✔Paint Me a Murder | Book 1

Chapter 33: Lazy Bear

A ginormous bear statue in a pair of boxers that held up a Welcome to Lazy Bear sign shook in the wind. They centered it right in front of the motel building. Few cars parked in the spacious lot, so Emmett found a spot in front of the lobby.

When Kazimir climbed out, his worn-out converse splashed in a puddle. The wetness seeped down into his socks. He tread over half of a squashed burger as he followed Emmett up to the receptionist office. He felt like it was the perfect place to lie low and hide. Kazimir wondered how many others came there for illicit desires and drugs.

The interior design of the place resembled something plucked out of the seventies. All the dust gathered on the front desk made Kazimir consider that the seventies were the last time anyone cleaned too. Sometimes fancy hotels put out candy dishes with peppermints or other tasty treats. The Lazy Bear motel had a cracked plastic bowl of off-brand condoms.

A short, curly-haired man gazed up at them from his cell phone. "What room do y'all want? Almost everything is open right now."

"We're looking for a friend," Emmett told him as he slid some twenties out of his wallet. "Chelsea. She comes here a lot."

The receptionist's eyes widened like they'd pop out of the sockets. He snatched the money from Emmett and went clicking away on his computer.

"Room eight."

"Thank you." Emmett tucked his wallet back in the breast pocket of his suit.

"Hey, I've seen you around here before." The receptionist pointed to Emmett. "You used to come by a lot on the weekends. Your name's Griffin, right?"

Emmett smirked. "Sure is."

Before they could chat more, Emmett steered Kazimir away from the receptionist to the room Chelsea stayed in. They got in the cramped elevator that made an ungodly screech before taking them up.

"You've been here before?" Kazimir asked him. "Is Griffin your code name?"

"Business reasons," Emmett replied. "I needed a fake name, so I used an ex's. I always pay with cash too. Like everyone else here does."

"You mind me asking what kind of business?"

"I do, actually." The elevator opened and Emmett stepped out. "It's nothing of your concern, so you don't need to worry about it."

Kazimir folded his arms over his chest, following close behind the gang leader. What business could he be doing there that he didn't want him knowing about? He thought they'd grown close enough not to keep secrets from each other, but apparently not. Despite how Kazimir poured his heart out to him about his past and promised to keep Luca's murderer a secret, Emmett didn't trust him. Maybe he should've listened to Jordy.

Nobody bothered to decorate the hallway with paintings or touch up the atrocious walls. Whatever puke green shade it originally had been peeked out from the chipped beige paint. A musty odor made Kazimir's nostrils flare. All the dust irritated his poor nose even more. He couldn't hold back the sneezing fit that raked from his body. Even Emmett got a bit choked up when they reached Chelsea's room.

The gang leader pounded his fist on the door and called out, "Room service."

As if that unsanitary motel had actual room service. Kazimir doubted they even changed the bed sheets after each customer who stayed for a visit. He grimaced at such a thought.

An older woman cracked the door open, peeking out at the two of them. Kazimir almost expected birds to fly out of her tangled nest of raven hair. She dragged her cigarette away from her lips, smudged in red lipstick, puffing smoke in their faces.