smelling of urine stepped out wearing a female jogging top. He stopped and looked up at Tag then tried to walk by.
“Where’d you get that top?”
“Huh?” The man blinked a few times. Beneath the grime on his face Tag noticed his skin reddened.
Tag stepped closer. “You heard me, where did you get that top?”
“I…I…I found it.” Although the man pulled his jacket closed, covering the top and his hands shook as if he was afraid, he wasn’t.
Tag pulled a $20 bill from his wallet and held it between his fingertips. “Show me where.”
Staring at the $20 as if it were a $100, the man nodded repeatedly and pointed down the hall. “Inna bag.”
“Where’s the bag?” Tag asked.
“In there, trash. You wan’ it?” He swallowed hard while staring at the money.
“Yes, get it. Then show me where you found it.”
The guy spun around and returned to the bathroom. Without closing the door, he snatched the bag then gave it to Tag.
“Here ya go.” He rubbed his hands on his dirty pants while watching Tag sniff the plastic sack.
“Show me.” Tag moved out the way and followed the man down the hall and toward the front of the building. They stopped short of going outside.
“He put the bag in there, right there.” He pointed to a metal trashcan chained to the masonry column.
“Do you remember what the man looked like? Was he alone?”
“White dude, not big like you, mean-looking. Didn’t see nobody else, ask one of ‘em behind the glass, he would’a talked to ‘em.”
Tag looked at the ticket sales window.
“Um…can I ‘ave me money now?”
Tag extended his hand. The man took it and allowed Tag to shake it as he transferred the money. “Thanks, I appreciate your help.”
The vagrant bobbed his head several times as he walked away. “Welcome, Mister.”
Tag spoke to the woman at the counter and showed her Camilla’s picture. Neither of them had seen Camilla.
“What about that guy who bought the ticket to Canada for his sister?” one of the women asked the other. “Said she was sick and he was sending her home. Ruby handled that sale but she’s at lunch. As far as I recall the sister never came to the window, he may have pointed her out to Ruby or something.”
Sister? Canada? None of it made sense. Why would they release her then put her on a bus out the country? Still he needed to check. “Where does the bus stop?”
“Here’s the schedule. You just missed it. Left here a little late, so the driver’ll try to make up time. But it stops at these places.” She pointed to the locations on the map. The next stop was about thirty miles north of where he stopped for lunch.
“Thanks,” he said grabbing the brochure then moved quickly away from the counter. When he cleared the building, he ran to his car as a sense of urgency gripped him. If he pressed the pedal he could reach the next station about the same time as the bus.
“Hunt?” Grizzle asked.
“Yes,” Tag said as he started the car.
<<<<>>>>
Tag released a satisfied grunt as he pulled behind the bus, grabbed his keys and jumped out. Passengers picked up their unloaded luggage and left the crowded area. Tag searched the crowd for Camilla. Relief turned to concern. What if she hadn’t been placed on this bus? Hundreds of odors buffeted him. He stepped aside filtering fumes, body odors and food to find her while waiting for the last person to exit the bus.
When the bus emptied, Tag jumped to the second step and looked to the left. Camilla’s face lay against the window, eyes closed, mouth opened slightly, she appeared sleep. Tag released a long breath and moved toward her. Messy curls escaped the band meant to corral them. The gray velour jogging suit looked new and expensive, definitely out of place on this bus.
“Camilla.” He took her hand. “Camilla.” She frowned and turned toward him. Her eyes opened slightly.
“Tag?” she whispered.
His brow shot up. She recognized him?
“Yeah, it’s me.
“Where’d you get that top?”
“Huh?” The man blinked a few times. Beneath the grime on his face Tag noticed his skin reddened.
Tag stepped closer. “You heard me, where did you get that top?”
“I…I…I found it.” Although the man pulled his jacket closed, covering the top and his hands shook as if he was afraid, he wasn’t.
Tag pulled a $20 bill from his wallet and held it between his fingertips. “Show me where.”
Staring at the $20 as if it were a $100, the man nodded repeatedly and pointed down the hall. “Inna bag.”
“Where’s the bag?” Tag asked.
“In there, trash. You wan’ it?” He swallowed hard while staring at the money.
“Yes, get it. Then show me where you found it.”
The guy spun around and returned to the bathroom. Without closing the door, he snatched the bag then gave it to Tag.
“Here ya go.” He rubbed his hands on his dirty pants while watching Tag sniff the plastic sack.
“Show me.” Tag moved out the way and followed the man down the hall and toward the front of the building. They stopped short of going outside.
“He put the bag in there, right there.” He pointed to a metal trashcan chained to the masonry column.
“Do you remember what the man looked like? Was he alone?”
“White dude, not big like you, mean-looking. Didn’t see nobody else, ask one of ‘em behind the glass, he would’a talked to ‘em.”
Tag looked at the ticket sales window.
“Um…can I ‘ave me money now?”
Tag extended his hand. The man took it and allowed Tag to shake it as he transferred the money. “Thanks, I appreciate your help.”
The vagrant bobbed his head several times as he walked away. “Welcome, Mister.”
Tag spoke to the woman at the counter and showed her Camilla’s picture. Neither of them had seen Camilla.
“What about that guy who bought the ticket to Canada for his sister?” one of the women asked the other. “Said she was sick and he was sending her home. Ruby handled that sale but she’s at lunch. As far as I recall the sister never came to the window, he may have pointed her out to Ruby or something.”
Sister? Canada? None of it made sense. Why would they release her then put her on a bus out the country? Still he needed to check. “Where does the bus stop?”
“Here’s the schedule. You just missed it. Left here a little late, so the driver’ll try to make up time. But it stops at these places.” She pointed to the locations on the map. The next stop was about thirty miles north of where he stopped for lunch.
“Thanks,” he said grabbing the brochure then moved quickly away from the counter. When he cleared the building, he ran to his car as a sense of urgency gripped him. If he pressed the pedal he could reach the next station about the same time as the bus.
“Hunt?” Grizzle asked.
“Yes,” Tag said as he started the car.
<<<<>>>>
Tag released a satisfied grunt as he pulled behind the bus, grabbed his keys and jumped out. Passengers picked up their unloaded luggage and left the crowded area. Tag searched the crowd for Camilla. Relief turned to concern. What if she hadn’t been placed on this bus? Hundreds of odors buffeted him. He stepped aside filtering fumes, body odors and food to find her while waiting for the last person to exit the bus.
When the bus emptied, Tag jumped to the second step and looked to the left. Camilla’s face lay against the window, eyes closed, mouth opened slightly, she appeared sleep. Tag released a long breath and moved toward her. Messy curls escaped the band meant to corral them. The gray velour jogging suit looked new and expensive, definitely out of place on this bus.
“Camilla.” He took her hand. “Camilla.” She frowned and turned toward him. Her eyes opened slightly.
“Tag?” she whispered.
His brow shot up. She recognized him?
“Yeah, it’s me.
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