Regina opened the motel room door. The whiff of stale perfume and body odor from the previous occupant greeted her. It smells like animals copulating - why do people not care about hygiene?
She neatly hung her jacket, sat down and untied her hiking boots. She grabbed a shoe brush and continued into the bathroom where she carefully brushed the dirt off her boots. Two strands of her silver hair fell over her forehead.
Her face was like a stone sculpture, pale, flawless and still. The most recent face tuck only noticeable by to the two scars below her ear lope which she always covered up with her silvery hair.
I wish Steve would let me color my hair again. Nothing gives away age more than gray hair. But he likes it, for some reason. A shiver ran down her spine as her body remembered his strong hands, pulling her hair.
She sighed and stepped into the shower.
Two hours later, she emerged out of the bathroom, satisfied. Her mission to the land of nowhere was complete.
Regina folded the towel twice and laid it over the bar.
She retrieved a sleeping bag from her suitcase, unfolding it over the bed. My father used to love these cheap hotels. Cash preferred, no ID needed, and no one ever asked if the young girl with him was his daughter. What pervert did it in this bed last?
She reached for her phone, sat on top of the sleeping bag and began dialing. It dialed twice.
“Auntie.” A male voice, young, energetic, answered.
“I’ll be arriving in Minneapolis tomorrow at one o’clock. Pick me up at the airport.” She glanced at her tablet for the flight information. “The airline is United, and I’ll be coming in from South Dakota.” There was a pause on the line.
“What’s in South Dakota?” He asked.
She sighed and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “Apparently, nothing.”
Another pause, longer. She heard his breathing become shallow. “Mark? Are you okay?” She glanced at her phone, prepared to turn on the video chat. His mood would be easier to figure out if she could see his face. She clicked on the video chat icon. It didn’t work.
“Mark, why are you blocking the chat?” She suspected she knew the answer. He’s already partying, probably has a little get-together going on right now. Steve will not be happy if he finds out.
“You’re supposed to be in Florida. How come you’re not telling me why you’re in South Dakota? Why is it a secret? Did Steve put you up to this? Is he punishing me?” Mark spewed the questions in rapid succession.
Regina sat up straight. “Dr. Geist called me. I’m in South Dakota at the Badland Caves. Two dead bodies turned up. That’s why I am here. Why are you being so defensive?” He’s hiding something, he’s done something, again. Oh, God, what now?
“I’m not being defensive. Why can’t I just ask a simple question?” Mark hissed, then hung up.
His text message arrived five minutes later. And it was his usual style; short, not an apology per se, but a reaching out.
I’ll pick you up at the airport.
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