Spencerville

going?”
    “To get the car out of here.”
    She put her hand on his arm. “I’ll go with you. If they come, I don’t want to be here without you.”
    “All right.”
    They went outside and got into the Blazer. Keith drove up the lane and stopped at the lighted signboard near the highway. He got out and pulled the light plug out of the electrical outlet, leaving the signboard in darkness, then got back in the Blazer and said, “Enough customers for one night.”
    Annie glanced at him but said nothing.
    Keith pulled back onto the highway and made a right, toward Toledo. He said, “We’re going to have to walk back.”
    “Okay.”
    A police cruiser came toward them from the opposite direction and passed them. Keith looked in his sideview mirror, but the cruiser kept going. He said to her, “There’s a Chevrolet dealership on this road, according to the phone book. Odd number, so it’ll be on the left-hand side.”
    She nodded. “That’s a good place to leave a Chevy. You’re smarter than you look, Landry.”
    “Thank you.”
    “Do you still need that mustache and glasses?”
    “For your fantasy, later.”
    She smiled and punched his arm. “
You
are my fantasy.”
    The Chevrolet dealership came into view on the left side of the road, and Keith slowed down and took the left into the lot. The place was closed, as he thought it would be at this hour, and he found space in the used-car lot.
    They got out, and Keith went around to the rear, got two screwdrivers from the toolbox, and they took off the license plates. “There. They’ll wonder about the good car fairy in the morning. Let’s walk. It’s exactly one-point-four miles, if you’re interested.”
    They began the walk back to the motel, along the commercial highway. Keith stuck the license plates in his waistband and zippered his windbreaker over them.
    She asked him, “Will we come back for the car in the morning?”
    “It’s an option.”
    They came to a Burger King, and Keith asked, “Hungry?”
    “No, my stomach is in knots.”
    “You need a belly-bomber. Come on.”
    They went into the Burger King, got hamburgers, Cokes, and fries, and sat at a table. Keith asked, “Is this as romantic as you thought it would be?”
    She smiled. “When I’m with you, the airport highway looks like the Via Veneto.”
    “I think I’m going to throw up.”
    She laughed, and he put his hand on hers. “It’s okay now.”
    She nodded.
    They ate, and he found he was hungry and so was she. He glanced at his watch. It was always a good idea to put in some time outside of the room you just booked. The police sometimes got sloppy about their stakeouts when they were waiting for you to return.
    She said, “Don’t swallow your mustache.”
    He smiled. “I like you.”
    At ten P.M. , he said, “Let’s walk off the fries.”
    They left and crossed the highway at a light. There were absolutely no other pedestrians on this highway, and in some parts of America, pedestrians were a rare enough sight to attract attention. He picked up his pace, and she kept up with him.
    They approached the dark motel sign near the lane, and Keith slowed down and took her arm. There was an all-night convenience store next to the lane that led to the motel, and he directed her into the parking lot. They stood in the lot and kept watching the motel. He asked, “Do you want to go in there and get some snacks for later?”
    “No. I’m not leaving your side.”
    “Okay. We’ll wait here a few minutes.”
    Keith gave it five minutes, then they walked to the motel, through the parking lot, and went to the door of room 7. If the police were here, or somewhere out there, it was already too late, so he just walked in, noting the lights were still on and nothing seemed disturbed.
    Annie locked and bolted the door behind them.
    Keith threw the key on the nightstand and the license plates on the bureau and looked at her. “You’re a real trouper.”
    “You’re amazing.” She took his glasses off, peeled off his mustache, and kissed him.
    In fact, he was basically happy with his tradecraft, which was at one time second nature to him. Now he had to think about it, but at least he knew what he was supposed to be thinking about.
    Annie was unpacking her overnight bag in the bathroom, and Keith parted the blackout curtains and looked out into the parking court. Everything seemed all right, but he had this sense of déjà vu, like he was in East Berlin again, looking out at the