Knight was grumpy, and hoped that it didn’t show while they rode eastward in the dusk. Mal had asked what was wrong, and Knight told him: The hotel he had booked had filled up, and now they were going somewhere else. He was going to be doubly grumpy if they got there and that was booked as well. Then heads were going to roll.
He pulled up in front of a large old country-style house with a wrap-around porch, and a small sign that said, “Guest Entrance” with an arrow. He and Mal probably didn’t look like the normal type of people for this kind of place, but he didn’t care. He wanted a place for them to put their stuff down. He debated on heading back to the Big E to see the Midway or to stay here.
“Quaint,” said Mal, looking around.
“Be right back,” Knight said, and went in. He stopped short at the door, looking at the decor. He remembered his mother’s mother’s formal parlor, how it was decorated nearly exactly like this, with old furniture and the faint smell of wood oil everywhere. He was struck at how similar the chairs were placed, tables just outside the French doors, and an area that would lead off to a kitchen. His boots were loud on the wood floors, and the woman behind the counter looked up at him at his approach.
He pulled himself together as he got to the counter and remembered to smile. “Hi. I’m Jack Malloy. I know I’m here a day early, but it seems my other hotel has booked my room.”
She looked at his leathers, he knew she did, and listened to his tone of voice, crisp and commanding. “The only room we have left is a two-room suite.”
“I’ll take it,” he said, slapping the credit card down. It wasn’t his credit card, just like he wasn’t Jack Malloy. But he had it for just this sort of emergency. He never was going to pay it off. Let them try and chase him down.
“One moment,” she said, and went into a back room.
Shit, he thought, they must have run this through and found something out. He tried to look nonchalant. He heard the door open and Mal came into the place, not even looking around. Knight smiled; what Malcolm saw in the room wasn’t the same as what Knight saw in it. “Everything all right, lover?”
“Hope so,” Knight said. The girl came back out. “Would you like to keep this two-room suite for the remainder of your stay, sir? We can give you a 30 percent discount.”
“Sure,” Knight replied. “As long as it’s got all the other stuff I paid for?”
“Yes, Mr. Mallory, for all four nights.”
Mal didn’t even blink an eye at the change in name. The girl gave him a slip to sign, and she gave him directions. “Someone will be there in a few minutes to start the fire in your room, sir.”
“Good,” said Knight. He turned to Mal and smiled. “Follow me.”
Mal put his arm in Knight’s and the two men walked out, back to the bike.