Jones pulled up next to a narrow glass building. They’d been driving for a while, backing up and retracing their route, and even making sudden turns the wrong way down alleyways and streets. Neil had no idea where they were but was pretty certain no one else did either. Larry was still feeling coffee-deprived, although they did stop to pick up some take-away veggie sushi from a vending machine.
“It won’t taste too good, but there’s no waiter to recognize us later and say which way we headed,” Nakamura explained. Larry had devoured the food in seconds.
They got out of the SUV and walked over to the front door, keeping an eye out for anyone who might have been able to follow their tracks. The closer they got, the stranger the building looked. Row upon row of stacked cubes lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Each had a window in the front like a front-loading washing machine. Ladders led up to the top row. The windows were all dark, and only a few bulbs in the ceiling cast a soft blue glow over the glass and metal boxes.
“What is this place, a Laundromat?” Neil asked.
“It’s a hotel for business travelers,” Nakamura said. “Most don’t need anything more than a bed for the night, so they crash here. Each cube has a bed, a small TV, even a tiny sink and toilet. It’s cheap, and more importantly for keeping Larry hidden . . . it’s out of the way.”
Nakamura took out a key and unlocked the front door. “It’s also owned by a cousin of mine, who has very kindly ‘closed for renovations’ for the week.”
They walked inside and Nakamura flicked on more lights. He flipped another switch and blinds covered the front windows.
“Am I supposed to stay in one of those boxes?” Larry asked as they walked down the corridor. “The cargo hold of Aki’s boat was bigger.”
“Which reminds me, you are in need of a long shower,” Isabella said.
Larry looked around. “Where is the shower, hidden in the light fixtures?”
“Never underestimate Japanese ingenuity,” Nakamura said, smiling. He took another key and opened a panel on the wall behind the front desk. He flicked a switch and an entire bank of cubes began to hum.