I looked up to see Sally staring down at me. She had the same expression on her face as I had seen in the Jet Blue Baggage Claim.

“Can I take a leak first? I can’t really escape now, can I?”

She nodded and I got up to go to the bathroom to think. I did piss too. After washing my hands, I walked back to my seat. She was sitting in the seat next to me.

“I arranged for me to switch seats with your neighbor, so you’ve got the entire flight to tell me what is going on.”

“Why do you think I’m following you?”

“Your friend told me. She’s very nice and told me I could trust you. I don’t understand why people are following me.”

“People?”

“At the Baggage Claim, some guy was trying to talk to me and find out info about me. At first, I thought he was trying to pick me up, but now I think he was another private detective.”

I didn’t like the fact that someone else was on this job. Did the Beverly Hills asshole lawyer hire him? Or was it someone else?

“You tell me. Why would someone have you followed? I’m assuming my friend told you the very few details I was given about you.”

“Yeah. Betty Crocker is a crock of shit, isn’t it? Get it?” She laughed to herself.

“My friend said your name is Sally?”

“That’s right. From Nebraska. Better than Betty, don’t you think?”

“Whatever works for you. But seriously, why would you be someone that needs to be followed? Why would someone want to know where you are planting roots?”

She pushed the call button. A flight attendant promptly came to our seats.

“Can I have a glass of champagne?” She looked at me. “Make it two.”

“You know, for an actress from Nebraska, you sure have expensive taste!”

“I’m a widow. I’m actually a very rich woman. A patron of the arts. I thought I’d give acting a try. It didn’t look that hard.”

“You didn’t think that was a reason for someone to follow you?”

“There are lots of rich women.”

“True enough. Have you pissed off anyone with your wealth? Wealthy people tend to have lots of enemies.”

“Well, my father in law thinks I murdered my husband. There was a trial. I was found innocent. He hates me and still thinks I killed him. But I don’t see why he would have me followed. I would think he would want me as far away from him as possible.”

Thankfully, the drinks arrived. I had no idea how to respond to that. After taking a big gulp of champagne, I figured I had nothing to lose.

“Just between us girls. Did you?”

“Don’t be an asshole. Of course not”

“Then why?”

“I’m not of their class and I inherited everything.”

It’s always that. Fucked up and predictable at the same time.

She added, “What now? Now that you know my real story, what are you going to do?”

“I will need to verify your story.”

“There’s WiFi on this flight. I’ll show you.”

For the next hour and in between bites of dinner, she guided me through various news sites and court records. Her story was legit.

“So why are you going to Spain?”

“I have family in Provo.”

“No shit?”

We talked some more until we were both tired and mutually decided to take a break and grab some sleep. I had a few hours to formulate a plan. This job was getting uglier by the minute and I seemed to be on the wrong side of it.

I fully reclined my seat and went to sleep. This time, it was all piña coladas until I woke up. Buxom Blonde #2 had left, never to come back again.

I had the bare bones of an idea of what this was about and what I needed to do. It wasn’t much, but it was more than I’d had in other cases.

***

When we woke up, I told her my working theory and preliminary plan. She laughed and said she was glad the lawyer was paying me and not her. I was thinking that if this thing went sideways, no one would be paying me.

I pulled some papers out of my carry-on and showed them to her.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“In order for me to help you and do what I need to do, we have to have a contractual relationship and you need to be my client. Otherwise, there’s not much I can do.”

“How do I know you’re not conning me for money?”

“Because I’m not charging you. I’ll sign that you gave me the retainer fee.”

She agreed and signed the papers. She was officially my client.

“Okay. Part 1 will happen as soon as we land. Once we get off the plane, stay close to me and don’t wander off, okay?”

We landed without incident. As soon as I got signal, I dialed LA.

“Do you know what time it is?”

“Didn’t you want an update as soon as I had one?”

“Not in middle of the fucking night. But fine, what do you have?”

“First, you need to be straight with me. Did you hire someone else for this job?”

“No, why would I?”

“I don’t know. You haven’t told me much. I have noticed others doing the same thing I’m doing. If you didn’t hire them, do you have any idea who did?”

“No. I know nothing about that.”

“See, I think you do”, I said, getting increasingly angrier. “And I think you’re trying to play me for a pawn in whatever game you’re playing.”

“Let me remind you that I’ve paid you ten thousand dollars to get answers. Where are you and where is she?”

“Fuck you and fuck your ten thousand dollars. I haven’t spent a dime of them”, I lied. “I can easily return them to you if you want. I want more information or I’m off this case.”

“There is no more information to give you. I gave you a task and money and I expect you to fulfill it.”

“You’re an asshole. I’m on a plane in Europe. I’ll call you later.”

I hung up on him before he had a chance to respond. I immediately turned my phone off.

I turned to her and said, “Okay, part 1 complete.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Don’t worry about it. What company did you say you got the rental from?”

“Hertz.”

“Cancel it. I know a good hotel in Madrid. We’ll stay there for a bit to throw them off the scent”

We deplaned, waited for her bag in Baggage Claim, went through Immigration and Customs, exited the terminal, and grabbed a taxi into central Madrid. I asked the cabbie to take us to the Parque de El Retiro.

“Okay, now it’s on to Part 2.”

After we got out of the cab, I led her through a series of zigzags in the streets on the west side of the park until we got to a nondescript apartment building. Using her real name, we signed her up for a year lease. I paid with the cash the asshole lawyer had given me.

Once we got the key, we left the building through the back door and walked a couple of blocks to the hotel. I booked adjoining rooms.

We each got our keys and went to our individual rooms to freshen up. I started up my phone to see three voicemail messages and a couple of very rude texts from the lawyer. I texted him back with the apartment address and the news that she had signed a year’s lease. As far as I was concerned, my job was done and I never wanted to see that asshole again.

I was in the middle of a nice hot shower when I heard a noise. I listened closely to see if there were more noises, but nothing happened.

As I was singing the chorus to “People are People”, I saw a shadow flashing across my right side. Something large and heavy hit me flush in the face and I crumpled to the bottom of the shower slash tub.

I didn’t really see stars or birds like in the cartoons but I sure felt like I had been run over by a train. I slowly got up and made a body check to make sure I was alright.

The water was still running and that helped me get back to normal quickly. I turned off the water, grabbed a towel, and went out into my room.

My carry-on bag was still there and nothing had been taken. I went over to the adjoining room door and called out, “Sally, are you there?”

Silence.

I repeated the words and got the same response. I pulled open the door. Her door was wide open.

She and her suitcase were both gone.

***