“What can I do for you?”
“I was wondering if a Miss Louise McCloud was here at this hotel? She’s a friend of mine and I’ve been looking for her all night. I have an important message for her.”
“Let me check. Hmmm yeah she’s here. If you would give me your message I’ll put it in her mailbox.”
“I’m supposed to deliver it personally.”
“I’m not allowed to let you go up there without her permission.”
“Oh come on. I’m a friend of hers. I’ve known her since we were kids. Please!”
“Fine, but I’ll have to take you up there myself.”
“Great.”
The woman grabbed a key. Sanes noted the room number and followed the woman up the stairs. Once they had reached the top he knocked her over the head with the butt of his gun.
He grabbed the key and ran towards the room. He inserted the key. When he entered the room he thought at first that maybe she had left and then he heard the water running in the other room. He sat down on the bed and waited until she had finished with her bath. Her heard the water stop and then the sound of something submerging. He hoped that she wouldn’t take to long. He started to tune out what he was hearing and think of the opera that he had seen just a week ago in St. Joe. That was all working great until he heard her voice.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Louise? Louise McCloud?” He looked at the woman who stood before him. She was dressed in man’s pants and shirt. She had a gun poised at him and her hair was slicked back from wetness.
“I asked you a question. Trust me I will use this on you.”
“I’m Sanes, Matthew Sanes.” Lou gasped.
“Your not taking me back there I won’t go. I’ll kill you and go to jail for killing you in cold blood then go back there.”
He saw the tears beginning to form in her eyes.
“I’ve not come to take you back to St. Joe. I’ve come to tell you that Wicks has your friend Kid and your brother and sister. Kid has been sent back to St. Joe and I’m going back there in the morning. Your brother and sister, by mistake, are coming here with one of the girls from the establishment.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Wicks isn’t fighting fair, I figured that you shouldn’t either.” With that he walked out the door.
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