Sara realized what Sofia was doing before she reached her room. Of course the blonde left, she had done the same and she was way too tired and exhausted to be mad. Maybe a little bit. Smug bitch!

Sara almost fell backwards out of her room when she opened the door. The unlocked door. What did happen here? It looked like a hurricane had been here while she was away. All her clothes were tossed on the ground, the sheets were on the couch, the cushions on and under the table, her food was on the ground, over the little kitchenette, the door of the fridge was open and her towels laid wet in the shower.

"What the hell…?" Sara took a deep breath. This had to be the work of the police and she felt an urge to call Sofia and tell her to send her men over and tidy up this chaos up. For crying out loud, she hadn't done anything wrong and got not only treated like a suspect of a major crime but her room was messed up too like they imagined to find whatever in here. A new thought crossed her mind. Was she still booked in this room?

One last look at the chaos she closed the door and went to reception. A slightly bored looking woman sat there, reading a book.

"I'm sorry, I've got a question."

"Sure." She put her book away, not irritated that Sara still wore nothing else than her PJ. "How can I help?"

"I'm Sara Sidle, I live in room seventeen and I wonder, if that's still my room."

"Let me have a look." The woman checked the computer. "As far as my computer says, you didn't check out, you've got another night. Is there any problem?"

"Do you have room service?"

"Yes, they come along between nine and noon."

"I assume they don't let my room look like El Nino just visited."

"That wouldn't be their job, no. Why? Did somebody break into your room?"

Did this woman not know what happened here in the morning or was she playing dumb?

"When did your shift start?"

"An hour ago. Why?"

"I don't know what your colleagues told you, but the police was here this morning and I assume they messed my room up. Which isn't such a problem, it looks like nothing is destroyed. Did they went in every room or was it back luck, that I got pulled out of my bed?"

"All I know it had something to do with drugs and they were in some rooms. Maybe they wrote down the wrong number and ended in your room. Didn't they tell you?"

"No, they weren't very talkative. Anyway, I'd like to stay a little longer if that's possible." She had no other choice than to stay longer, she signed fore that.

"How much longer would you like to stay?"

Like? This word sounded so wrong right now. "Let's say until Sunday." If Sofia wanted her to be longer in L.A., LVPD had to pay the rent. She wasn't willing to cooperate more. One week was what she had planed for Los Angeles, if anybody wanted her to stay longer, this person had to pay.

"No problem, I booked you in. Anything else I can do for you?"

"Yes. While messing up the room the police managed to throw my towels in the shower and turn on the water. I've no idea why they did that, but I need a dry towel to have a shower and feel like a human again."

"No problem." The woman handed her two towels. "Shall I get the wet ones out of the room for you?"

"No, that's alright. I'll give them to the service people tomorrow morning."

"Okay. Anything else I can do for you?"

"You don't happen to know where the nearest supermarket is? I don't feel like using the coffee powder, that's on the carpet nor do I want to eat the banana, somebody stepped on." And that the only food she had with her. Plus the little box of cereals, she got at reception last night. Unfortunately the cereals were all over her kitchenette.

"Two blocks south, turn right, the supermarket is around one hundred yards down the road." The woman bent down, Sara imagined she wanted to give her a map, but instead she handed her a little package with coffee powder. "Not the best stuff, but maybe you prefer to have some kind of coffee before you start shopping."

"Thanks."

"And something for the shock." She put a Snickers on the package. "That's all I can offer for now. Well, I can give you the number of a few delivery services…"

"No, that's alright, maybe later. Thank you." Sara took her towel, coffee and the Snickers and went back to her room. Better than nothing.

She threw her clothes in the room, hung the wet towels over the basin and stepped into the shower. The hot water was the best feeling she had today. Or at least it was at same level with the salad and the coke. It was like a she could wash some of her problems away. Eyes closed, the hot water falling on her head, her skin, giving her a light massage and the feeling of it could only get better now and this shower was the first step to a better day.

She wrapped herself in the towels and left the shower. The whole morning she had looked forward to dress in something proper, now that she saw her clothes, she felt the urge to wash them before she put them on. She didn't want to imagine who had touched them, who had stepped on them or whatever else they did with her things. So put on her PJ, grabbed all her clothes and walked to the washing machine. Of course she had no quarter. And no washing powder.

"I'm sorry to bother you again." She said when she was back at reception.

"You don't bother me, it's my job to be here and help people out."

"Yeah, if every guest annoys you with stupid requests and questions, you'll have a busy day."

"Better than sitting around, doing nothing." The woman smiled relaxed. "What can I do for you?"

"I'd like to use the washing machine and have no quarters and no washing powder. How long does the washing machine take?"

"Forty minutes. And another half an hour for the dryer."

"Alright, a little bit over an hour before I can wear something else. I'll survive that."

"That's the spirit." The receptionist handed Sara a few quarters. "That should be enough for one load of the washing machine and half an hour for the dryer. If your clothes aren't dry enough, you can get some more quarters. If there are only a few pieces wet, we've a clothes line, just take the door next to the dryer."

"If I put only the clothes, I want to wear today in the dryer, it be fast, won't it?"

"Jeans, shirt, socks, underwear? Ten minutes."

"I'll do that and use for the rest the clothes line."

"Okay. Oh and Miss Sidle?"

"Yes?"

"If you want new sheets, behind the second door in the laudry are fresh sheets and pillow cases. Take some, I imagine, when they messed up your room, they didn't stop for the bed."

"No, they didn't. Thank you very much."

"No problem at all."

Sara left the reception, started the washing machine, took some sheets and pillow cases and went back to her room. After her bed was made, she stripped down, went into bed and closed her eyes. Half an hour time for some rest. Right now her body needed a break more than a coffee and some chocolate. What a fuss for nothing. All this just because the police dragged her out of her room and…her colleagues! She needed to find out what happened to them. So far she hadn't seen anyone of them.

She opened the drawer of the nightstand. Empty. She had put her wallet and her cell phone in their last night. She was sure about that. She opened the next drawer. Nothing. Annoyed and mad, she left her bed, started to look around the room. There was her wallet! On the table. She opened it, checked credit cards and money. Everything seemed to be there. Her I.D. was in another place, the police must had used it to identify her and put it back at the wrong place. Where the hell was her cell phone? Not on the table, not somewhere to see in the room. Did they take it?

Sara grabbed her room telephone. "Operator, I need to be connected to LVPD, department…" She had no idea at which department she had been. "…Silver Lake?"

"1358 Wilcox Avenue, Hollywood?"

"Maybe, yes."

"213 485 4302. I'll connect you."

"Thanks." Sara had written the number down, in case she needed it again. It seemed like LAPD was good for many surprises, why not being prepared?

"LAPD, how can I help you?"

"I need to speak to Sofia Curtis. Detective Curtis."

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant Curtis isn't available right now. Can I leave her a message?"

Lieutenant? Apparently Sofia had taken another stop to become like her mother, a captain. "Yes. Tell her, I want my cell phone back!"

"Are you sure Lieutenant Curtis has your phone, Miss Sidle?"

"Either her or one of her officers, who pulled me out of bed this morning. I don't care who took it, I want it back! This is police harassment. They had no rights to take my phone, nor had they any rights to take me out of my room and treat me like a murderer." It felt good to practically yell these words at somebody. She felt a little bit of a relief.

"I'm sure the officers had their reasons."

"Sure. Give me anybody, who is in charge. I want my phone back."

"Wait a minute, please."

Sara bristled with anger. She wasn't willing to wait longer than a minute. What did they think who they were? She had some damn rights, she was a citizen of this country and they had no rights to treat her like this.

"Miss Sidle?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, you're cell phone is evidence."

"Evidence? Why?"

"I can't tell you details about the case. If there aren't any questions or problems, you can get it back tomorrow. I see, you're due to be here at noon…"

"Great. Thanks for nothing!" Sara ended the call. So much for her day could only get better. It was still a freaking disaster.

"Sara? Thank God you're alright!"

"Billy!" Sara dropped her shopping back and hugged the tall man. After she had something to wear, she went to the supermarket to get some food. On her way back, she made the decision, she wanted to go back to the police station. She wanted to know what happened to her colleagues and what was all this about. To see Billy, who had been with her in Costa Rica the past months, was a relief.

"Did they take you too?" He asked.

"The police? Yes. You?"

"Just came back. They pulled me out of the shower."

"Out of bed." She sat on the bench in front of his room.

"At least you weren't naked."

"No. I hope you were allowed to put some clothes on."

"Kind of. A towel and I got some clothes at the station."

"Why did they do that, Billy?" Sara looked at the almost seven feet tall man with the bronze skin and the dark brown eyes. They had become friends the last months, had worked some projects together. He had been a great help in bad times.

"All I know is that it had something to do with drugs."

"Yeah, I had to make a drug test and my room looks like somebody searched it for drugs or whatever. But how did they get this idea?"

"I don't know. Maybe because we came from Costa Rica? Drug mules?"

"They don't make such a fuss only because a few people come back from Costa Rica. There had to be a reason why they acted like they did. Somebody must have given them a hint, some-thing to get a warrant and everything for this. You can't just walk into a few rooms and pull people to the department."

"They didn't tell me. I asked for a lawyer, but before one arrived I was free to go. What about you? When did they let you go?"

"Three hours ago."

"Anybody else back?"

"I haven't seen anybody. I went shopping because there was nothing left in my room I could eat or drink."

"My room is a mess too. They told me I've to stay available the next days."

"Same here."

"Well, I don't give a damn about what they wish."

"Does that mean you'll leave?"

"Yes. I'm on the next bus to San Diego. I've no idea what went wrong here, but I won't do any time for something I didn't do. There'll be a new excursion from San Diego, starting the day after tomorrow, why don't you come with me?"

"I can't."

"Why? Because they asked you to stay?"

"Yes."

"Did you do anything wrong?"

"Hell no!"

"Then they've no reason to make you stay. Come on, lets leave."

It was tempting to agree and leave with him. From San Diego it was only a short trip to Tijuana. Once they were in Mexico, it wasn't a problem to vanish to any South American country and stay there. A new excursion meant, there was some work. The easiest way to get out of this, to forget all of this.

"I can't. Sorry Billy, I've to stay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'll sort this out and will meet you later."

"I'm not sure if I can call you, Sara."

"We'll find a way. You've got my number, if I get my cell phone back, you know how to reach me."

"You'll tell the cops?"

"What do you think?" She furrowed her brows. Just because she didn't join, it didn't mean she wanted him to be caught.

"Not one word." He hugged her. "Take care, will you?"

"Yes."

"And don't worry about the rest, they'll be fine as soon as the police find out, we're nothing more than a bunch of scientists."

"Yeah." That was what she hoped for. Nothing more than a bunch of scientists, who got accused to be drug dealer or drug mules. For no reason. She hoped.