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Authors: Robert Stanek
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money?”
“What about the missing days in the calendar?”
“May’s job, not mine.”
“Who erased the phone?”
“I don’t know.”
“Look, your sister’s the one in trouble here. I’m just trying to help. Where are Jessica’s files, her date book, her client
list?”
“No matter whose side you’re on, I’ve already said too much.”
“Does Jessica have the box?”
“And if I said yes?”
“Will you help me find Jessica?”
“Only if you take me with you.”
“Where?”
A short while later, they were on the road to Miami Beach in Scott’s rented car. After that, Helen said only, “Wake me when
we get there.”
Scott glanced at her. Her seat was reclined all the way back. She seemed asleep, but he couldn’t really be sure because she
had a hand clutched over her face as if trying to ward off a pounding headache. He had a mounting headache of his own. Helen,
teetering on the verge of a nervous breakdown, was the last thing he needed to worry about right now. There was no question
in his mind that her emotional distress was real.
She was deathly afraid that anything she said would get Jessica killed. Yet, she was also hiding something—a secret so dark
that she didn’t want to share it with anyone, least of all herself. He couldn’t help wondering if she had sold out her own
sister and was now regretting the deed—money never satisfied over the long term. It just wasn’t enough to help forget in the
immediacy of the present.
He clicked on the radio, tuned up and down the dial to see what he could find. News Radio should have been somewhere in the
low band on the AM dial. He glanced at Helen to see if the radio woke her. It didn’t, but he wanted it to. He was on the other
side of the bay now. The freeway was about to end, and he needed to know whether to turn north, south or continue to Collins
Avenue. He nudged her. She jumped and shrank away.
He said, “Miami Beach.”
In the rearview mirror as they passed under the street lights, he saw her face clearly. Her jaw was quivering, and she was
trying to hide that fact, but her hand touched to her mouth was trembling right along with it.
“Helen, are you all right?”
“Don’t touch me. Never touch me. I’m sober now. Keep your hands off me.”
He said, his voice soft, “We’re in Miami Beach.”
She looked out the window. Her voice changed. “Good, the hotel. We’re almost there.”
“Directions,” Scott shot back at her. “Are you going to help me out, or are we going to drive all night?”
Helen started crying.
Scott winced. He hadn’t meant to snap at her. It just happened. “I’m sorry. Jessica did tell you which hotel she was going
to check into?”
“She is my sister.”
Scott looked at Helen sideways. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes, yes,” and so saying, she finally gave him directions.
A short while later they were entering the lobby of the Miami Beach Ritz-Carlton. The lobby was immaculate and massive. Red
carpets, crystal chandeliers everywhere. Five-star all the way. Scott turned up his nose and followed Helen to the front desk.
Three night clerks were behind the desk. Helen approached one.
“A room?” the male clerk asked.
“Thank you, no.”
His eyes lit up. “A suite, then?”
“Would you be a dear, I’m looking for my sister, Jessica Wellmen. She checked in on Thursday around midnight. Is she still
registered at this hotel?”
“I can’t give out a room number if that’s what you’re after. Against the rules, you know. We’re very discreet.”
“You can tell me if she checked in?”
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.” The clerk went over to a computer terminal. “Wellmen, Wellmen,” he mumbled. “Sorry, no Wellmen.”
“Maybe she checked out.”
“I checked for Friday like you said.”
“How about her mother’s maiden name, Johnson?”
The clerk bobbed his head. “Jessica Johnson checked in on Thursday at 8:05 p.m. Paid for a week in
“What about the missing days in the calendar?”
“May’s job, not mine.”
“Who erased the phone?”
“I don’t know.”
“Look, your sister’s the one in trouble here. I’m just trying to help. Where are Jessica’s files, her date book, her client
list?”
“No matter whose side you’re on, I’ve already said too much.”
“Does Jessica have the box?”
“And if I said yes?”
“Will you help me find Jessica?”
“Only if you take me with you.”
“Where?”
A short while later, they were on the road to Miami Beach in Scott’s rented car. After that, Helen said only, “Wake me when
we get there.”
Scott glanced at her. Her seat was reclined all the way back. She seemed asleep, but he couldn’t really be sure because she
had a hand clutched over her face as if trying to ward off a pounding headache. He had a mounting headache of his own. Helen,
teetering on the verge of a nervous breakdown, was the last thing he needed to worry about right now. There was no question
in his mind that her emotional distress was real.
She was deathly afraid that anything she said would get Jessica killed. Yet, she was also hiding something—a secret so dark
that she didn’t want to share it with anyone, least of all herself. He couldn’t help wondering if she had sold out her own
sister and was now regretting the deed—money never satisfied over the long term. It just wasn’t enough to help forget in the
immediacy of the present.
He clicked on the radio, tuned up and down the dial to see what he could find. News Radio should have been somewhere in the
low band on the AM dial. He glanced at Helen to see if the radio woke her. It didn’t, but he wanted it to. He was on the other
side of the bay now. The freeway was about to end, and he needed to know whether to turn north, south or continue to Collins
Avenue. He nudged her. She jumped and shrank away.
He said, “Miami Beach.”
In the rearview mirror as they passed under the street lights, he saw her face clearly. Her jaw was quivering, and she was
trying to hide that fact, but her hand touched to her mouth was trembling right along with it.
“Helen, are you all right?”
“Don’t touch me. Never touch me. I’m sober now. Keep your hands off me.”
He said, his voice soft, “We’re in Miami Beach.”
She looked out the window. Her voice changed. “Good, the hotel. We’re almost there.”
“Directions,” Scott shot back at her. “Are you going to help me out, or are we going to drive all night?”
Helen started crying.
Scott winced. He hadn’t meant to snap at her. It just happened. “I’m sorry. Jessica did tell you which hotel she was going
to check into?”
“She is my sister.”
Scott looked at Helen sideways. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes, yes,” and so saying, she finally gave him directions.
A short while later they were entering the lobby of the Miami Beach Ritz-Carlton. The lobby was immaculate and massive. Red
carpets, crystal chandeliers everywhere. Five-star all the way. Scott turned up his nose and followed Helen to the front desk.
Three night clerks were behind the desk. Helen approached one.
“A room?” the male clerk asked.
“Thank you, no.”
His eyes lit up. “A suite, then?”
“Would you be a dear, I’m looking for my sister, Jessica Wellmen. She checked in on Thursday around midnight. Is she still
registered at this hotel?”
“I can’t give out a room number if that’s what you’re after. Against the rules, you know. We’re very discreet.”
“You can tell me if she checked in?”
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.” The clerk went over to a computer terminal. “Wellmen, Wellmen,” he mumbled. “Sorry, no Wellmen.”
“Maybe she checked out.”
“I checked for Friday like you said.”
“How about her mother’s maiden name, Johnson?”
The clerk bobbed his head. “Jessica Johnson checked in on Thursday at 8:05 p.m. Paid for a week in
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