Honeymoon

Chapter 40

I FOLLOWED NORA and her smart little suitcase on wheels down an escalator and past the baggage claim area. As always, she looked good, front and rear view. She had this way of walking—and a great smile when she needed it. She never once looked up at a sign for directions. Safe to say, this wasn’t her first trip to Logan Airport.

She walked outside and came to an abrupt stop—looking around. What for became clear after a few minutes.

It wasn’t a cab and it wasn’t a friend’s car. It was the shuttle bus for Hertz.

As soon as she hopped on, I made a dash for the cab line.

Taxi!

“Take me to the Hertz lot!” I barked at the back of the driver’s head.

He turned around, an old-salt type, his face a road map of wrinkles and creases. “What?”

“Take me—”

“No, I heard you just fine there, pal. What I’m saying is, they have shuttle buses for that.”

“I don’t like waiting.”

“Neither do I.” Jabbing his finger, he pointed out the back window. “You see that line of cabs behind me? I didn’t wait in it for no three-dollar fare.”

I looked up ahead at Nora’s shuttle bus getting farther and farther away. “Okay, give me a number,” I said.

“Thirty bucks. That’s my final offer.”

“Twenty.”

“Twenty-five.”

“Deal. Drive.”