Page 42 of Waylaid in Whittier

“I gotta be back on the ship by five,” Sharky said. “My shift ends at ten.”

“Five,” Elvira repeated. “I’ll check in with you later. I’ll need some time to settle the paperwork, clean up my trailer, and pack my bags.”

“But what if you’re not allowed to leave Whittier?” Millie asked.

“Positive vibes,” Elvira said. “Besides, Sharky sings your praises. I’m confident with all the brain power we have between us, we can figure this out.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Sharky hustled toward his fallen scooter. “Caboose knocked the Flamethrower over like it was a toy.”

“I’m sure it’s fine.” Millie watched him stand it upright. “See? Caboose barely touched it.”

“He scratched the paint.”

“Think of it as a souvenir from Whittier.” Millie emphasized the “ier” end of the town’s name. “Get it? A souvenir from Whitti-ear.”

“Haha. You’re hilarious.” Sharky handed her the helmet. “Let’s get through the tunnel before Caboose decides to come back and reclaim the tracks.”

Chapter 16

Sharky parked the Flamethrower in front of the bicycle rack and wrapped the chain lock through the bars. “What’s the plan?”

“We need to find out as much as we can about Wanda.” Millie checked her wallet and found she had a few five-dollar bills, a ten and a couple of ones, “persuasion cash,” if needed. “I have to admit, I’m curious about how these people live in such tight quarters, almost on top of each other.”

“More like literally on top of each other,” Sharky joked. “Probably the same way we all live on board a cruise ship day in and day out.”

“Good point, although I don’t think I could handle the long winters hunkered down in one building. At least on the cruise ship, we’re able to go out and explore.”

Stepping inside the compact yet well-lit lobby, she placed her hand on the concrete wall and shivered. “I’m not getting a warm and welcoming vibe.”

“It seems a little dark and depressing,” Sharky said. “Maybe the other building, the even bigger one, has a nicer setup.”

Millie wandered over to a bulletin board covered in Plexiglas, similar to the ones used in office buildings. “Check this out. It looks like this used to be some sort of resident directory.”

“Until somebody figured out that it might not be safe to post personal information.” Sharky grabbed his phone. “Elvira mentioned what unit Wanda lives in, but I forgot.”

“The Caboose incident traumatized you,” Millie teased. “I would be rattled if I had a moose charging me too.”

“It’s a day I’ll never forget. Oh boy,” he muttered. “That figures.”

“What figures?”

“Nothing. Elvira sent a message. She’s at the cop shop, having trouble getting her paperwork processed. She said Wanda lives in unit 504, on the fifth floor.” Sharky shoved his phone back in his pocket. “Where are the elevators?”

“Hidden away, down some dark, dreary corridor.” Millie scoped out the lobby. “There’s only one way to go.”

A woman passed by them, giving them a second look, more than likely wondering who they were.

Sharky must’ve thought the same thing. “We’re getting the old side eye.”

“Maybe we should have asked her if she knew Wanda,” Millie said. “Let’s check out her unit first, before we get sidetracked. After we’re done, we’ll knock on the neighbor’s door.”

Following in the general direction the woman had taken, they found the elevators at the end of the hall. Millie jabbed the up button. The elevator made a grinding noise. Seconds later, the button’s light went off.

“It sounds like the elevator is on its last leg,” Sharky joked.

“Where are the stairs?” She stepped to the side and began looking for the emergency exit and stairs sign.

“No need. The elevator is here.” He grabbed her arm and whisked her inside. “See? Nothing to worry about.”

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