Hush Little Baby Read Online Free Page A

got out and went around to the trunk. She popped the lid and waited. Winter glanced in the trunk, then looked at her.
    ‘What did your last slave die of?’
    ‘Just take the suitcase inside for me, please.’
    He snapped off a lazy salute and heaved the case out. The way he grunted he clearly wasn’t expecting it to be so heavy. ‘What the hell have you got in here? Rocks?’
    Yoko reached in for the suit bag then closed the trunk and walked over to the rooms. She opened the door to room six, stuck her head inside, had a quick look and a sniff, then moved to room seven and went through the same routine.
    ‘I’ll have this one,’ she said. ‘You can take next door. At least this one doesn’t smell like someone died in here.’
    ‘Gee, thanks.’
    ‘Don’t mention it.’
    Winter rolled his eyes and shook his head. ‘Do you actually get the concept of sarcasm?’
    ‘And that is so the wrong question. You shouldn’t be asking whether I get it or not, what you should be asking is whether I can be bothered with it.’
    Yoko walked into the room. It was everything she’d imagined, and nothing like she’d hoped for. She had stayed in a thousand rooms like this one, and had never ceased to be depressed by them. Thin walls, cheap furniture, dreadful art on the walls, and a mattress that should have been junked a decade ago. Before opening the door to a new motel room, she always took a deep breath and hoped for the best. Occasionally she got a pleasant surprise, but not very often. Winter was hovering in the doorway, eyes tracing a slow clockwise circuit around the room.
    ‘Put the case on the bed, please.’
    He gave her another lazy salute and punctuated it with a sarcastic ‘Yes, ma’am.’
    Yoko laid the suit bag on the bed, waited for him to place the suitcase next to it, then spun the tumblers on the combination lock. 6384. Like any good code, the numbers were completely random and held no meaning for her whatsoever. She flicked the catches and pulled the lid open. She was aware of Winter standing beside her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his head move from the suitcase to her, then back again.
    ‘What’s with all the shoes?’
    ‘You’ll see.’
    He took out a pair, studied them for a second, then dropped them back in. They landed with a clatter. ‘Well, I guess this explains why your case was so heavy. I’m not going to like this, am I?’
    Yoko picked up the suit bag, unzipped it and removed the suit and a shirt. A plain red tie was draped over the shirt hangar. She held out the clothes and waited for him to take them. He didn’t move. His face betrayed every emotion he was experiencing. Disgust, disbelief, and a small amount of amusement.
    ‘I’ve never worn a suit. Not ever. I didn’t even wear one to my college interview. Read my lips, Special Agent Tanaka: there’s no way I’m wearing that.’
    Yoko produced a pair of sunglasses from the inside pocket of her jacket. She held them up and gave him a pleading look that was devoid of any sincerity.
    ‘Not. Going. To. Happen.’
    She laid the suit neatly on the bed and smoothed out the creases, placed the sunglasses on top of the clothes. Then she headed for the door.
    ‘Where are you going?’
    ‘I’m going to see Lieutenant Emilio Perez. He heads up Tampa’s homicide division. While I’m gone, I’d like you to sit here and think about why I might want you to wear a suit rather than those tatty old jeans and that T-shirt. An intellect like yours, it shouldn’t take too long to work out.’
    ‘I thought you didn’t do sarcasm.’
    ‘No, I don’t react to your sarcasm. Big difference.’
    Yoko opened the door and headed outside. She found her cigarettes, lit one with her battered old Zippo, then leant against the fender of the Chevy, smoking and waiting. A short while later the room door opened and Winter came out wearing the suit and a scowl. She looked him up and down. Considering she’d guessed, the suit fitted pretty