One Grave Less

here to the house,” she said.
    Diane was curious to know why they didn’t know about the vaults, but she wasn’t going to ask.
    “We are going to the museum. You are going to get the package. Or we will kill everyone here, including any nosy neighbors. Do you understand?”
    “Yes, I understand,” said Diane.
    Diane knew he intended to kill her—unless she could think of a plan. She had absolutely no idea what she was going to do to avoid her fate. She did know she was going to get these men away from Frank’s house and away from Star.
    When they discovered she had no idea what package they wanted, and had just made a wild guess that they were looking for something Simone had mailed to her, then they would be furious, and her death would not be pleasant.
    She desperately needed a plan.

Chapter 48
    “What?” asked Rosetta when Maria backed her deeper into the stairwell.
    “There’s a man looking for us, I think,” said Maria.
    Rosetta put her hands to her mouth and inhaled sharply. “Oh no. How did he find us?”
    “He has one of those flyers. I imagine he’s going from hotel to hotel. I don’t think he knows we’re here. I think he’s asking questions. Let’s find a back door.” And ditch the gun, she thought.
    They went back up to the second floor and walked down the hall to another stairway. Maria hoped it led to a different door. She walked down to the first landing again. This door didn’t have a window. She eased it open and was startled when someone rushed in.
    “Oh, Olá .” A young girl rushed up the stairs, ignoring Maria and Rosetta, after saying a surprised hello.
    The two of them walked out onto the street. Maria scanned the building facade looking for a broken cement block or any nook to hide a gun. She didn’t linger, but examined the places as she went. She stopped abruptly at a small building beside the hotel. It was older looking and not in as good repair. One of the blocks was cracked.
    “I want to check this out. Stand here so it will look like I’m tying your shoe,” said Maria.
    Rosetta hurried around and stood blocking the view of Maria’s examination of the brick. Maria pulled on the small piece of the broken block. As she hoped, it came loose. She had to tug at it, but she managed to pull it out. There was a small space behind it, between the block and the wood wall, perhaps big enough for the gun. She pulled the gun out of her tote bag, wiped it off, and wrapped it in one of the pieces of fabric that they’d used for just about everything. The gun just fit in the space. She shoved the broken piece back and stood up. She felt a good deal of relief. If she were questioned by the authorities, she didn’t want to have a gun on her. She and Rosetta walked across the street into a grassy park area and stood under some trees so they could watch the entrance to the hotel. It didn’t take long for the man with the flyer to come out. They watched him hurry down the street.
    Rosetta grabbed Maria around the leg and clung to her. “That’s the bad man,” said Rosetta, “the one with the English accent. The one who was at the mission that day.”
    Maria didn’t ask if she was sure. She believed Rosetta. Maria watched the man as he walked down the street toward another hotel. He didn’t glance in their direction, but Maria saw his profile. He wore a straw fedoralike hat, which Maria thought made him look quaint. It definitely made him stand out. He had a clean-cut profile and looked to be in his late thirties or early forties. He had light brown hair. She committed his features, what she could see of them, to memory. They didn’t move from their spot, but watched him come out of the hotel and continue on across the street and get into a VW Beetle parked in front of a church. Clearly he was visiting all the hotels.
    “Are we in trouble?” asked Rosetta.
    “I don’t think so. The clerk on duty was not the same one that checked us in. That’s in our favor. I didn’t put you down when I signed the book.”
    Maria thought for a moment where she had said she was from. She had given the name of a small town on the map she had. It wasn’t far from where she had been held. That may have been a mistake.
    “You said he was from an embassy?” said Maria.
    “Yeah, I think,” said Rosetta.
    So what is he doing here? wondered Maria. Why was he looking for them, and why here? She never mentioned Benjamin Constant to Kyle or anyone. But it is a sizable port city on the