Page 62 of Trust No One

“Unless she went back later,” Mel said. “I’m gonna fast forward through this tape until we see someone else.”

Mel scrolled through the video until she spotted the elevator doors opening. She slowed down when she saw a woman step into the hallway. She wore jeans and a tee shirt and clutched a key card in one hand and a small bag in the other. After looking both ways, she stepped up to Mel’s door, inserted the key card and entered the room.

The door closed behind her, and Mel monitored the time she was in her room. And Dev’s as well.

Less than five minutes later, she stepped back into the hall. She faced the camera directly, and Mel saw olive skin and black hair twisted into a bun on top of her head. Why had she looked at the camera? Did shewantto be seen? Was she nervous about whoever had hired her for the job?

The woman drew a shuddering breath and pushed the elevator down button. She stepped inside and the door slid closed.

Mel pulled up the feed from the first floor, then waited for thirty seconds. The elevator door opened, and the woman stepped into the hall and hurried toward the back door.

Mel pulled up the feed from the back parking lot. Moments later, she saw the woman exit the hotel and get into a familiar silver Toyota sedan. As soon as she was in the car, Kingsley appeared in profile as he peeled out of the parking lot.

Dev put the car in gear, but Mel held up her hand. “Wait.”

She pulled up the video from the parking lot and saw the car turn left onto the highway in front of the hotel. Heading back toward D.C.

“Go the same way,” she said, typing furiously. “They can’t be too far ahead of us if they put a bug in our car.”

Finally she was in the surveillance system for DC, and she scrolled through it quickly, looking for Kingsley’s car. She found it a couple of miles ahead of them, on the same road.

“Keep following him,” she said.

As Dev crept closer to Kingsley’s car, she saw his vehicle several cars in front of them. When the car turned left, she said, “Left up here. Then slow down. Looks like a neighborhood. We don’t want to get too close to Kingsley.”

The silver sedan slowed down when they reached a neighborhood park. There was a playground and a basketball court, both run-down. Paint peeling, black scuff marks on the bottom of the backboard, the glitter of broken glass scattered over the court. But the park was deserted at this time of day.

Dev pulled the car around a corner and parked. Then they both got their guns and stepped out of the car.

By the time they reached the entrance that Kingsley and the woman had taken, the woman was backed up against the basketball backboard. Hidden from anyone on the street. Kingsley slid a gun from beneath his jacket and pointed it at her chest.

As the young woman edged away, Mel heard Kingsley say, “Thank you for helping me out. Unfortunately, our partnership has to end.”

The woman turned and ran hard for the gate, twenty feet away.

As Kingsley turned and aimed at her, Dev ran silently up behind him. As Kingsley’s finger tightened on the trigger of his gun, he must have heard something, because he began to turn his head. Before he could see who was behind him, Dev used his gun’s grip to slam the weapon into Kingsley’s temple.

Kingsley collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

Dev re-holstered his gun as Mel ran toward the woman. Grabbed her by the shoulders as she tried to squirm free.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

The woman reared back, her eyes huge, her expression terrified, and finally drew in a quivering breath. Nodded slowly.

“Did he hurt you?” Mel asked.

“No,” the young woman said, her mouth trembling. “He was supposed to pay me one hundred dollars to break into a room and leave two little devices.”

“But he didn’t pay you, right?”

“No. He said he’d pay when we got to the bus station. But he stopped here instead of the bus station.”

Dev came up beside her, holding Kingsley’s wallet. He opened it and Mel glimpsed a thick stack of bills. He removed them and counted them quickly. “Almost a thousand dollars.” He handed the cash to the woman. “Here. Take it. He owes you more than this.”

“Do you have zip cuffs?” Mel asked.

Dev patted his back pocket. “Always. Never know when you’ll need ‘em.”

---