“This is where she was staying?”I trailed off, looking up at the pristine white facade of the building. Stark black railings leading to opened French doors, overlooking the cleanly deserted streets, as the hot midday sun beat down on us.
“Apparently,” Jack said. “Looks pretty nice.”
“Can’t believe Yanni fell for our routine again,” I smiled. “Over the phone, at that.”
“That man is willing to divulge anything, routine or not,” Jack shook his head, almost in disbelief himself.
“Feels like he didn’t even know Maris was MIA,” I said, as we crossed the street towards the building.
“Didn’t know, or didn’t care,” Jack corrected. “Not sure if it even makes a difference to people like them.”
I frowned, letting a listless glaze wash over my eyes, wondering if Jack’s words were the truth, and hoping they weren’t. There has to be some good people left in the world. Right?
Jack looked both ways, which I mimicked in turn, guaranteeing the coast was clear, before he cracked open the door and swung it back to usher me in.
We stepped in to the dimly lit entryway, which was smaller than expected, dustier, and timeworn. A small service desk sat to our right, and a winding staircase near it. Slight pale light entered
through a narrow window and shone on a scratched desk, falling across a bony hand that retracted as we approached.
An elderly woman with a stern gaze hidden behind thick black rimmed glasses, under a mop of gray hair, tidied up some papers, as if acting like she was busy all of the sudden. “Can I help you?” She snapped.
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“Well,” I spoke up, stepping forward, before being cut off.
“That’s close enough,” the woman put up a palm forcing me to halt in my tracks.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I responded, gathering myself again.
“Well, what do you want?” Her voice strained.
“We’re looking for a friend of mine, Maris? Just wanted to come and see her.” I said, clasping my hands naturally, as if begging unknowingly.
“Why don’t you call her then?” The woman asked, sliding her glasses back up along the rim of her nose and re-anointing them properly.
“I have,” I said, with a sunken expression.
“I can’t let you up,” the woman fired back, reaching for the phone next to her. “I’ll call the police if you don’t leave.”
“Let’s not be too hasty,” Jack said, charming his way beside me and placing a hand atop hers.
The woman recoiled and dipped her frames down to look at Jack.
“Oh, sir,” the woman’s eyes brightened. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Couldn’t see more like it?” I grumbled.
“What’s that?!” The woman snarked back at me.
“She said, ‘I see’,” Jack beamed and leaned forward. “We just want to make sure our friend is okay. She asked us to stop by and check in on her.”
“Well, I haven’t seen her in ages.” The woman said.
“Well,” Jack said, “some of us younger folk, you and I, always out on the town. We miss things,” he winked.
“You’re trouble,” she giggled. “I’ve dated boys like you.”
“Do you still?” He grinned, leaning even closer.
I groaned. I can’t believe this is actually working.
“My...my...,” she fanned herself. “I think those days are long gone.” She turned around and jingled a key ring, inspecting them, one by one, before sliding one off to Jack. “I can give you a quarter of an hour. No more." She looked down her glasses coyly at Jack. "You be good,” she continued, her lips cracking at the edges with wrinkles.
“No guarantees,” Jack smirked, and nodded, accepting the key gently. “Thank you.”
Jack turned to me and grinned, before walking up the stairs.
The woman snarled at me, and returned to her papers, while I followed Jack up.
“I can’t believe you did that.” I whispered.
“Can’t believe I did it, or can’t believe it worked.”
“You’re insufferable.”
“Not every woman seems to think that,” he offered a cheeky expression, before stopping in front of room 310. “This is it,” he said, matching the number on the key.
He inserted the key deftly and shot me a look. “Shall we?”
