Chapter 2
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the JFK Airport. Local time is 7:00 pm and the temperature is 48°F.
On behalf of Pan American Airlines and the entire crew, I'd like to thank you for joining us on this trip, and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Have a pleasant stay!"
They'd been waiting for their suitcases for a long time, "Are we in the correct place, Mr. Steele? We were supposed to be retrieving our luggage on baggage claim, row 3."
"Well, it looks like our suitcases decided to be the last ones to come out then."
After all the suitcases were already retrieved by their owners, the Steele's luggage was still missing.
"They are not going to show up. I'm asking someone from the airline," said Laura.
"I'll remain here just in case they appear at the last minute," he told her. Noticing Laura's lousy temper was positively increasing; Mr. Steele suspected it was safer to keep his mouth closed as much as possible from then on.
When he spotted Laura walking back to where he was still standing, he realized the news she was bringing weren't auspicious.
"Well Mr. Steele, It seems our luggage decided Washington DC was a more appealing destination than New York. The airline will contact us once they have it sent back here. They suppose that will be happening tomorrow with any luck. They will take care of delivering it to our hotel as a personal favor. As I am not informed yet about which hotel we are booked for our stay in New York, I suggest you do the honors. Let's go to the cab stand. No sense in losing more time in this matter if we can have it used more efficiently. "
An hour and a half later, and after traveling for almost the whole day, they arrived at The Peninsula. Once Laura's frugality attack was back in check, they took the old elevator upstairs, and after what felt like the slowest ride of their lives in the old-fashioned elevator, they were finally able to open their hotel's room door. Although the sight of the bed was absolutely tempting after the exhausting day they experienced, Laura decided a call to Mildred was in order. Work was, as always, the first thing on her mind. She took off her shoes, sat down and started dialing.
In the meantime, after getting rid of his tie and testing the mattress quality with a couple of bounces, Mr. Steele made a detailed inspection of the room facilities while Laura remained busy on the phone. He opened the bathroom door and couldn't help but appreciate the black marble walls opposing the white bathtub, as an inspiring invitation. Room service and a deserved soak in the tub were his scheduled goals for the evening. Well, that and some other random activities he used to have in mind, not surprisingly, as often as his wife lately. They were not at the Waldorf Astoria, but the hotel amenities were as inspiring as the best he could think about….
The morning started early, not just because of Laura's rigid habits but because one bell boy knocked on the door announcing their luggage arrival first thing in the morning. Room service followed suit after a few minutes, and they worked along their day's plan through breakfast. By 9:30 AM, they were standing at the entry of the Lexington Avenue Subway Station.
"Are you sure the only way we have to get to Ann's is traveling underground, Laura? The hotel provides the clients with a convenient limousine service. And for free. It's not that Mildred will need to waste time deducting it."
"Mr. Steele, now listen to me. New York City is famous for its traffic. We experienced some of it last night while coming from the airport. It was really a very long ride. We need to find Ann as soon as possible, and Mildred gave us an address in Harlem, Amsterdam Avenue 788 to be exact. Now, as a limo ride will not work right now as fast as it should, we are free to walk about half of the city, or we can take the subway from here to the 96th Street Station and walk a couple blocks. Your choice…"
"My choice, eh… You leave me with no option, Laura. I'm not a subway element as you'd guess. Besides the lack of sightseeing, I found the underground experience sort of crowded. But I'm not going to walk half the city."
"You weren't uncomfortable in San Francisco when we tried to follow the pretended client you provided the agency with, the only purpose to lead me to your arms for a romantic weekend. We did ride some crowded trolleys there if I remember well."
"By all means, Laura, that was absolutely different! San Francisco is by far a more romantic location. Don't tell me a crowded subway in New York can be compared to a crowded trolley in San Francisco."
"Depending on the company, Mr. Steele, crowded can be fun anywhere. Besides, we are working on a real case this time, aren't we? Let's wrap the case fast, and I promise you the most romantic New York farewell at The Peninsula."
"96th Street Station, eh?" Without wasting another second, he took the map from Laura's hand, grabbed her and turned to the subway stairs, leading the way.
