A Question of Honor Read Online Free PDF Page A

She sank down onto the dark red vinyl bench seat, slipped off her jacket and thought about the sign for the Wolf Lake Inn. “As much or as little Peace and Quiet as you want.” She craved both the way a man lost in the desert craved water.
    The girl from the counter came over to her and smiled. “Welcome to Willie G’s. What will you be having today?” Faith ordered coffee and a hamburger with fries, then sat back as the girl took off for the kitchen. When the hamburger and stack of fries, both large enough to feed a small nation, came, she knew that she’d made a decision. She was going to find Wolf Lake Inn and stay put for a few days if it looked okay. And she could sleep, really sleep, so she could think straight. She was afraid of making a mistake and being recognized.
    She ate half of her food. Pushing aside the plate, she reached for her wallet. She needed to get going.
    “Food no good, lady?”
    The blunt question startled Faith, and she looked up to find an older man standing by the booth. He was in his middle to late sixties, with weathered skin and long white hair piled under a cook’s hairnet. Wearing a white T-shirt and white pants, both liberally stained by various foods, he frowned at her plate, his hawkish nose twitching. “No good?” he repeated as he met her gaze.
    She shook her head. “Oh, no, it was very good. It’s just so much food, enough for two or three meals.”
    He folded his arms on his chest as a smile softened his lined, angular face. “I understand. You’re a little bit of a thing. For a minute I thought old Willie G. had lost the magic touch.”
    “What I could eat was great.” She couldn’t stop a yawn. “Sorry,” she said. “I’ve been driving forever and I’m really tired.”
    “Where you heading for?”
    She hesitated, wondering if he could help. “Albuquerque, but I saw a sign for The Wolf Lake Inn when I pulled in here. Do you know it?”
    “You looking to stay there?”
    “Maybe, as long as it’s peaceful and private, and not too fancy or expensive.”
    “That about describes it,” Willie said
    “Is it very far from here?”
    “It’s about fifteen miles north, near the res.”
    “The res?”
    “Indian reservation.”
    Faith hadn’t realized until that moment that he was very much a Native American. “You’re from there?”
    He nodded. “Born and bred. Wolf Lake is a good place. Some tourist stuff, but nothing too crazy. It’s pretty quiet most times. Shoot, they got a police force of four, and their main job is giving out tickets for illegal parking to tourists who wander through. That tells you how safe it is.”
    It didn’t sound as if any of the four policemen would be looking for a financier’s daughter or even know about her. “How do I get there?”
    He gave her directions, telling her to watch out for the inn just before the general store on the main drag of the town on the north side. “It’s a two-storied adobe with a carved eagle above the entrance. It was the first hotel ever in town. Now it’s more like what do you call those places...oh, yeah, a bed-and-breakfast. Six, eight rooms, nice place.” He hesitated and then said, “For the sake of truth in advertising, I should tell you my niece runs the inn. Name’s Mallory Sanchez. You can tell her I sent you, if you want.” He smiled slyly at her. “Probably won’t help you, but who knows?”
    She answered his smile. “Thank you so much, Mr....?”
    “Name’s Willie G. Lots of Willies around, but only one Willie G. in these parts.”
    The waitress called out to him, “Got two orders, Willie.”
    He waved a hand at her but didn’t turn. “What’s your name?”
    “Faith.”
    “Safe journey, Faith,” he said, moving toward the kitchen.
    After the waitress boxed Faith’s leftover food and took the money for the bill, Faith stepped out into air that was just plain cold. Light snow was falling, gradually turning the land a pale gray-white. Faith got in her car, went back to