Page 24 of Smuggler's Cove
As she approached the hotel, she took in a few deep breaths and centered herself. They had no idea who she was or from whom she was running. Not yet, anyway.
She walked into the lobby with her head held high. The concierge greeted her. “Good afternoon, Miss. May I help you?”
Madison gave him her winning smile. There was no sign of dismay on her face. “Good afternoon. I would like to see if you have two rooms available for the remainder of the week.”
“Certainly. This way, please.” He walked her over to the front desk. “Miss?” He waited for Madison to respond. She was not sure what name she should use. But she really had no choice. The credit card said Gwen Taylor.
“Miss Madison Taylor. A room for me and my brother Lincoln.” She wondered how long it would take the hotel staff to put the pieces together.Never,she hoped. “We would like to stay until Friday and then return Sunday evening. Is that possible?”
The clerk behind the front desk typed a few things into her computer. “We have availability for the next four nights. When do you think you will be returning? Afternoon? Evening?”
“Whichever is most convenient,” Madison said. She was at the hotel’s mercy at the moment. The trains ran regularly, so transportation would not be an issue.
“Check-in is at three o’clock, but we can put you in for a later arrival if that is more convenient for you.”
“Let’s say six?” Madison calculated the train ride in her head. Plus, she would need time with her grandparents to sort things out as much as possible. Hopefully, her mother would make contact by then, as well.
“Absolutely.” The associate typed a few things into the system.
“We would also like to check our luggage with the bell captain, if possible. We are visiting our grandparents for only two nights and don’t need to bring everything with us.”
“Not a problem. When you check out on Friday, just ask the bellman to take your things to the captain. You can pick up the ticket on your way out.”
Madison was relieved. She was able to buy ten days of shelter. At least she had some of the bases covered. For now. She knew she could depend on Lincoln to be level-headed and proactive. Even though he was not as much of an extrovert as his sister, he had strength and stamina. More importantly, he had integrity. And so did she. They would muddle through this together, regardless of where their mother was now. It did not matter if all they had left were the shirts on their backs. Madison knew her mother would never abandon them. At least not emotionally. Considering what was going on, that was a plus, especially since she did not know the finer points of the situation.
The woman behind the desk finally looked up. “Would you like the bellman to bring your bags to the room?”
“I do not have them with me. I will be picking them up this afternoon.”
The clerk did not flinch. Many people would check in without luggage and have it delivered later. Or never. It depended whether it was a legitimate guest, or a clandestine meeting of a highly paid executive and an “escort,” as they wish to be called.
The associate handed Madison the key. “Do you want to take the key for your brother’s room, as well? I have both of you checked in right now.”
“Yes, that will be fine. Thank you.” Madison checked her watch again. Another two and a half hours to go.
“Would you like someone to see you to your room?” the woman asked.
Madison smiled. “No, thank you. I believe I can find it.”
“Enjoy your stay,” the clerk called out as Madison walked toward the elevators.
Their rooms were on the twelfth floor. If the press were in the lobby, and Madison and Lincoln had to sneak out of the hotel, they could take the elevator to a lower floor and then use the stairs.But how would the media know where they were staying?It took less than an instant for Madison to realize they might be swarming the front of the apartment building at this very moment. Even though she was only nine years old at the time, she remembered a big hubbub about one of her father’s acquaintances. The man’s name was Boesky, and he’d been arrested for insider trading. She didn’t know what it meant at the time but read about it when she was in high school. She also remembered how her father was on edge for a while. But then again, he was always either on edge, reticent, or invisible.
When she got to her room, she found a plush robe hanging in the closet. So far, it was the highlight of her day. Or was it the hot dog? It dawned on her that the men selling bootlegged handbags were no worse than her father. That is, if what he was accused of was true. In her heart, she believed it was. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the thoughts she was having about her father. He was an enigma. It was due to the things he was doing in the shadows, which included cheating on her mother. Unfortunately, his affairs were not the big secret he tried to hide.Men can be so stupid.Or was it arrogance? Most likely the latter.
Madison turned on the shower and opened the small bottles of BVLGARI shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. The warm water streamed over her body, cleansing the street dirt and the emotional dirt from her being. If only she had purchased a new outfit when she stopped at the department store. After her shower, she blew out her shoulder-length hair and pulled it back in a ponytail. She hung her clothes on the back of the bathroom door and ran the shower again, hoping the steam would freshen her clothes. At least she would smell good when she met up with the U.S. Marshal. Not that it mattered what he thought. It was simply something she always tried to manage. Put on a good appearance, even if it is just for your own sake and self-esteem.
Madison realized her clothes were beginning to get damp from all the steam and began to run the blow-dryer up and down her pants.This has been some kind of day. And it ain’t over yet,she mused.
Again, she checked her watch. She’d managed to tick off another hour. She had ninety minutes to go before she met up with Lincoln. It would take about that long if she wanted to walk the three miles to the soon-to-be former apartment. She’d probably be a sweaty mess by the time she got there. Maybe she’d walk through SoHo and then grab a cab. But then again, maybe not. She had to be careful of how she spent her money until she knew exactly how much there was left. She checked her wallet, found a few MTA tokens, and decided she would take the bus uptown and then walk across town. That should get her there in plenty of time with a few minutes to spare.
She checked herself in the mirror. She was beginning to look increasingly like her mother. Some said Gwen resembled Jessica Lange. Madison could live with that. She remembered one night they were playing “Who do you look like?” and her brother was flagged as Jeff Daniels, who had recently starred in the filmPleasantville, but Lincoln preferred Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. Madison responded with a sarcastic, “You’ll get over it, when you realize how dumb that is.”
It also occurred to her they had not included their father in the game. It was because they rarely got a good look at him. She snickered. But if she had to choose someone, it would be Jeff Bridges. It was not a secret that her father was handsome. That, along with his charm, is what got them into this fine mess.
As she walked to the bus stop, she kept looking over her shoulder, waiting to be accosted by some hungry journalist looking for a juicy story. She realized she was being paranoid, but she saw how the press could take over people’s lives. No wonder so many celebrities paid people to keep them out of the paper. Yet, there were those who paid loads of money to make sure they were always in print.What a world.
There weren’t many people on the bus, and she managed to get a seat. She perused the crowd and wondered how many of them were happy. Worried? Anxious? Angry? Content? Madison looked at one woman who sat with a bag on her lap. The woman was expressionless.Was she sad?Madison wondered. Whenever she and Lincoln were bored, they would make up stories about other people around them. People they did not know. If they were at a restaurant, Lincoln would lean in and whisper something outrageous, such as, “They’re private detectives pretending to be husband and wife while they tail a cheating husband.” Or, “Bank robbers stopping for a bite to eat to throw off the police.” Madison would howl. Lincoln was the quiet one, yet always had something witty to say when no one else was paying attention. She wondered what kind of mood he was going to be in today.
