“If you have any questions about Delhi, give me a call,” the man said, handing Neil a Viking kitchen appliance card.

“I’ll do that,” Neil said insincerely, pocketing the card after a quick glance.

Both weary travelers settled into the hotel SUV’s backseat. Neil closed his eyes and returned to musing about how he was going to hook up with Jennifer. Now that he was in the same city as she, he found himself even more excited than he’d expected. He was truly looking forward to seeing her and to apologizing for not coming the moment she’d asked him.

Neil opened his eyes long enough to check the time. It was five after midnight, and he realized that as excited as he was to see Jennifer, it would have to wait until morning. But then he began to wonder how he would surprise her then, an issue complicated by his acknowledging he had no idea of her schedule. He suddenly had an uncomfortable fear. Although it seemed unlikely enough for him not to have thought of it before, she might have concluded the business about her grandmother during the course of Wednesday, her first full day in Delhi, and could be flying out at that very moment: maybe even on the same plane he’d just flown in on.

Opening his eyes, Neil shook the thought from his mind. He laughed at himself and looked out the window at the haze his fellow traveler had described earlier. It was enough to make health-conscious Neil feel congested.

Shortly thereafter, the hotel car pulled up the ramp to the hotel’s main entrance. Several porters and doormen surrounded the vehicle, opening the doors.

“Give me a call if I can help in any way,” Stuart said, shaking hands with Neil. “And thanks for the ride.”

“Will do,” Neil responded. He got his carry-on bag from a porter with some effort, insisting he’d prefer to bring it into the hotel himself—not only was it not heavy, it had wheels.

Check-in was accomplished sitting down at a desk, and as Neil handed over his passport, he asked the formally dressed clerk who’d introduced himself as Arvind Sinha if they had a Jennifer Hernandez registered. Unseen by the clerk, he actually crossed his fingers.

“I can check for you, sahib,” Arvind said. He used a keyboard that he pulled out from beneath the desk’s surface. “Yes, we do, indeed.”

Yes! Neil said to himself. Ever since he thought about the possibility of Jennifer’s having already left, he’d been torturing himself. “Can you tell me her room number?”

“I’m sorry, I cannot,” Arvind apologized. “For security purposes, we cannot give out guest room numbers. However, the operator can connect you, provided Ms. Hernandez hasn’t a block on her phone and provided you think it is appropriate to call. It is past midnight.”