Free Injustice for All by J. A. Jance Page A

I’ll change into jeans.”
    “Wait a minute. I said maybe.”
    She looked both ways, up and down the hall, then gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.
    “Please.”
    “Well, all right, now that you put it that way.”
    Smiling, she disappeared into her room. I returned to mine. I had gotten a second key for Peters, and he was there waiting when I arrived. “Who’s your roommate?” he asked casually as I flopped onto the bed. “Her makeup case is still in the bathroom.“
    I wasn’t any better at sneaking around than Ginger was. I made a stab at semi-full disclosure. “Ginger Watkins stayed here last night. Didn’t I tell you?”
    Peters’ eyes narrowed. “I don’t think so.”
    “There weren’t any more rooms, and she couldn’t go back to hers. Whoever got in had a key.”
    “Right.” Peters nodded complacently, humoring me. “We got a roll-away. She’s married, for chrissake!” “Okay, okay,” he said. “Have it your way. What’s the program?” “You didn’t tell me Ames has a court date in The Dalles.”
    “Small oversight.” Peters grinned. “So we’re even. What’s going on?” “I asked Ames to come up here tonight. I’m hoping he can help Ginger with her divorce. “
    “And you still expect me to fall for that crap about a roll-away bed?” He laughed.
    As I threw a pillow at him, the phone rang. It was Ames. “I get into Sea-Tac at five-fifty.
    Can someone meet me?”
    “We’ll flip a coin,” I told him. “One of us will be there. What airline?” “United.“
    “Okay. I’ll book rooms here.”
    “Rooms?”
    I glared at Peters. “Peters snores,” I growled into the phone. “I sure as hell don’t want him in my room, and you won’t want him in yours, either. Besides, they’ve just had a bunch of cancellations. I know rooms are available.”
    “Rooms,” Ames agreed.
    Peters and I flipped a coin. He called heads, and it was tails. I figured it was my lucky day. Considering the ferry schedule, he didn’t have much time to hang around.
    I called the desk and reserved two more rooms. Up at the far end of the complex.
    By the tennis courts. Adjoining. I was still on the phone when someone knocked. Peters went to the door.
    “My name is Ginger Watkins. Is Beau here?”
    Peters stepped to one side and rolled his eyes at me once he was behind her. She wore a full-sleeved apricot blouse and a pair of tight-fitting Levi’s that did justice to her figure. With a jacket slung nonchalantly over one shoulder, Ginger was a class act all the way. “This is Detective Ron Peters,” I said, “my partner on the force in Seattle.”
    “I’m pleased to meet you.” Her smile of genuine goodwill had its desired effect.
    Peters’ appraising glance was filled with admiration. “Pleasure’s all mine,” he murmured.
    Ginger turned to me. “Did I leave my calendar here?” she asked. “It isn’t in the room, and I checked with the maids. They said they moved everything. “
    “I haven’t seen it. When did you have it last?” “I don’t remember. I may have taken it with me when I went to meet Sig. It’s got the address for the meeting tonight. I’m sure someone else can tell me where the meeting is, but I keep all kinds of phone numbers in the calendar. It would be hard to replace. “
    “Could you have left it in the car in Anacortes?” She considered that possibility.
    “No,” she said. “I don’t think so.” I picked up the phone and called the desk to ask if anyone had turned in the missing calendar. No one had.
    “Come on,” I said when I got off the phone. “We’ll walk Peters to his car. He’s just leaving for the airport.”
    “You are?” she asked. “You barely got here.”
    “I did,” Peters agreed sullenly, “but shore leave just got canceled.” Peters took off in his beat-up blue Datsun. Ginger and I diligently searched the meeting rooms, the dining room, the bar, and the lobby to no avail. The calendar wasn’t there.
    Rosario is nothing if not a