She walked ahead this time, waiting as he unlocked the door, then going in and standing near his desk.

“What was that about?” he asked, closing the door behind him.

Claire shook her head. “It’s a misunderstanding.”

“I would like to understand,” Chip said, voice low. “You need to start telling me things.”

“I can’t,” she said, almost in a whisper. “Not yet at least. I want to, but…”

“Then tell me why that guy looked like he was ready to pounce on you.”

She let out a sigh. “He’s just a jerk. I guess he’s the mean one.  Agent Alvarez is a much better listener.”

Chip sat down, rubbing his face in his hands. “Can you at least tell me who is staying in room 106?”

Claire had to unclench her jaw. “Lucy is staying there, Chip. You know that.”

He shook his head. “Don’t lie to me, Claire. Please don’t lie to me.”

Her heart sank. Even she hadn’t believed that last one. Her voice was weak. No, her entire delivery was weak. She hated the way he was looking at her. She wanted his warm smile, his deep laugh. She needed him to forgive her.

“Please, if you just give me some time, it’ll make sense.”

He studied her for a moment. “Come on, Claire. I believed in you. I believed you when you told me that we were partners, and that we were working together. I thought I could trust you.”

“You can, I just –”

“Can I?” He stopped himself, letting out a heavy breath. “I feel like you’re hiding something. And we’ve got the FBI poking around the hotel. I mean – what’s going on?”

Claire felt like she was on the brink of tears. Everything was falling apart around her.

Still, she couldn’t cry in front of him. She squeaked out an “I’m sorry, Chip,” before pulling the office door open and rushing back to room 106.

Chapter Twenty-four

What had happened to Claire? That long exchange in front of the door made Marty nervous. As Lucy debated whether Claire would come back for her fish and chips, Marty quietly packed his bag.

“Did she say that she got one for me, or that we were going to split it? Because it looks pretty big,” Lucy said, eyeing the generous portion of fried fish.

Marty shrugged, packing up his toiletries. It was nice having a bathroom for a while. He was going to miss that. “I don’t know. You can have mine if you want.”

“I’m not going to take yours,” she said, looking up at him. “Hang on. Are you going somewhere?”

“If I need to, yes.”

“Why?”

He shot a look at the door. “I’m not sure what happened to Claire, but I think Chip is getting suspicious.”