“I’m not gonna tell,” said Warrick. “I’m gonna ask.” He cleared his throat, and looked down at Two. “Hey, buddy,” he said, “mind leaving the tree alone and waiting in the van for a minute?”

Two barked, and jumped into the van.

Linda picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “Coincidence.”

“Two’s a smart puppy dog.”

“Of course he jumped into the van. It’s freezing out here.”

“Come on, Linda,” Warrick said, shutting the van door. “Swear allegiance to the doggy.”

Kelly walked on ahead, into the motel, where the first thing that registered was a moose head on the wall behind the front desk.

The woman at the desk looked up. She was tall, skinny, with a mole beneath her right eye and a blouse buttoned all the way up to her throat. Dear God, she was wearing a brooch.

Kelly smiled. “Hi.”

The woman, whose nametag identified her as Belinda, frowned back at her. The others walked in, and Belinda’s eyes widened and she stepped back.

“You,” she said in a surprisingly husky voice. “We do not allow your kind in here.”

Ronnie and Linda froze.

“Me?” said Ronnie, a black man.

“Or me?” said Linda, a Chinese girl.

“Him,” said Belinda, pointing a trembling finger at Warrick.

“Me?” Warrick said. “What’d I do?”

“You’re a … you’re a beatnik,” Belinda said, the word exploding out of her mouth like a chunk of meat after a Heimlich.

“I am not!” said Warrick.

“We do not allow beatniks in this motel!”

“I’m not a beatnik! Stop calling me a beatnik!”

“Excuse me,” Kelly said, still smiling as she neared the desk, “but what seems to be the issue with beatniks?”

“My mother never approved,” Belinda said, practically livid with disgust. “She said never shall a beatnik sleep under this roof, and I say a beatnik never shall!”

Kelly nodded. “That’s very understandable. Beatniks are terrible people. Although Warrick isn’t actually a beatnik.”

“My mother said they will come in various guises.”

“Uh-huh. Yes, but the thing is Warrick isn’t one of them.”

“I hate jazz music,” said Warrick.

“He does,” said Kelly. “He hates jazz music.”

“He’s got a beatnik beard, though,” said Belinda.

Warrick frowned. “My soul patch? I just don’t like shaving under my lip. My skin is sensitive, man.”

“I assure you,” Ronnie said, giving Belinda a smile, “my friend isn’t a beatnik. He just shaves like one. He listens to regular music and I don’t think I’ve ever heard him talk about bettering his inner self.”

“I leave my inner self alone and it leaves me alone,” said Warrick. “We’re happier that way.”

Belinda hesitated.

“The moment he starts wearing berets and playing the bongos,” Kelly said, “we’ll kick him out ourselves.”