Argeneau Family 12. The Renegade Hunter(53)

Jo stiffened, recognizing Bricker's voice. She also recognized Mortimer's when he said, "That was almost an hour ago. She won't be here now."

"No." This time it was Anders's voice. "But they're probably staying in this hotel."

"And the cashier might remember her," Decker suggested. "He might be able to tell us if she said anything that might indicate if they're staying here or what."

"Hmm."

Jo turned her head cautiously to peer toward the front of the store where the voices were coming from, but the rows of shelves were in the way and she couldn't see the front of the store. That meant they couldn't see her either, Jo decided as she took her hand off the cans in the refrigerator and gently eased the door closed.

"We're looking for a woman who was in here about an hour ago. She used the ATM and may have purchased something. She's about five foot four inches tall, cute, with dark brown hair she wears in a ponytail."

Jo closed her eyes, sure the man was about to admit she'd been in there, but instead she heard, "Sorry, no one like that today and it's been slow. I'd have remembered."

Jo's eyes blinked open and for one moment she thought the guy was covering for her, and then she recalled the wild mass her hair had been when she'd seen herself in the mirror after returning with the pop. She definitely hadn't looked cute then. She'd probably also seemed a couple of inches taller because of the hair.

"Maybe she's dyed her hair," Bricker suggested quietly. "Or Nicholas could have used the card."

Mortimer cursed. "We'll have to search the hotel. I'm going to watch the lobby and the elevators while I call in all the local enforcers. Decker and Anders, I want each of you at the stairwell exits. Bricker, you watch the door to the parking garage. Once we get some more people here we'll start going floor by floor. Nicholas is not getting away this time and he's definitely not taking Jo with him."

The words had grown more distant as Mortimer had spoken and then silence followed, suggesting that they'd left the store, but Jo waited where she was for a minute, not wanting to risk running into them. She had shifted the pizza to hold it with both hands and was standing there debating what she should do when the cashier said, "Miss? Is there something I can help you with?"

Jo glanced forward, but all she saw was the row of potato chips stacked on the first shelf next to the pop. She then glanced up and around, spotting the man in a rounded security mirror in the corner of the store. It was a damned good thing Mortimer and the guys hadn't checked out the mirror while in here, Jo thought as she met the cashier's gaze. One glance told her that they were gone, however, and she started for the front of the store.

"Hey, there were some guys in here a minute ago and you fit the description of the gal they're looking for," the cashier said as she stepped out from between the aisles.

"Yeah, thanks, I'll go find them," Jo lied cheerfully and hurried out of the store, only to pause just outside the door, unsure which way to go. She couldn't go back out into the lobby to catch the elevator, Mortimer was going to make his calls from there and would be watching them. She couldn't take the stairs either because he'd sent Decker and Anders to watch them. Jo was just debating finding a phone and calling the room to tell Nicholas to get out when someone grabbed her arm.

"Jo? Hey girl, how's it going?"

"Beth?" she asked with surprise, glancing to the brunette who had approached her. "Hey." She held the pizza box with one hand and hugged the girl with the other. "I knew you worked in one of the hotels downtown, but didn't realize it was this one."

"Yeah." Beth grimaced. "And I pulled a late shift tonight. You aren't delivering pizza now, are you? What happened to your job at the bar?"

"Oh…" Jo glanced down to the pizza box she held. "No. I still work at the bar. This is for me and a friend. We have a room upstairs."

"Oh?" Beth grinned and then nudged her. "A man in your life, huh? You never tell me anything."

Jo smiled nervously, and glanced warily toward the front of the hotel. Part of the lobby was visible, but she couldn't see Mortimer.

"It's nice to hear though," Beth added solemnly. "All you ever seem to do is work. A social life is a good thing."

"Yeah, right, like you're any better. You work at least as hard as me," Jo murmured, turning back to her. She then asked, "Beth, is there a service elevator in this place?"

Beth's eyebrows rose at the question. "Yeah. Why?"

Jo hesitated and then decided a lie was really the only way to go. She could hardly start babbling to her about vampires and such and expect Beth to think her anything but nuts, so she said, "There's someone I want to avoid in the lobby. He's a customer who's been going all stalker boy on me and hanging out at the bar all the time."