Chapter 159 - The Stop-over (1/2)
The bus stops right across the road from The Residence. The inspector ȧssists Claire as she alights, carefully bringing down her one-piece luggage. And of course, Sam in her cage, too.
”I guess that's it, Miss Claire,” the inspector says sheepishly. On his shirt is scribbled Claire's dedication, done in felt-tipped marker.
”Thank you so much,” Claire says, giving him a hug. She looks up; all the other passengers are on the windows, waving at her. She waves back, her eyes looking for the old woman, the one to whom she owes an enormous debt of gratitude. But she's nowhere; either she could not get to the window or she's not bothering to look.
Claire watches the bus continue on its way, its hulky figure growing smaller in the distance. She gazes across the street; The Residence seems fine, as though nothing has changed. Because why not? It has only been a few hours since she ”left,” for pete's sakes!
She cautiously crosses the street, Sam in one arm, and tugging at the suitcase with the other. Before she could even touch the lobby's doors, it swings open, and out comes Dale, his face the face of delighted surprise.
”Miss Claire, you're back!” Dale throws his arms around her, forgetting propriety.
Sam barks from within the cage. ”She wants you to know she's back, too,” Claire says, laughing. She puts the cage down ad opens the door; Sam leaps out happily and runs around the cavernous lobby. She makes a turn into a corridor and is gone in an instant. ”She's probably looking for Lucille.” She looks around; the place seems deserted. ”Where's everybody?”
Dale looks uneasy. He shrugs. ”Everyone's in the back-of-house,” he says. ”We thought you were really leaving for good, so we realized we're probably losing our jobs, soon. So we were having some discussions about what to do next, you know. I only came out to get some of my notes and…”
”I'm sorry,” she says. ”I'm sorry for causing all this trouble.”
Dale makes a weak smile. ”So are you back for good, or did you just forget something?”
She sighs. ”It all depends on him.”
”Gabriel?”
”Yes,” she says. ”I really must talk to him. I shouldn't have left things hanging like that. I should've—”
”But he was looking for you!” Dale looks panicked. ”Didn't you come from the airport? You didn't see him there?”
”The airport? I didn't go to the airport!” Claire is exasperated. ”Why would I go to the airport?”
”Uhhh, because you were leaving and going somewhere…”
”I was at the bus terminal, Dale. I would not be able to afford a plane ticket.”
”But there are a dozen bus terminals throughout the city.”
”Yeah,” she agrees. ”But only one airport. So…”
”He's still there,” Dale says. ”He will wait for you. He won't leave that place unless he knows you're really, really not there.”
”Jesus,” Claire mutters, looking at the wall clock. ”How long has he been gone?”