Chapter 4
Outside the flower shop
Laura paced nervously while she waited for Hutch. He was late. Had he changed his mind? She felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and found Hutch standing behind her.
"Think I wasn't coming?" he asked.
"No I knew you would."
"Now, I am going around to the back of the shop to wait for the delivery man to come out. You go in and buy the flowers. When you come out, I want you to walk about two blocks down the street. I will pick you up there."
Hutch turned and went down the alley. Laura walked into the store and bought the flowers.
In the alley, Hutch watched as the delivery man came out and started to get into his van. Hutch walked up behind him and knocked him out. He pulled the man behind some boxes and took his uniform. He grabbed the keys and jumped into the van.
Hutch sped out of the alley and skidded to a stop next to Laura. He took the flowers from her, so she could get in the van.
"Are you ready?" he asked her.
"Yes. Let's go!"
He smiled at her as they sped through the streets of Surfland. He could tell by her eagerness how much she still loved Luke. He pulled the van to a stop outside a large building near the ocean.
Laura looked out the van window ad saw a sign that said: 'Public Beach Access Walkway 5.' The number 5 on the sign was much larger than the words. That had to be the sign that Luke saw out the window.
She watched as Hutch took a pad of paper and wrote something on it. He opened the door of the van and got out.
"Be careful Hutch," she said.
Hutch nodded and walked into the hotel.
He approached the front desk and said, "I have a delivery for Jennifer Smith. I am supposed to give them to her personally."
The clerk looked him over and checked his list. "704"
"Thanks," Hutch said. He got on the elevator and went up to the seventh floor. He walked down the hallway and stopped in front of the door. This had to work. He didn't want to go back to Laura with bad news. He knocked on the door.
A large, tough looking man answered the door.
"I have a delivery for Jennifer Smith," said Hutch.
"I'll take it."
"Sorry, I was instructed to give it to her and no one else"
"Just a minute," said the man closing the door in Hutch's face.
The man walked through the suite. He entered the room where Jennifer sat. Luke was tied to a chair in the corner.
"It won't be long now my love," she said to him. "This time tomorrow we will complete the wedding ceremony that keeps being interrupted."
Luke scowled at her.
"This time your little Laura won't be able to help you."
"Excuse me Madam," the man interrupted.
"Yes, Charles. What is it?"
"There is a delivery man here with flowers for you. He said he is to give them directly to you."
"Ok show him in," she said.
She watched the man leave the room and then turned to Luke.
"I am going to untie you till he leaves, but no funny business."
She walked over to Luke and untied his hands.
Hutch entered the room. Luke's eyes grew wide as he recognized Hutch.
He handed the flowers the Jennifer. He inched his way over till he was standing in front of Luke.
"How beautiful," she said. She looked at the card. "A secret admirer? How exciting! Just a minute and I'll get your tip."
She picked up her purse and started to look through it for the money. Hutch reached his hand behind him and handed the piece of paper to Luke. Luke looked at it. It had one word on it. It said 'Midnight.'
Jennifer handed Hutch some money. He headed for the door, he stopped and looked back at Jennifer and Luke.
"Good day Madam, Sir."
Luke nodded his head and smiled. Hutch knew that Luke understood.
He made his way back down to the lobby and out to the van.
"Well?" asked Laura. "How did it go?"
"Fine. They are in room 704."
"Did… did you see Luke? Is he ok? Did he recognize you? How are we going to get him out of there?"
"Slow down Laura, one question at a time."
Laura blushed.
"Sorry," she said.
"Ok, in order. Yes I saw Luke. He looked like he was all right. Yes, he recognized me. I will fill you in later on the plan to get him out, right now I have one more thing to do here."
He pulled the van around to the back of the building. There was a truck parked there. Two men were unloading supplies into the service entrance.
"Laura, I need your help. I want you to keep those guys busy for a few minutes. I just can't think of how."
"I know. Hutch take off that delivery uniform and give it to me."
They got in the back of the van and he pulled the coveralls off and handed them to Laura. She slipped them on and got out of the van taking the delivery schedule with her.
Laura walked over to the two men.
"Excuse me. Can either of you tell me how to get to 156 Conan Street?"
As they started giving her directions, Hutch got out of the van and walked to the door of the building which they had left open. He placed a piece of tape on it, so that the door wouldn't lock. He went back to the van and waited for Laura.
She got back in the van.
"Good girl. I would never have thought of that. It took an awful long time for them to give you directions since that street is only two blocks from here."
"Oh, it only took them a few seconds to give me the directions. The rest of the time, they were trying to get me to go out with them."
Hutch laughed. He drove Laura back to her motel.
"I am going to ditch this van. You get some rest. I will be back for you at 11:00 tonight. We are going in after Luke at midnight."
"Do you think this is going to work?" she asked
"I don't know, but we will find out tonight."