Hideaway deleted scenes

Part 1

This scene originally took place after Kai and Bank's inspected the hotel for the first time with Michael and Will.

Walking into Sensou that evening, I immediately stopped and pinned myself to the wall next to the door, letting the group of people leaving squeeze through the walkway first. People in black karate uniforms, or whatever they were called, and some in just plain workout clothes carried their duffels out, laughing and chatting, not one of them sparing a look in my direction. Granted, that wasn't unusual. I was good at not being seen.

When they left, I started again, making my way for the front desk.

"Yes, hello," a man in a blue cap with a clipboard spoke to the desk clerk ahead of me. "I have a delivery for Kai Mori."

The young woman reached for the clipboard. "He's in a private lesson. May I sign for it?"

"Uhhh," he mumbled, sounding uncertain. "It's a large delivery. He usually wants to check the merchandise before I take off."

Merchandise? I peered around the guy, trying to be discreet, to see his clipboard, but his hand kept moving, and I couldn't make out what was on the invoice.

I cleared my throat. "I have something for him, too." I gripped the handle of the steel case I held in my left land and grabbed the clipboard with my right. "I'll take these back to him."

"Hey, wait a minute," the delivery guy burst out, pointing at me.

But I bolted down the hallway, turning my head and jerking to the chairs in the lobby. "Park it. I'll be back."

I didn't wait around to see if he or the clerk would follow me as I charged down the dim corridor. The two main rooms, for large classes, sat on the other side of the lobby and featured several visible floors above with mezzanines to look down on the great rooms, as well as smaller rooms off to the sides on the second, third, and fourth levels. Most of which, I gathered from my research, were used for storage and extra office space.

Slowing my steps, I raised the clipboard and studied the paper on it.

Marchella Dining Set                                   $29, 900

Villarosa Buffet Table                                  $ 5, 700

Sanctuary King Bed                                     $ 8, 400

What the hell? I scanned the sheet, my eyes falling on other pieces of furniture—side tables, chairs, dressers, appliances. The address at the top was for Sensou. Why was he having these things delivered here?

Using my spare thumb, I flipped the page. Another invoice, dated about six weeks ago, for the delivery of other furniture. Two more beds, a dozen chairs, a kitchen table, a desk, and some artwork. All delivered here as well.

But unless these things were hiding in a room upstairs, they weren't here. What was he doing with all this furniture?

I dropped the clipboard to my side and started walking again, not sure why any of this mattered. It probably didn't, but then again, any information people deemed to hide was valuable.

Who was the furniture for? Was he keeping a mistress? Maybe that's why he didn't invest a stitch of time or money into his house? He must sleep elsewhere.

I shook my head, a knot twisting in my stomach. I didn't want to know. But I did, too.

I walked down the hallway, passing the office, the men's and women's locker rooms, and a couple of smaller classrooms without doors. Coming up on the third one, I could hear the sound of sticks slapping against each other in quick time.