Free Big Kiss-Off by Day Keene

been. Some men are not like that. But you are that sort of man.”
    Even in his bitterness, Cade was amazed by the depth of her perception.
    Mimi found and squeezed his hand. “Anything else but as it was would have cheapened both of us.”
    Cade played with her fingers. “You think Moran has been true to you?”
    “That is another matter.”
    “What if he doesn’t want you?”
    “That is my problem.”
    “Yeah. Sure,” Cade said, dryly. He leaned back against the leather seat of the cab, fighting a mild headache, wondering how Mimi was going to react when she found out that her “husband” was living with his former wife.
    It could be an interesting scene.
    The hotel was much as he had imagined it would be. There was a dimly lighted cocktail lounge off the foyer. The rusted ornamental wrought iron needed painting. Both the ornamental mosaic tile entrance and the glass doors looked like they could stand a good washing.
    As Cade started to pay off the driver, Mimi put her hand on his arm. “Thank you. Thank you ver’ much for everything. But you do not need to come in with me. After all, it has been a year and I would prefer to be alone when I meet Jeem.”
    Cade gave the driver a five-dollar bill and waited for his change. “Uh uh.”
    Mimi was puzzled. “Uh uh?”
    Cade tipped the driver, put his change into his pocket, then tucked Mimi’s hand under his arm. “That’s American for nothing doing. How about my money?”
    “Money?”
    “Yeah. For the gas it took to run up here and the clothes I just bought you.”
    “Oh, yes.” Her small chin jutted. “Jeem will be glad to pay you.”
    Cade tightened his hand on her arm. “Could be. Anyway, we’re going in together.”
    Mimi glanced at him hotly from the corner of her eye but said nothing. The lobby was in keeping with the outside of the hotel. A half-dozen artificial palm trees grew out of sand pots. The chairs were covered with pastel leather and looked new. It wasn’t the chairs in the Royal Crescent that took a pounding. It even smelled like the sort of a place it was.
    The clerk was young and glib. He looked at Cade’s white captain’s cap and water-stained white shirt and pants and white top-siders, then at Mimi’s ample bosom. “Yes, sir, captain. A room with a bath, I presume? Say something around eight dollars?”
    Mimi blushed. “No. You have a misunderstanding. We do not weesh for a room. I am looking for my ‘usban’.”
    The clerk’s eyes turned opaque. “Oh.”
    “A Mister Jeem Moran. He comes here from Bay Parish.”
    “Oh, yes,” the clerk said. “Mr. James Moran.”
    Mimi steadied her trembling fingers by holding on to the counter. “Would you be so kin’ as to call heem and tell heem that Mimi is here.”
    The clerk was mildly amused. “I’m afraid that would be a little difficult, miss.”
    Mimi looked at the house phone on the counter. “Why would it be
dificil?
”
    “Because Mr. Moran isn’t stopping with us any more. He checked out a little better than two weeks ago.”
    She gasped. “He moved to some other hotel? Here in New Orleans?”
    “That I wouldn’t know, lady. Mr. Moran didn’t take me into his confidence. After all, I’m only the clerk.”
    Mimi pounded on the counter with her small fists. “But you must know where he is. I have come all the way from Caracas.”
    The clerk wasn’t impressed. “Look, lady. I don’t care if you came all the way from St. Louis. I don’t know where the guy is. Like I said. He moved out a little better than two weeks ago and he didn’t leave a forwarding address.” The clerk pointed to an envelope-choked slot in the key rack. “In fact, if you locate the guy, I’d appreciate it very much if you’d tell him to come pick up his mail.”
    Cade leaned an elbow on the counter. “How about the blonde in the adjoining room? Did she check out, too?”
    Caught off balance, the clerk asked, “You mean Mrs. Cain? Yeah. She and Moran — ” The clerk realized he had