Totally understandable. Probably your time of the month, right?”

“My what?”

He waved his hand. “Forget I asked. So, are you staying here?” Reggie nodded at the motel.

She swallowed. “Not if I can help it.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

She pulled the ratty piece of paper out of her wallet and showed it to him. He squinted at it, then took it away from her.

“Oh, you must be here for the job,” he said.

“For the what?” She glanced at the paper and was surprised to see that the motel name and address wasn’t the only thing written on it anymore.

It also had “B. Barlow,” and “1:00 P.M.” on it. It hadn’t said that before, she was almost positive. Then again, since her plunge, she hadn’t really been thinking clearly.

“I’ll let him know you’re here,” Reggie said, and before Val could say anything, he headed for the center section of the U-shaped motel, where a sign read MANAGER’S OFFICE.

Her immediate thought was to run away, to flee, but where was she going to go? She needed somewhere safe to stay. Somewhere she could think about what to do next. Figure out how to get in contact with somebody Up There to help sort things out. So she could go back.

She crossed her arms protectively in front of her, shivering from being wet for too long.

Before she had a chance to have second thoughts about not running away, Reggie emerged from the office with a white-haired old man who eyed her curiously as they approached.

“You’re here for the job?” the old man asked her.

Reggie snatched the paper out of her hand and showed it to him before she could say anything. Not that she knew what to say.

The old man looked up from the paper, crooked a white eyebrow, and smiled at her. A warm, friendly smile that made deep lines fan out from his blue eyes. “That will not do for a uniform, I’m afraid, young lady.”