“Can you describe the clothes?”
“Black hooded sweatshirt and men’s jeans. Both much too large for her.”
“They were together?”
“Yes.”
Maria couldn’t believe her brother was traveling with Sarai. But she supposed it made sense. They were both alone and vulnerable. After getting robbed, he might have been wary of other male passengers. “When did they leave?”
“Yesterday.”
Maria thanked the woman profusely, excited by the news. Ian didn’t appear happy in the least. He took her photo of Hugo and tucked it into his pocket, along with the picture of Sarai. Maria hurried to keep up with him as he walked back to the cab. Although she wanted to accompany him to Hermosillo, she didn’t mention it. He wasn’t in the mood to listen.
They rode to the bus station in uncomfortable silence. He slouched in his seat and drummed his fingertips against his thigh, continually scanning the traffic. As they arrived at the station, she spotted a group of police vehicles parked out front.
“Don’t stop,” he told the cab driver in Spanish.
“Where to, señor?”
“Just keep going.” Staying low, he glanced out the rear window to make sure they weren’t being followed. “I need to catch a bus to Hermosillo without buying a ticket at the bus station. I’ll pay extra for the inconvenience.”
“No problem,” the cab driver said.
“You can arrange it?”
“There is nothing to arrange. The first-class bus stops at La Perla Hotel on the way out of town. You can board there and pay in cash.”
“What time?”
“Every two hours.”
Ian nodded, dragging a hand down his face. He looked the way she’d felt during the plane ride. She wondered if he was sweating over the fact that the police had arrived shortly after he’d called to check in with his boss again.
La Perla Hotel was a sprawling estate with a golf course, cabanas, and a private beach. The driver took them past the main entrance and stopped beneath an arched throughway. He dropped them off in front of a sign that saidHERMOSILLO. An older couple waited on a stone bench nearby with their luggage. They were wearing casual clothes and diamond accessories.
“You don’t fit in here,” Maria said.
“Neither do you.”
She spotted a service entrance and tugged him toward it. “I have an idea.”
The door led to a maze of narrow hallways. She’d worked at a resort before, so she was familiar with the daily operations of a large hotel. After a few wrong turns, she found a huge laundry room. There were two maids inside, both teenagers.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” Maria said. “The airline lost our luggage, and we need some clothes to wear to dinner tonight. Do you have anything that another guest left behind? A shirt or jacket, long forgotten?”
The girls looked at Ian and giggled. “Sure,” one of the maids said. She opened a closet in the back of the room and rifled through the contents. There was a pinstriped shirt for Ian and a black sequined shawl for Maria. Both items looked expensive and well made. Maria gave the girls a few dollars for their trouble. She wrapped the shawl around her shoulders while Ian tried on the shirt. He had to remove his T-shirt first, revealing his gun holster and bare chest. The maids gaped at him in awe. Maria moved to stand in front of him.
“Protecting my modesty?” he asked as he buttoned up.
“Someone should.”
Two more couples were waiting at the sign when they returned. The bus arrived soon after. Ian didn’t protest as Maria climbed aboard with him, perhaps because a lone American would attract more attention among tourists. Everyone else had purchased tickets in advance, but the driver accepted Ian’s cash without blinking an eye. There were plenty of open seats.
Maria had never been on a luxury bus before. It was nothing like traveling third class. This bus didn’t make extra stops to pick up locals. There was an attendant who served drinks and sandwiches. There were full bathrooms, lots of space, and comfortable, cushioned seats. Ian took all of this in stride while she marveled over every detail.
“How much money do you have left?” she asked.
“Enough.”
“The trip from Hermosillo to Benjamín Hill will be cheap.”
“Good.”
She wasn’t sure how to broach the next subject. His eyes were closed, his head turned to the side. “Do you trust the man you work for?”
He stayed quiet for so long she thought he’d fallen asleep. “I don’t trust anyone.”
She curled up next to him, wishing she hadn’t asked. She was worried about him, her brother, Sarai, Armando. Even though her mind was troubled and her stomach was tied in knots, she couldn’t stay awake. The long, arduous day took its toll. Her eyes grew heavy and she drifted off, rocked by the gentle motions of first class.
