Chasing Adonis (23 page)

A squeal of delight broke his reverie. Curious, Shane
glanced over to see Tyler standing alone in the center of the living room area.

Oh, shit, no! Adara was sneaking up behind the boy. Goddamn
it, what was she thinking? Such an action would send him into a screaming fit
that would wake the whole state.

He opened his mouth, but before he could utter a sound,
she’d wrapped her arms around Tyler’s waist in a bear hug.

“Gotcha!” she exclaimed in a deep voice.

Anger at her shortsightedness simmered in his veins, and
with curses forming on his lips, he strode forward to pull the boy away. He
never got the chance.

A childish cry of “Kiai!” rent the air as Tyler bent and
grasped Adara’s ankles. One swift jerk had her flat on her back on the carpet,
arms outstretched. When Tyler looked up, he wore an expression of victory Shane
had never before seen. The child whirled, his feet landing on either side of
Adara’s ribcage before he bent at the waist and feigned two punches to her
face.
“How was that?” he squealed. “Did I do it right, Adara?”

She leaned up on her elbows, her smile bright enough to put
the sun to shame. Spotting Shane standing in the hall, she winked at him, then
turned her eyes back to Tyler. “That was terrific, Tyler. You are, by far, the
best pupil I’ve ever had.”

Ha, Shane thought to himself, he’s probably the only pupil
she’s ever had.

Yet he couldn’t squelch the feelings of pride and happiness
coursing in his veins. Was it his imagination or did Tyler stand a little taller
as he held out a hand to assist Adara to her feet?

Unsettled by the thought that Adara had succeeded where he
and six months with a renowned psychotherapist had failed, he focused his gaze
on the couch’s lone occupant. He discerned no qualms about the situation on his
mother’s countenance. She sat curled up in the corner, applauding, her face
filled with excitement at her grandson’s animation.

“Hooray for Tyler. Good job, honey.” She glanced at Shane
and smiled. “Don’t
you
think so, Shane?”

“Did you see me, Uncle Shane?” Tyler burst out, racing
toward him. “I pulled Adara on the floor on my very first try.”

Arms folded over his chest, he nodded. “I saw. You think you
could pull me down like that?”

“I could even pull Prufrock down.”

Before she ever said a word, Shane knew Adara had glided up
beside them. Her honeysuckle scent, still lingering on his skin, grew stronger
and filled his nostrils. His mouth watered, and his stomach growled loudly
enough to shake the stupid lake pictures off the walls. The rude noise gave him
the perfect excuse to avoid speaking to Adara, and he grabbed for it like a
drowning man with a piece of driftwood.

Keeping his gaze on Tyler, he said, “You know what, buddy?
Just watching you tossing Adara around gave me a powerful appetite for
chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. How about you?”

Okay, using the kid’s favorite breakfast as a means of
diversion was pretty low. But hell, he was desperate. The last thing he wanted
to do was admit to Adara that he might have been wrong about her influence on
Tyler. If that made him a chicken, well, then point him in the direction of the
henhouse. He had a roost to sit on.

“I guess I’d better get myself into a shower so we can head
out of here. The sooner we fill our bellies and get back on the road, the
sooner we’ll reach KidLand, right?”

“Right!” Tyler grabbed Adara’s hand and tugged her back into
the living room. “While we’re waiting, can we do that again? And don’t forget.
You promised to teach me a kick if I did it right.”

Her gleeful, “Sure,” sent shivers rippling down his back,
but he kept his posture ramrod straight as he strode toward the bathroom.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Fifteen hours later, Shane pulled into the Prehistoric
Palace Hotel inside the thousand-acre park grounds of KidLand.

“We’re here, we’re here,” Tyler chimed.

He had to hand it to the KidTV people. Tyler fell asleep
hours ago. Yet, the moment they entered the KidLand gates, some inner radar
woke him. With newfound energy, the child began bouncing in his car seat.

“Can we see Prufrock now, Uncle Shane? Where do you think he
is?”

“If he’s smart, he’s sleeping so he has enough energy to
listen to your chatter tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Tyler whined. “I don’t want to wait until
tomorrow.”

Adara turned in her seat to face him. “Look at it this way.
Before you see Prufrock, you’ll have mastered another karate move.”

“You promise?”

“I sure do. But I think you should go back to sleep now.
You’ll need to be well rested for your big day. Uncle Shane and I will go
inside and find our hotel room then we’ll come back to get you and Grandma.
Okay?”

The child sighed, as dramatic an air as a five-year-old
could force from such inexperienced lips. “O-kay…”

“Good man,” she said, opening the car door.

Shane stepped out on his side and waited until both doors
were closed again before speaking. “You don’t have to go in with me. In fact,
it’s probably better if you stay out of sight.”

“What, you think you’re photo’s not plastered all over the
news alongside mine? Let’s face it. Anyone looking for me is also looking for
you. By now, I’m sure the authorities have figured out that we’re together.
Besides, I don’t want you to screw this up.”

“Screw what up?”

“Come on, Shane, get real. You’re too law and order for subterfuge.
What do you expect to do when we get in there? Stroll up to the counter and ask
for a room?”

“Why not? I’m speaking the universal language.” He whipped
out the thick billfold. “Cash.”

Clucking her tongue, she shook her head. “Amateur. Just shut
up, and let me do the talking when we get inside, okay?”

“Maybe I should stay in the car and let you bring Tyler in
with you,” he snapped.

“Ordinarily, I would. Tyler’s exactly what I need to pull
this off with ease. But the boy’s been through enough, so I’ll have to wing
it.” She placed a hand on his arm, as if to soothe his pride. “I’m sorry if I
hurt your feelings. But go with me on this, please. Did you ever try to get a
room in a resort hotel without a reservation?”

“No.” The admission reeked of helplessness, and he hated
himself for it.

“Well, I have. You have to handle the situation just right,
or you’ll arouse suspicion. And suspicion is the last thing we want right now.
So follow my lead.” She had the audacity to wink at him. “Watch and learn.”

They entered the Prehistoric Palace, and Shane’s jaw
dropped. He’d entered a Peruvian rain forest. Dozens of trees towered above
him, forming a canopy so lush, the ceiling was indiscernible. A rushing
waterfall encompassed one corner of the lobby, and a winding stream of
glistening water wrapped around the perimeter. Straight ahead, in the center of
this jungle, stood what appeared to be a fallen tree, at least twenty feet long
and four feet high. This served as the reservations desk, and Adara sauntered over
to a red-smocked clerk, her bearing fit for the Queen of England.

“Oh, I’m so glad to see a friendly face.” She tossed her
purse onto the counter and dug through it as if seeking the Holy Grail. “I
worried that we’d arrive so late, no one would be available to help us.”

The woman behind the counter smiled in understanding. “The
staff at the Prehistoric Palace is available twenty-four hours a day for the
benefit of our guests. Can I help you?”

“Yes. We have reservations for one of your larger rooms. I
forget the name of the suite. The agent told me when I booked it. Where
is
that paper I wrote the information on? Oh, darn, I can’t find anything in here.
I’m so bleary-eyed.”

Shane watched her damsel in distress act with amusement. The
transformation happened within the blink of an eye. Suddenly it was bye-bye,
Xena, Warrior Princess. Hello, Rapunzel in the tower.

When Adara covered her mouth and yawned, the exhausted
traveler routine worked its magic on the desk clerk. She reached out to pat
Adara’s hand sympathetically. “Don’t worry about it, ma’am. That’s not
necessary. Just tell me your last name, and I’ll pull up your reservation.”

“Erasmus,” she replied. “Tanek and Maia Erasmus.” 

The clerk’s fingers flitted over a keyboard, and after a few
minutes, she stopped clicking and smiled. “Here it is. Mr. Pha called in your
reservations yesterday. You’re paid in full for our Super Stego Suite for the
next two weeks.”

Relief washed over Adara’s face, and Shane felt the same
emotion mix with the confusion brewing in his gut.

“That’s it, of course.” Adara nodded as if the name had been
on the tip of her tongue the whole time. “The Super Stego Suite.”

“I just need your signature here,” the clerk said as she
placed a sheet of yellow cardboard atop the counter and pointed. “Fill in
details about your car here—license number and state—and I’ll give you your
parking permit. Make sure you display it from you rearview mirror at all times
when you’re on the hotel grounds. Okay?”

“Got it.” Adara signed the name Maia Erasmus without batting
an eyelash then handed the form back to the clerk. The woman eyed the signature
and nodded, then slid a neon green six-by-nine sign with a cut-out hole for
mounting. “Thanks.”

Shane relaxed his posture slightly. Good thing they didn’t
expect him to sign also. He couldn’t begin to guess how to spell, “Tanek”
correctly. Where the hell had she come up with a name like that anyway? The
minute they were out of earshot of the front desk, Adara had mega-explaining to
do.

“How many keys do you think you’ll need?” the desk clerk
asked.

Adara turned to Shane, eyes questioning. “Two okay?”

He nodded, and the clerk swiped two credit card style keys
through a machine and slapped them on the counter along with a manila folder.
“You’re in Suite 1204. The elevators are just past the waterfall on your right.
Please take some time to read through the enclosed information packet. You’ll
find coupons for the on-site grocery store, as well as answers to our guests’
most frequently asked questions inside. If there’s anything we can do to make
your stay with us more enjoyable, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you,” Adara replied, then turned back to Shane.
“Tanek, darling, why don’t we go up and check out the suite before we get the
rest of the family and our things?”

“Great idea,
Maia
.” He took her arm as she swept the
keys and folder off the counter, and they proceeded to the elevator. “You want
to explain all that?” he prompted when they were far enough away from any
possible eavesdroppers.

Doubt creased her forehead. “I wish I could, but I can’t.”

“How did you know Pha had a room reserved here for us under
that name? And for that matter, how did Pha know where we were? Please don’t
tell me you called him.”

“You made me ditch my cell phone, remember?” She shrugged.
“Not that it was much use with that giant crack running through the screen.”

He pushed the up button, turning slightly to gauge her
expression. “So how could Pha have booked us reservations here? We didn’t even
know we’d wind up here.”

“I honestly have no idea. I used my grandparents’ names. I
thought the desk clerk would look it up, not find a reservation for us, and
apologize. Then I figured I’d make a stink until a manager straightened it all
out. That’s why I considered involving Tyler. Nothing makes adults aim to
please faster than an overwrought child throwing a tantrum in public. And no
hotel manager wants a scene in their lobby. Then I realized a shouting match
was the
last
thing Tyler needed. I assumed I’d be on my own back there.”
The elevator doors swooshed open, and they stepped inside the empty car. “I
never expected the desk clerk to find a reservation under that name in their
system. And then to discover Ted set it all up for us? It’s just another
bizarre coincidence in a series of bizarre coincidences, don’t you think?”

Shane didn’t reply. He simply pushed the button for the
twelfth floor and stared upward at the numbers as they lit one by one.

Bizarre. Par for the course regarding anything where Ted was
involved. What had he said? Something about having a psychic connection with
Adara? He’d always scoffed at cops who put their faith in those snake oil
salesmen who claimed to “see” murder victims or know the inner workings of a
criminal’s mind.

Still, he had to admit, as odd as it sounded, when it came
to Adara and Pha, an otherworldly alliance existed. If he was going to start
considering telepathic mumbo-jumbo, it was time to question his sanity.

Note to self: When this is over, make appointment with
the precinct’s shrink. Discover what it is about Adara that makes you cast all
your cynicism to the wind. Otherwise, the next thing you know, you’ll
rediscover the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus.

The elevator stopped with minimal jolt, and the doors
whooshed open to reveal yet another jungle paradise. This time, hidden
speakers, only slightly visible behind the large fronds of giant rubber trees,
added exotic birdcalls and the gentle patter of rain to the lush forest
atmosphere. Subtle floral perfume tinged the air, and along the hallway,
painted frescoes of Prufrock and his friends frolicked and kept the bad guys at
bay.

“Tyler’s going to love this,” Adara murmured while her head
swerved left, right, and overhead.

Shane nodded, his mind too occupied with thoughts of Pha’s
generous interference to really absorb their surroundings.

A short walk down a hallway carpeted in deep green plush
with black dinosaur footprints brought them to a halt outside Suite 1204. Adara
slid the key into the slot, a green light popped on, and she pushed the door
open to come face to face with another door. Repeating the procedure, she
stepped inside with Shane right behind her.