Page 36 of Tinsel Time Treasure
As soon as he made it to the bedroom we began our part. Annie started walking around the living room as if she was just dealing with nervous energy, while Grace and I discussed the costs of Justin staying in a hotel.
“Honey?” Grace asked. “Could you get me a glass of water?”
Annie nodded and left, returning a moment later with the requested drink.
It was only a couple of minutes before Annie turned to me, and I could tell even before she spoke that her detector had gone off.
“We should discuss options other than a hotel,” she stated.
It was our key-phrase. She’d explained that there were things that could give false-positives, but would do her best to eliminate them.
That she’d decided so quickly was concerning.
I stood. “I’ll go check on Justin.”
She nodded and took a seat next to Grace.
I walked down the hall and knocked on the bedroom door. When Justin didn’t answer I pushed it open and saw him sitting on the bed, suitcase open beside him.
“Hey…” I said softly as I stepped in. “You ok?”
He licked his lips and laughed sarcastically. “Just peachy.”
I looked around, but the only place to sit was the bed. So I walked over and knelt in front of him.
Our script was that I was supposed to take him back to the living room to brainstorm, but I was also supposed to find him packing, not just sitting on the bed.
“It’s not going to be enough, is it?” he asked softly.
“What?”
“Staying at a hotel for a few days.”
I shook my head, my heart breaking at his tone. He was sticking to the script somehow, even as he seemed to be falling apart again. “No. You really should think about a longer-term option.”
He closed his eyes and nodded.
“Do you need help packing?”
“No, but… could you stay in here with me?”
“Ok.”
I shifted from kneeling to sitting, hoping that my presence was enough support.
Justin was silent for a couple minutes, then he stood and crossed to the dresser.
“I can come back in with you another time if you just want to grab enough for a couple days,” I offered.
He turned and gave me a weak smile. “Thank you. I think that might be a good idea.”
I decided to take a chance that if there were hidden devices elsewhere, that they would also be in his bedroom. “Do you have any ideas about where you might want to lie low other than a hotel?”
He stiffened visibly, pausing in his clothing selection, then continued his task. “My best friend, Kaleb. He got mated a few days before Halloween. He hasn’t given up his old apartment yet, and I’m sure he’d let me crash there.”
“Why not go right there then?” I asked.
“His new mate took him out of town for a few days.”
