Casey told Grayson her plan.
He listened carefully, then told her what he'd need in order to pull it off: a distraction. She realized with a sinking feeling she knew the perfect people to make it happen.
Kimiko, seeing the look of pain, asked if Casey wanted her to tag along.
With a sigh, Casey admitted, "No, I think I need to take care of this one myself."
So Kimiko drove the '90s hatchback home to their apartment while Casey thumbed the ride-share app.
Casey arrived at the hotel shortly before midnight. She didn't need to stop by the front desk or ask for a room number. She went right to the hotel bar.
It was an elegant, if sad, area prettied up in the Art Deco style. A man in tails played a quiet melody on a grand piano.
There were half a dozen customers at most. Most drank al
