it.
“No,” Lena said. “The road is closed. Today is just local people.”
“I see,” the voice said. “Do you mind if my friend and I look around?”
“Of course. There is a rack of sale merchandise at the front of the shop.” Good on Lena. She was directing the men away from where Allegra and Xavier were scrunched down.
The sound of their boots on the floor came closer. Allegra’s heart slammed against her ribcage.Guess they weren’t interested in a sale. A fine sheen of sweat broke out on her back. She glanced at Xavier who was nestled in beside her. He squeezed her hand. She squeezed back.
The men split up as they walked by the rack of coats. She could tell by the thud of their boots on the floor that one man was on either side of them. She held her breath, sure that at any moment they would part the coats and see her and Xavier but the footsteps continued behind them. One set went toward the room that was off the main one and the other went toward the dressing rooms. Doors opened as someone checked each one.
Then the boots came back to the middle of the room. The two men seemed to meet beside their rack once more. They spoke quietly to one another in what sounded like German but it was hard to tell. Then they walked back toward the counter.
“Thanks for letting us check. Here is my number. Please call if they show up. It is very important.”
“I will call,” Lena said.
The bell above the door rang and the sound of more voices reached Allegra. Women’s voices. They were chattering away. Locals probably. They called a greeting to Lena and then kept chattering as they moved closer to the clothing rack.
Allegra stared at Xavier. If the women moved the coats they would be in for a huge surprise. She squeezed his hand hard. He gave a slight nod but she knew there was nothing he could do. The woman stopped at a rack next to theirs and kept chatting.
She heard boots on the floor moving away from them and then the bell above the door tinkled. Allegra let out the breath she’d been holding. At least the men weren’t in the store anymore. Now they just had to wait for the women to leave and then they’d be in the clear. For now. That was a chilling thought.
