Page 7 of Safe With You

Chapter Four

The rain had slowed to a fine mist by the time they reached the southern edge of town, though Ethan figured it was only a brief lull. When he’d checked his weather app this morning, it had predicted rain showers throughout the late afternoon and evening and scattered thunderstorms. Maybe it would hold out just long enough to collect Katie’s things and settle her at home.

Two miles outside town, they pulled off the highway into the pothole-riddled parking lot of the Night’s Edge Motel. The place belonged in one of the serial killer documentaries Megan always talked about. How it saw enough business to stay open all these years left more questions than answers.

They pulled up in front of the room Katie indicated and got out. When she let them inside, Ethan cast a glance around. The room didn’t look like it had been updated since the seventies, with cheap wood paneling bowing out from walls and stained brown carpeting. The floral bedspread looked like something his grandparents might have had back in the day, and the reek of cigarettes infused every surface. Katie should never have had to deal with this on top of everything else. If only he’d known, he could have invited her to stay with his parents sooner. Not that he’d had any way to contact her. Though he’d thought about asking Grandma Ruby for her number over the years, if she had been in a place where she wanted to contact him, she would have.

Katie grabbed a suitcase from the floor and set it on the bed. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to change quick. Then I’ll have to go check out. That manager you mentioned does give me the creeps.” She rubbed her arms.

“Yeah, Johnny has that effect.” And Ethan wouldn’t put it past him to have let it slip that a single woman had rented the room. It left him cold to think Katie had stayed here alone last night. Thank God no one had come knocking.

Her shoulders drooped. “I’ll probably still get charged for the rest of the nights I booked.”

The dejection in her voice weighed on her entire being and sent a surge through Ethan’s chest. “You finish packing up. I’ll go talk to Johnny.”

She cast him a look of tired thankfulness that only reinforced his determination that she wouldn’t have to worry about money or anything else he could take care of as long as she stayed in Two Lakes.

Leaving her to pack, he stepped outside and scanned the parking lot. A beat-up blue Pontiac sat parked at the farthest door, but it was otherwise empty save for Katie’s car and Johnny’s old Dodge by the office.

No one greeted him when he entered the cluttered office space, so he rang the bell. While he waited, he leaned on the counter and turned enough to keep an eye on Katie’s door. Maybe he was paranoid and overly cautious, but he didn’t trust people these days. Especially not the sort Johnny attracted. At least one of Johnny’s friends had a sexual assault charge on his record, and Johnny himself was no saint around women.

A minute later, rustling drew Ethan’s attention, and Johnny stepped out of a back room. Skinny as a board and sporting scraggly long hair, one would guess his age to be around fifty even though he only had a year on Ethan—the result of alcohol and drug addictions that had started as far back as high school. Even when Ethan had gone through his rough patch during those years, he’d still had enough sense not to hang out around him.

Johnny eyed him over the counter. “What do you want?”

“Katie’s checking out early. Room 5.”

Johnny’s gaze darted past him, out the door toward Katie’s room. He sniffed. “As long as she pays for the nights she booked.”

Ethan straightened away from the counter. “Yeah, that isn’t going to happen. It will only be the one night.”

“That’s not how this works.”

“Come on, her grandma just died. She’s here for the funeral. Have a little sympathy.” He didn’t think Johnny would go for it, but it was worth a shot.

Sure enough, Johnny just snorted. “This is a business, not a charity house.”

If that was how he was going to be… “Let me ask you a question, Johnny. How would your other guests like it if an anonymous tip came in to the police about some sketchy goings on out here? I imagine having cops nosing around the place wouldn’t be good for business.”

Johnny’s eyes narrowed, something of a growl edging his voice. “Are you threatening me?”

Ethan kept his own tone light. “Of course not. I’m just having a hypothetical conversation. You never know who might drive by and get ideas about the sort of establishment you run.”

Johnny glared at him for a long moment before huffing. “Fine, I’ll only charge her for the one night.”

“Thank you. That’s very generous and thoughtful of you. What’s the total?”

Johnny shifted to the computer, grumbling what probably were actual threats under his breath. The monitor was still one of the large box-like ones, not a flat screen. “Fifty-nine forty.”

Ethan made a face and reached for his wallet. The room wasn’t worth that. Thankfully, he had just enough cash on hand. He didn’t trust Johnny or the motel’s computer system with his debit card.

“Here.” He laid the cash on the counter, glancing over his shoulder to Katie’s room.

When Johnny returned his change, he pocketed the coins and headed for the door. Outside, he had just about reached Katie’s room when her door opened, and she stepped out, lugging her suitcase. He crossed the last few feet between them and reached for it.

“Where do you want this?”

She handed it over readily. “Back seat is fine.”

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