Page 70 of Sloth
The girls stopped, lips parting as they took him in. He supposed he was a bit intimidating, towering over them. He went for a smile.
“I’m looking for Beatrix Pinkerton. Could you point us in her direction?”
A taller blond girl bumped the closest girl out of the way with her hips. “Ooh. Are you British too?” she cooed, stepping toward him. “I love your accent. Can you say something else?”
“I’m Australian.”
Her girlfriends began chattering excitedly amongst themselves.
A loud sigh expelled behind him and Sloan pushed him out of the way. “Girls, focus. Beatrix.”
“Room one-oh-two. Jeez, lady.” The blond pouted at her then pointed inside. “But you’ll need a visitor pass. That’s at the main admin building back that way.”
Sloan gave her a tight-lipped smile and nudged Max inside, mumbling under her breath. “Yeah, I got your visitor pass right here.”
Max chuckled as he followed, also ignoring the visitor pass instruction. Thankfully, they’d avoided running into any teachers by the time they located Beatrix’s room. When they knocked on the door, it opened.
A teenage girl with long straight black hair and big square glasses greeted them with an open book in her hand. She slammed it closed and packed it into a bag. With a posh tone, she snapped, “About time.”
Both Max and Sloan were taken aback.
Sloan pushed into the room. “Who do you think we are?”
“You’re the people my father sent. Obviously.” She spun on her heel and gathered a packed duffel bag from her bed. She handed it to Max. “There’s more.”
He arched a brow at Sloan and she gave him eyes that seemed to say “I told you she was bossy.”
“What else did your father say?” Max asked.
“He said it’s not safe for me here, and a man and a woman we can trust are coming to take me to him.” Beatrix gathered a small suitcase on wheels, and pointed at a final backpack sitting on the floor next to an empty shelf. “Seeing as you’re the only man and woman I’ve seen all morning, I’m assuming it’s you.”
“Never assume,” Sloan said. “It makes an ass out of you and me.”
“Uh. You sound like my father.”
“Yeah, well, your father and my father knew each other. They must speak the same dad language.” Sloan went to lift the bag, but it weighed down, slamming back on the ground. “What have you got in here?”
Beatrix blinked back at her. “Books.”
Sloan shook her head. “We don’t have time for books. This isn’t a vacation.”
Beatrix folded her arms. “If we’re not coming back here, I need those. They’re very important research books.”
Before Beatrix could stop her, Sloan unzipped the bag and took one out.Anne of Green Gables. Max thought maybe Sloan would make some offhand offensive comment, but she returned the book carefully and zipped the bag up before hoisting it over her shoulder.
“Okay. Let’s go,” Sloan said and headed for the door.
Avoiding Max’s gaze, Beatrix rushed after Sloan.
It was sheer luck that had them down to the car and half loaded before a woman came running toward them from the small administration building on the other side of the parking lot. Max was hoping they’d be able to leave quickly and quietly, unseen, no fuss.
The woman’s long brown dress fluttered behind her. The yellow ribbon in her long brown hair left a trail. When she arrived, huffing and puffing, Max noted the wrinkles around her eyes and age spots. She was older than she dressed. No makeup. Flat shoes. A face ready to do battle.
Max’s internal alarm went off.
“I’m sorry,” the woman said as she arrived. “I can’t let you leave.”
“It’s okay, Dean Hartly, my father called and approved.” Beatrix came around from the other side of the car.
