The pick up, p.3
The Pick-Up, page 3
“No, we wouldn’t want to embarrass the people you’re meeting with the homeless kid that smells like week-old onions and shit.”
“You don’t smell like shit,” Hanna said.
“Gee, thanks.” Kate threw hands onto her lap, her palms up, frustrated. “You’re the first person to treat me decently.”
Hanna felt the sharp twinge in her heart.
“I’m glad,” she said. “I mean, I’m glad I gave you a break from all the crazies out there.”
“I thought...I was hoping...”
“I cannot take you with me.”
“Why not? I promise I won’t be in the way.”
“Oh, you’ll be in the way,” Hanna said, nodding and almost guffawing.
Anger returned to Kate’s face. Her fists tightened around her bag.
“Well, fuck you, then,” she said, opening the door.
Hanna gasped and watched the kid step out and slam the door closed.
“Have fun at where ever the fuck you’re going,” Kate screamed. She stuck her middle finger at Hanna and spat at the car. “Fuck you!”
Hanna shook her head and shifted the car into drive. She didn’t see what direction Kate walked in, instead of concentrating on driving onto the jug handle, mixing with the traffic, and turning onto 9. Once clear in front of her, she pressed the gas and created as much distance from Kate as possible. But the scent of onions remained, no matter the distance she created.
Chapter 8
Hanna took Route 9 to Jersey City. She found the Hudson Garden Hotel on the south side. It wasn’t much of a hotel. Not like the other travel lodges on 9. This was a one-level building that could use a serious upgrade or at least a new yellow paint job. It was shaped like a U, the opening on the side and the doors to the rooms in the cul-de-sac. The rear of the rooms with their barred windows faced the road and enforced the rundown effect. The tiled sign stood proud on a rock and weed patch of land between the building and the asphalt and promised free HBO, mirrored ceilings, and Wi-Fi. None of which appealed to Hanna.
She parked her SUV in the lot with the few other cars and trucks. Even though the sun was setting, the heat still felt oppressive. She sluggishly walked to the office where she found no relief. The heat was just as oppressive, made even worse by the fact that no windows were open. The construction was too old for central air vents. All it had was a small plastic fan on the counter aimed at the man sitting behind it. He was a few inches shorter than Hanna and wore a blue pattern short sleeve shirt with sweat stains on the pits and jeans. Even though he had the fan on his face, sweat dripped from his thick, wavy, gray hairline.
“Hello, and welcome to the Hudson Garden Hotel,” he said with bored perfection. “How can I help you?”
Hanna stepped up to the counter and hoped that some of the breeze from the fan would hit her. It didn’t.
“I’d like a room, please,” she said.
“Just you checking in?” he asked, off the script and now sounding like he was raised in New York.
“Yes, why?”
“Price is different.”
Hanna nodded.
“Just me. For three nights.”
“Do you have a reservation?”
“No. I didn’t think I would need one.”
“Most people don’t. Let’s see what I got here.”
The man stepped to his computer and typed at the keyboard.
“All the singles are occupied,” he said.
“A double-bed is fine. I can take turns on each one.”
He snickered. Maybe he imagined her having sex on each bed. Hanna wondered if the mirrors on the ceiling covered both mattresses.
“You can have room 5,” he said. “It has a great view of the wonderful highway.”
“Fine.”
He named the price for three nights. “I’ll need to see your driver’s license and registration.”
“What’s the registration for?”
“For your license plate and make of the car. I write it down so I don’t tow it away. A lot of jerks like to park in the lot and run off to the stores.”
Hanna hadn’t recalled any stores on 9. Only hotels, car repair, and industrial businesses. Maybe there were some farther up.
She passed him her fake license and the registration from the car rental place. He typed the information in and handed them back to her. She placed the cash in fifties on the counter. The fact didn’t seem to bother him. People probably paid cash here all the time, not wanting to leave a digital trail.
“Need a receipt, Miss Doyle?” he asked, slipping the cash into a cash box.
“Sure,” she said. “For your protection.”
The man snickered again and wrote one out for her with a uniform receipt pad.
“There you go. You can turn left out the door and find the room a few doors down,” he said. “So you know, the pool is out of order right now. We had a little incident and I have to get it cleaned.”
“Incident?” she asked, pocketing her cards and receipt.
His mouth pressed into an upside-down U as he considered his next words. “I guess it would be okay to tell you. You seem like a strong broad.”
Hanna’s right brow went up.
“We had an accident two nights ago. It resulted in a guest dying. In the pool.”
“I see. Murdered?”
“They’re not sure yet.”
“Thanks for telling me. For a dumb shlub, you’re okay.”
He smiled wide. “Hey, thanks. If you need anything, let me know on the phone. Just press 0 and ask for Sonny. That’s me.”
“Thanks, Sonny. I sure will.”
Hanna flashed him a smile and left the office.
“Enjoy your stay,” Sonny called out.
Chapter 9
Carrying her bag, she entered the cul-de-sac and passed the fenced-in, below-ground pool that was in desperate need of a cleaning. The algae and bug mix that floated on top reflected the sun into her eyes. No way it turned like this because someone died in it. Or was the person dead for months and hiding under the dirty surface?
The condition was not so severe that it scared the guests away from it. A couple both wearing bathing suits relaxed with complete abandon on plastic lounge chairs beyond the fence. Both middle-aged, they wore the skimpiest suits. The woman with dyed blond hair dared a yellow bikini perfect for a skinny model but not for her tan body rolls that overwhelmed the strings holding it together. At least the matching straw hat looked good on her.
The hairy man in a yellow speedo showed off his belly and breasts. Navy tattoos covered his biceps and his black hair, too dark for his pale skin, was slicked back from his head with either pomade or sweat. Hanna hoped it wasn’t pool water. Would someone be so crazy to swim in that cesspool?
The woman lowered her Woman’s Day magazine and waved to Hanna as she passed. Hanna nodded back but refused to smile. She didn’t want to send a friendly signal towards strangers. When that happened, they would come to her room and maybe ask her to dinner or share a beer at the pool of death.
The woman didn’t seem to mind the nod. She went back to her magazine. The husband glanced at his wristwatch.
An awning traveled around the edge of the building, creating shade for those who made it to their room. Hanna took out her key and opened the door. Walking in, she glanced back at the couple. The man aimed his face in her direction. He wore sunglasses so she couldn’t tell if he was staring at her. But there was nothing else interesting to see, so what else could he be looking at? Playing casual, Hanna entered the room and twisted both locks.
The inside of the room was surprisingly decent. A double bed with clean sheets, a wooden dresser with a few scratches, a 52-inch television attached to the wall and facing the bed (the remote was nowhere in sight), and polished mirrors over the bed. Hanna stretched out under them and chuckled. It seemed that most of the work went into the mirrors. The edges of each pain blended smoothly together.
Feeling fresh sweat break out on her skin, Hanna walked over to the AC unit installed under the large thick-curtained window. She pressed the stiff red button in the control panel and the machine ground to a start. Whatever they used to make this old machine that reminded her of when she was a little girl didn’t ease after warming up. It continued to grind metal, release a few gasps, and push liquid.
The bathroom seemed acceptable. Any grime that covered the porcelain at one point was now stained in deep and would never be cleaned out. A clear plastic shower curtain covered the small tub. She parted the cloth curtain that covered the small window. The glass was clear, giving her a view through the bars. As promised, the highway was on the other side and beyond that the rock wall that defined the Heights of Jersey City.
Hanna returned to the room. The Little Air-Conditioner That Could started to chill the room. At this point, she didn’t mind if it was warm, as long as it could take away the humidity.
Since the comfort level was up, she decided to search the room. She opened her bag and took out a small toolbox. This one was going to be tough. Unlike others that she had been in there were no tiles in the ceiling. She ripped up the corners of the carpeting and found concrete underneath. All the walls were solid. None of the bathroom tiles were loose but she was sure she would find more concrete if they were.
Exhausted and hopeless, she dropped on the bed and stared up at her reflection in the ceiling mirrors. They indeed covered both beds. Composed of four panes.
The mirrors.
Standing on the mattress and holding the screwdriver, she unscrewed the frame of one section. Carefully sliding it out and laying it down on the bed, she discovered that there was a foot of space in the ceiling.
There was also a camera set-up.
That sneaky son of a bitch.
Hanna smiled and shook her head. She wasn’t surprised. Was Sonny watching her now in his office? Perhaps he was shitting in his pants, scared that she would storm in and scream about the invasion of her privacy. Maybe Hanna would call the cops?
No. She planned on doing no such thing. Instead, she grabbed a pair of wire-cutters and snipped the feed. No way he would complain to her. She imagined Sonny kissing her ass for the rest of her stay to keep Hanna’s silence.
Chapter 10
“Anyplace I can get something to eat around here?” Hanna asked.
Sonny stood up from his chair and leaned against the counter. If he was at all nervous about Hanna’s discovery of the camera in her room, he made no sign of it. He smiled, almost leering, and shifted his eyes in thought.
“Oh, sure. There’s a sports bar just up the road at the corner of Manhattan. Right next to it is a D and D.”
“Less than a mile?” she asked.
“Walking distance. Sometimes I go to the D and D on my break.”
Hanna knocked on the counter and made her way back to the door.
“Thanks, Sonny.”
“Hey, the room okay?” he asked.
Hanna opened the door, ready to step out into the night-filled lot, and said, “Yeah, it’s fine.”
“Good,” he said. “I’m glad it’s fine.”
Hanna winked at him, making Sonny’s smile fracture, and left the hotel office.
It was too hot to walk so Hanna got into her SUV, blasted the AC, and drove to the sports bar. Luckily, it was on the south side of the highway and she didn’t have to search for a jug handle.
The Domino Sports Bar was a two-level building lit up as if it wanted to be someplace in Vegas. The lot was already filled but she found as spot as someone pulled out. Inside, the noise was pumped up to the max. 90s House music blasted out of the speakers, competing with the patrons sitting at the many bars and tables communicating with each other and watching the many televisions that hung from the ceiling. Each set played a different channel that either showed a sports game or commentators sitting at desks talking about a game that happened or was about to happen.
The hostess, a woman around Hanna’s age who wore Daisy Duke shorts and a black halter, tried to persuade Hanna into sitting at the bar since she was alone. Various types of men lined the bars. Only a handful of women seemed to be there and each one with a man. Hanna would be a worm on a hook if she ate there.
Hanna screamed back, “I had a long drive. I’m tired and I don’t want to fight off assholes.”
The hostess sneered, making her look ugly even though she wore so much make-up to prevent it, and yanked a plastic-encased menu from the shelf. She crooked a finger at Hanna and lead her to a table.
Oddly, despite the crowd, the hostess found a booth that faced the bad side of the building. No view of the highway or the parking lot, only the business next door. An old two-level house shaped like a box that was converted into a roofing and siding company. Hanna didn’t mind. As long as she was off the radar of some thirsty jerk. All she wanted to do now was eat a big meal since she lost her chicken sandwich to the homeless girl, go back to her room to work on a puzzle, and fall asleep.
After she ordered a cob salad and water with lemon, she stared out the window and dazed out into the dark. This time tomorrow she would be making the pick-up for the package and then she would leave the next day in the middle of the night. So far the job had been going smoothly. Except for that one hitch this afternoon with Kate but that was quickly resolved.
She couldn’t help but wonder where the girl was now. Maybe she made her way closer to the shore. Maybe she was already there and she befriended her way into a group of kids like her.
The jab that Kate gave Hanna still stung. She wasn’t lying when she said she was homeless at her age. She also understood about finding someone who gave a shit. It was gold. Unlike Kate, all she found was constant predators and assholes. People who looked down on her and thought that, since no one else cared about her, she must be trash. She found no salvation. Not even with the cops who turned out to be pussy hounds. God, she hated that feeling. To discover that the people in blue uniforms were paid to help and protect you were exactly like everyone else but worse. Who do you ask for help after that?
“Fuck,” Hanna said into her hands and rubbed her face. Guilt dripped into her heart. But what the hell could she have done. She was on an assignment. She had a job to do. A potentially dangerous job. If Hanna got busted then Kate would be dragged into it. The cops might even send her home to her germaphobe father.
God, what was she thinking? Really? She would have brought Kate along on the job? The hunger in her belly must have been working on her brain.
Thankfully, the Cobb salad arrived. As empty as she felt, she took her time and tried complete the large bowl of meat and vegetables. She hoped that an evenly filled stomach would ease her to sleep later.
After a cup of decaf and ignoring men glancing and smiling at her from their tables, Hanna paid her check with cash and left the Domino. She returned to the humid heat and walked to her SUV, her key ready in her hand.
A girl screamed.
Hanna followed it to a red Firebird on the highway side of the lot. The passenger door was open and a young woman laid on the asphalt as if she fell out. A sinking feeling in her gut exploded when she saw that the woman was not a woman but a teen with blue/silver hair, jeans, and a purple tank with a rainbow unicorn on it.
“No way,” Hanna said.
Kate scrambled onto her feet. The driver of the running Firebird came around the front to her. Another coincidence popped up. He was the middle-aged guy she saw at the pool when she checked in. Now, he wore a dark suit and gray shirt. His black tie swung side so side over his belly as he stomped.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he barked. “You trying to kill yourself?”
Kate slung her bag over her shoulder and headed for the highway, ignoring the middle-aged man. He didn’t like to be ignored.
“Hey,” he said, grabbing her arm and twisting her around. “I’m talking to you. Where do you think you’re going?”
“Get your fucking hands off me,” Kate shouted. “I’m getting the fuck away from you? Are you that stupid?”
A few people moving in and out of the Domino lot glanced at them, smiling, snickering, maybe thinking a father and daughter were fighting. They didn’t give it much thought and Hanna doubted anyone would call the police.
Still holding her forearm, the man jerked it down, twisting it, almost pulling it from its socket. Kate shouted in surprise.
“Let go! You’re hurting me,” she whimpered.
“You give me my money back and then I’ll let you go. Huh?”
“Fuck you and your money.”
The response was unacceptable.
“No,” he said. “We’ll fuck you.”
Still holding her arm down, making her slouch to find relief, he pulled her back to his car.
Crying, Kate had no choice but to follow or snap her arm off at the shoulder.
Hanna squinted. Her hands tightened. With her car key in hand, she crossed the lot to them and stifled her anger.
“Everything okay here?” she asked, smiling.
The man stopped them at the open passenger door of his red Firebird. Maybe it was the distance back at the pool or maybe it was too dark now, but the man didn’t seem to recognize her. Kate did. Her face blushed in embarrassment.
“What do you want?” he asked. “Huh?”
Hanna shrugged.
“Looks like you two are having a problem. Thought I could help out.”
“No,” he said in disbelief. “We are not having a problem. You always interrupt private moments between a man and his woman?”
Hanna smirked.
“She is not your woman. I don’t know where your woman is. Probably back in the hotel waiting for you to come back from where ever she thinks you’re at.”
He frowned at her, peered, still not recognizing her. Maybe he was drunk. “You mind your business.” He turned to Kate and steered her to the doorway of the car, blocking her view of Hanna. “You, get inside.”
