Colorado Bodyguard Read Online Free PDF

pair of tweens choosing sodas from a machine and a businessman checking in. The clerk behind the counter was probably a college student from the local university, Rand decided. She had long blond hair, dyed bright pink at the ends, and half a dozen earrings in each ear. When she was done with the businessmen, she smiled at them. “May I help you?”
    He showed his badge and the clerk’s eyes widened. “We’re looking for a missing woman,” he said. “Lauren Starling. She may have stayed here about a month ago.” He nodded to Sophie and she held out the phone to show Lauren’s picture.
    â€œI’m her sister,” Sophie said. “This is Lauren.”
    The clerk’s eyes widened. “You say she’s missing?”
    â€œYes. Do you remember her, or could you check your records?”
    â€œI don’t have to check the records. She was here. I remember.”
    * * *
    S OPHIE   FUMBLED   WITH   the phone, almost dropping it. “Lauren was here? Are you sure?” Her voice shook. Rand put his hand on her shoulder, steadying her.
    The clerk nodded. “I recognized her from the TV, but she was obviously trying to hide her identity. I mean, she registered as Jane Smith or something like that, and paid cash for the room.”
    â€œYou didn’t think that was suspicious?” Rand asked.
    â€œWell, yeah, but people do weird things all the time, and you learn not to ask questions.” She tucked a strand of cotton-candy-colored hair behind one ear. “Then she met up with a guy, and I figured they were having an affair.” She shrugged. “It happens.”
    â€œA guy?” Sophie leaned across the counter. “Who was the guy? What did he look like?”
    Rand squeezed her shoulder to quiet her. She was going to scare off the clerk, who looked alarmed. He double-checked the girl’s name badge. “I promise you won’t get into any trouble, Marlee. Just tell us what you remember.”
    She shrugged again. “He was just a real ordinary-looking guy—early forties, maybe. Light brown hair cut short, not too tall, not too big.”
    â€œDid he register also?”
    She shook her head. “And that’s really the only reason I remember him. I was getting off my shift and I saw him standing with Jane Smith outside her room. Then he took a suitcase—one of those little overnight bags—from his car and went inside with her. That’s against the rules—to have someone staying in the room who isn’t registered, but it was no skin off my nose, you know? I was in a hurry to get home and I wasn’t going to take the trouble to go back inside and report her. Like I said, it happens.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you say anything to the police?” Sophie asked. “Didn’t you see the story about Lauren being missing?”
    â€œI knew she wasn’t doing the news lately, but they said something about her being on vacation, and then I just kind of forgot. I don’t watch a lot of TV and I mean, I wasn’t a hundred percent certain it was her, and I didn’t want to look stupid—and you’re the first people to come around asking questions.”
    Rand didn’t have to look at Sophie to know she was glaring at him. Maybe she was right. Maybe they should have taken her sister’s disappearance more seriously and made it a point to ask questions before now, but there was nothing he could do to change the past. All he could do was try to do a better job going forward.
    â€œHad you ever seen the man before?” he asked. “Or have you seen him since?”
    Marlee shook her head so hard her earrings jangled. “I don’t think so. But like I said, he was nothing special.”
    â€œWas it this guy?” He pulled up a website on his phone that featured an article about Richard Prentice and turned the phone so that she could see it.
    She squinted at the photo of