Factor in the pointless shopping Mary Beth had dawdled over and about three hours had passed, all told. But Luellen had stayed only long enough to reach Bobby Joe’s room and return to the parking lot. So she hadn’t had time to get up to her nasty brand of trouble. Maybe a nurse had chased her out. Mary Beth wondered what Bobby Joe would say, if anything. It really wasn’t right for Luellen to show up unannounced.

Grady seemed to be thinking of something else. “And just so you know, I didn’t see nothing wrong with her tires either.”

“Thanks, Grady. I appreciate your attention to detail.” She pressed the button to roll up the windows and the security guard straightened quickly. He walked back to the booth, taking his time.

The guys started to rag on him the second he walked through the flimsy screen door.

“Back so soon? You’re slipping, Grady.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She’s cute. If you like strawberry blondes,” one man said.

“As it so happens, I do not,” Grady said a little pompously. “But the lady with the Mercedes, now, she was definitely my type.”

“What about the other one? The looker who came in right when Miss Mercedes left?”

Grady shook his head. “Nah. Too much makeup. Kinda stuck-up. A city girl, most likely.”

“You talking about the tall gal? With sapphire blue eyes?” The attendant checked his receipts. “I got a credit card slip right here for her. She signed her name nice and clear. Gail Cash. Tennessee license, as I remember. Had to ask her for ID because of the credit card. And . . . there was a Memphis car dealer frame around the plates,” he finished triumphantly.

“Nice going, Sherlock. Let’s look her up online,” another guy joked.

“Nothing doing. We’re on the job.” They tilted their chairs forward until the legs hit the floor. Then they stayed where they were, shooting the breeze.

A faint trace of perfume lingered in the air in Bobby Joe’s room. It wasn’t a scent that Mary Beth knew and it seemed a little sophisticated for Luellen.

He was in dreamland. He looked more rested than she’d seen him look since he’d been assigned to this room. The fluorescent light bar in back of the bed had been dimmed way down.

Besides the perfume, there was nothing that indicated an alien female presence. Still, Luellen could have—whoa, Mary Beth told herself. She needed to get a grip on her own jealousy. Bobby Joe hadn’t done anything to trigger it this time. His former flame had simply seized what looked like a golden opportunity to get next to him and, for some unknown reason, hadn’t stayed very long.

She heard the chime for an incoming text on her phone.

Parr.