and Susan stepped in front of her in line. "I can ask for Carlo's packet at the same time I do mine."
Registration went smoothly and the officers soon turned toward the elevator, but Allison paused.
"Something wrong?" Marsha asked.
"No, I was looking for the hotel gift shop."
"Need something? It's this way. I saw it earlier, when I checked in."
Allison grinned. "I'd like to replace my makeup. Mine was... stolen."
"I texted Carlo to let him know we're making another stop. Let's go," Susan said.
Luckily the shop was not crowded like the rest of the hotel. Allison soon found everything she needed and turned to get in line.
"You and Susan wait here. I'll pay," Marsha insisted.
As Allison forced two twenties in Marsha's hand, she noticed a young woman wistfully gazing at the cashier.
"Did you find everything you need?" Allison asked, smiling at the young woman.
"Yes... I mean no. I'm... how you say... observing the cashier," the woman said with a slight accent.
"Where are you from?"
"Turkey, but we've lived here for three years."
"Your English is good."
"I try to learn. Watch TV. Read. I have better English, I get better pay."
"Oh, from your uniform, I thought you already worked here."
"I clean rooms. Pay not good for three of us. My mother eats. My little boy, too. He grows. I need to find better job."
"In the gift shop?"
She nodded hopefully. "Cashier. I want to learn..."
"What?" Allison prompted.
"Accounting. Online class nice, but no Internet, no computer."
Her narrow shoulders slumped. "My son grow big before I have any."
"Have you tried the library? You can use their computers and the librarian will be able to recommend some classes for you to take."
The woman's eyes rounded. "She will? Thank you."
Marsha joined them. "Everything all right?"
The young mother smiled for the first time. "Yes, everything—how you say?—great. Many thanks."
"Good luck," Allison said, accepting her purchases and her change from Marsha. The three of them headed for the elevator.
Once inside the glass module swiftly rising to the fifth floor Allison asked, "Is Carlo always this hard to work with?"
Marsha chuckled. "Only if you have a problem with the tall, silent type. His unreadable eyes never give a hint of what he's thinking, but at Central, when Carlo says something, everyone listens."
"Does he... socialize?" Allison asked.
"You mean date?" Susan shook her head. "I've never known him to, but if he gazed at me the way he does at you, I wouldn't hesitate to crawl on his lap."
Allison huffed as the elevator halted and Marsha stepped out ahead of her. "Not me. I've been on my own for four years but Carlo treats me like an unreasonable child."
As she rounded the corner Allison slowed.
"What's wrong?" Susan whispered cautiously, slowing, too.
"I had the strangest feeling we were being watched," she murmured, "but it's gone now."
She glanced around. "I need to get my bearings. I didn't pay that much attention the first time I went to the ice machine. Carlo was so angry with me for leaving my room without permission he hasn't let me stick my head out since."
Susan laughed. "He can be such a dick."
"An adorable dick," Marsha added with a mournful sigh. "But when you least expect it, he can be unbelievably thoughtful—"
"—or turn his righteous indignation on anyone who fails to toe some imaginary line."
Allison silently filed each of their comments for review later. Maybe tonight when I can't sleep, I'll pull them out and ponder their ramifications.
She didn't expect to close her eyes. Anticipating an encounter with a drug dealer at every turn made her hair stand on end, but she refused to let her anxiety be known.
I'm at the center of a sting operation and if I play my cards right I have the perfect opportunity to learn from a respected leader how one is run.
Or is this a stakeout? I don't dare ask Carlo. He'll bite my head off if he realizes I'm enjoying this.
As she approached her room, her new friends
Registration went smoothly and the officers soon turned toward the elevator, but Allison paused.
"Something wrong?" Marsha asked.
"No, I was looking for the hotel gift shop."
"Need something? It's this way. I saw it earlier, when I checked in."
Allison grinned. "I'd like to replace my makeup. Mine was... stolen."
"I texted Carlo to let him know we're making another stop. Let's go," Susan said.
Luckily the shop was not crowded like the rest of the hotel. Allison soon found everything she needed and turned to get in line.
"You and Susan wait here. I'll pay," Marsha insisted.
As Allison forced two twenties in Marsha's hand, she noticed a young woman wistfully gazing at the cashier.
"Did you find everything you need?" Allison asked, smiling at the young woman.
"Yes... I mean no. I'm... how you say... observing the cashier," the woman said with a slight accent.
"Where are you from?"
"Turkey, but we've lived here for three years."
"Your English is good."
"I try to learn. Watch TV. Read. I have better English, I get better pay."
"Oh, from your uniform, I thought you already worked here."
"I clean rooms. Pay not good for three of us. My mother eats. My little boy, too. He grows. I need to find better job."
"In the gift shop?"
She nodded hopefully. "Cashier. I want to learn..."
"What?" Allison prompted.
"Accounting. Online class nice, but no Internet, no computer."
Her narrow shoulders slumped. "My son grow big before I have any."
"Have you tried the library? You can use their computers and the librarian will be able to recommend some classes for you to take."
The woman's eyes rounded. "She will? Thank you."
Marsha joined them. "Everything all right?"
The young mother smiled for the first time. "Yes, everything—how you say?—great. Many thanks."
"Good luck," Allison said, accepting her purchases and her change from Marsha. The three of them headed for the elevator.
Once inside the glass module swiftly rising to the fifth floor Allison asked, "Is Carlo always this hard to work with?"
Marsha chuckled. "Only if you have a problem with the tall, silent type. His unreadable eyes never give a hint of what he's thinking, but at Central, when Carlo says something, everyone listens."
"Does he... socialize?" Allison asked.
"You mean date?" Susan shook her head. "I've never known him to, but if he gazed at me the way he does at you, I wouldn't hesitate to crawl on his lap."
Allison huffed as the elevator halted and Marsha stepped out ahead of her. "Not me. I've been on my own for four years but Carlo treats me like an unreasonable child."
As she rounded the corner Allison slowed.
"What's wrong?" Susan whispered cautiously, slowing, too.
"I had the strangest feeling we were being watched," she murmured, "but it's gone now."
She glanced around. "I need to get my bearings. I didn't pay that much attention the first time I went to the ice machine. Carlo was so angry with me for leaving my room without permission he hasn't let me stick my head out since."
Susan laughed. "He can be such a dick."
"An adorable dick," Marsha added with a mournful sigh. "But when you least expect it, he can be unbelievably thoughtful—"
"—or turn his righteous indignation on anyone who fails to toe some imaginary line."
Allison silently filed each of their comments for review later. Maybe tonight when I can't sleep, I'll pull them out and ponder their ramifications.
She didn't expect to close her eyes. Anticipating an encounter with a drug dealer at every turn made her hair stand on end, but she refused to let her anxiety be known.
I'm at the center of a sting operation and if I play my cards right I have the perfect opportunity to learn from a respected leader how one is run.
Or is this a stakeout? I don't dare ask Carlo. He'll bite my head off if he realizes I'm enjoying this.
As she approached her room, her new friends
Similar Books
Alpha Bear
Bianca D'Arc
The Night Killer
Beverly Connor
The Appetites of Girls
Pamela Moses
A Moveable Feast
Lonely Planet
Two Crosses
Elizabeth Musser
Redemption
Danny Dufour
Return of the Highlander (Immortal Warriors)
Sara Mackenzie
Wraiths of Time
Andre Norton
Summer in Enchantia
Darcey Bussell
Bad Moon Rising
Jonathan Maberry