Blood Loss. Alex Barclay

meet with the Royces,’ said Gary.

      Bob Gage was walking away from a couple who were sitting on a sofa in the foyer, the husband with a protective arm around his crying wife.

      ‘The Royces,’ said Bob when Ren came over to him.

      ‘How are they holding up?’ said Ren.

      ‘Not good,’ said Bob. ‘Do you want to know what they just told me? They have a Child ID kit for Shelby at home. They got it a few years back; the mom figured that somehow, it would lessen the chances of her daughter going missing …’

      ‘They thought “well, surely, if we have her fingerprints and a DNA sample, we couldn’t possibly end up needing them” …’ said Ren. Ugh.

      ‘Do you want to talk to them?’ said Bob.

      ‘Gary’s on his way down,’ said Ren. ‘Who’s that guy?’

      A man in his late thirties was standing at the corner of the reception desk, his face pushed into Jared Labati’s, who was leaning back, but still with an expression that didn’t reach concerned.

      ‘That’s the owner,’ said Bob. ‘Tom Olson—’

      ‘Attempting the tricky feat of shouting under his breath,’ said Ren. ‘Let’s go say hi.’

      Jared Labati had been sent away by Olson and was gone by the time they reached the desk.

      ‘My apologies,’ said Olson. ‘I’m a little frustrated, here. It’s the weekend, Jared knows that the security system absolutely had to be re-connected on Friday afternoon. He was to tell the electrical contractor, and he was to stand over everyone until it was re-connected and fully functioning.’

      ‘He’s quite young to have such responsibility,’ said Ren.

      ‘I can see that now,’ said Olson. ‘I know his father well – Jared has done work experience with him for a few years. I figured he could handle telling a contractor a few things …’ He shook his head. ‘I cannot believe someone was able to walk into my hotel, and abduct a child …’ He paused. ‘And I’m sorry about Shelby Royce. I did not authorize that.’

      ‘Authorize what?’ said Ren.

      ‘Hiring a sitter that wasn’t from an agency – someone that hasn’t been background-checked.’

      ‘What?’ said Ren. ‘But Breck Sitters guarantee their sitters are background-checked.’

      ‘But Shelby Royce wasn’t with Breck Sitters,’ said Olson. He looked at Bob and Ren. ‘Didn’t you know that?’

      Ren could feel her blood pressure rise. ‘No, we did not.’

      ‘Shelby is just one of Jared’s friends,’ said Olson.

      Jesus Christ. ‘Where is Jared Labati right now?’ said Ren.

      ‘Gone to the staff room,’ said Olson. ‘He’s about to go home.’

       Not yet he isn’t, the son-of-a-bitch.

      15

      Ren ran down the hallway, and caught up with Jared Labati. She took him by the arm.

      ‘We need to talk,’ she said. ‘Back where we came from.’

      Jared did as she asked, bumping off the door frame as he stumbled through the office door.

      ‘Why did you lie about Shelby Royce?’ said Ren.

      ‘I didn’t,’ said Jared.

      Ren stared at him.

      ‘I mean, obviously, I did, but—’ He shrugged. ‘I didn’t think Tom was going to be back so soon …’

      Where do I start? ‘I don’t even understand what that means,’ said Ren.

      ‘I need this job,’ said Jared. ‘I really do. I couldn’t risk—’

      ‘Are you for fucking real?’ said Ren. Jared flinched. Ren exploded. ‘Risk what? Two children have been abducted—’

      ‘Shelby’s sixteen years old,’ said Jared.

      ‘A minor!’ said Ren. ‘A child in my book. And that hardly exonerates you.’

       Oh my God, you don’t know what exonerate means.

      ‘You don’t get off the hook is what I’m saying,’ said Ren. ‘There is an eleven-year-old girl out there, and your friend, and you tell me that Shelby works for Breck Sitters, and is therefore background-checked, when she is not.’

      ‘There’s no need to background-check her,’ said Jared. ‘Shelby’s cool. I could vouch for her. If this hadn’t happened, Tom would have been fine with it when he got back.’

      Ren paused. ‘Now I get it – you were hoping you could have a quiet word in Mr Olson’s ear before we got to him, get him to back you up?’

      Jared looked away.

      ‘What difference does it make?’ he said, his head snapping back to her.

      ‘Every bit of difference,’ said Ren. ‘You lied at the beginning of an investigation, first off. That is the most crucial time for us. Do you have any idea the damage you could have caused?’

      ‘They’ll probably come back,’ said Jared. ‘They probably just went out … it’s Saturday night.’

      Sweet Jesus. ‘How did you get a job here?’ said Ren. ‘How?’

      ‘Aw, my dad’s buddies with Tom …’

      You absolute idiot. ‘Jared, you need to listen to me, OK?’ said Ren. ‘If there is anything else I should know about Shelby Royce, this is your time to speak up.’

      ‘No – nothing,’ said Jared. ‘She’s a regular girl. I don’t know what all this is about, same as anyone else. I don’t know why anyone would, like, burst into a hotel room and take them away. Seems crazy to me.’

      ‘Is that what you think happened now? They were taken away by someone? Not that they just went out on a Saturday night for some fun?’

      ‘No! I don’t know, I told you. I haven’t a clue what happened. If I did, I’d say.’ He held some random fingers up. ‘I promise.’

      ‘You are looking at me like I’m supposed to believe everything that comes out of your mouth,’ said Ren. ‘The same mouth that did not open a crack to tell me that Shelby was just one of your buddies, and not even authorized to be here …’

      ‘Look, I’m sorry, OK?’ said Jared.

      ‘Do you get the gravity of the situation?’ said Ren.

      ‘Yes, OK? Jesus. You’re probably doing a background check on her now, anyway. What’s the difference?’

      ‘Just go,’ said Ren. ‘We’re done here.’

      Bob Gage was standing in the center of the foyer, talking to Mike Delaney. Ren walked over to them. ‘That desk guy is such an asshole,’ said Ren. ‘How he could just bareface lie …’

      ‘Lot of kids just don’t give a shit these days,’ said Mike.

      Ren’s attention was drawn to three men and a woman in dark suits and pristine white shirts walking through the lobby doors and moving her way. Three of them stopped just inside but one of them, the handsome one, kept walking, smiling, toward her. Late forties, fading tan, and hair that had gone very sexily gray.

       Oh. Dear. God.

      ‘Excuse me, gentlemen,’ said Ren. She walked toward the man walking toward her. She could barely feel her