Jana walked across the main casino floor. For the first time in twenty-four hours she felt like a free person – no one chased her and she was free to do what she wanted. Right now that meant clothes. The shower had helped clean up her appearance, but Kesl’s casino ID would complete the transformation.
Passing by a pair of the ubiquitous LED TV screens that hung throughout the casino, she stopped suddenly. Her fingers curled around the new smart phone, nearly snapping it in two. She relaxed her hands and read the ribbon of news scrolling across the bottom. ‘Police still have no leads on the murder of Margaret Goodnight, head of Marquette’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife office in the UP. They are looking for a person of interest, Forest Ranger Jana Erickson, who has apparently disappeared.’ Her U.S. Fish and Wildlife ID filled the screen.
Jana brought her head down. More than ever now, she had to buy new clothes. The faster she got out of her grubby official government uniform the better. She spotted a sign for Back Country Outdoor Gear and Clothing Boutique and headed for it, checking around her to make sure no one was following. Everyone was paying attention to their gambling and not her.
Inside the shop she scanned the bar code on some of the latest lightweight but rugged high-tech apparel and of course hiking boots into the smart phone. Then she approached a young woman with bright-blue hair, a pierced eyebrow and nose ring. Her nametag read ‘Melissa’. The bored vacant look in her eyes told Jana she was the least aware of the clerks helping customers. The young lady downloaded the information from her phone, oblivious of Jana’s unusual appearance.
“Do you have a fitting room, where I can try these on?” Jana asked.
The young woman sniffed and rolled her eyes. “Nobody tries on apparel anymore. Step over here.” She showed Jana to a machine that looked like the scanners in airports. The woman said, “It will take only a few minutes for a complete body scan, then you can continue to look around or get a massage in one of those chairs over there.”
Jana picked the least conspicuous one. The automatic massage felt wonderful. She began to think about what she should do next. In spite of the mystery of the Bigfoot’s biological origin, the idea of leaving, of getting out of the casino and not looking back, appealed to her. I could track down the rest of the team that murdered Marge. But then she realized Kesl was growing on her, and she was developing a strange sort of loyalty to the brilliant but vulnerable man. And in spite of the lack of sleep and the terrible events surrounding Marge, the excitement of a possible new life form gave her a renewed sense of self-confidence and purpose. Then another thought came. The short meeting with Saul had left a bad taste in her mouth. He was like the new CO in Afghanistan who had been assigned to their team in Helmand Province. The man was convinced he knew more than all the guys who had been there already for ten months. The shit had hit the proverbial fan within a week of his arrival. The worry about Saul made her wonder if her PTSD was really gone or just buried in the new flood of exciting positive emotions. It was a hard call to make. One that she wouldn’t be making now, she thought, as she spotted the blue haired woman bearing down on her.
The young woman said, “Here are your clothes. They should fit perfectly and everything is paid for.”
Jana stood up. “I’d like to wear them.”
For the first time, the young woman really noticed Jana. With a slight chuckle, she said, “I can understand that, there’s a changing room over there. Would you like a bag or should I just throw them away?”
“A bag would be fine.”
Emerging from the fitting room, Jana caught her reflection in a mirror. She looked like a new person. She thought to herself, the old saying that clothes make the person is quite true … at least on the outside. Now she had to figure out what to do next. Again her decision was put off as fate, in the guise of text from Kesl, intervened.
I need some help and there’s someone I want you to meet. Please come up to my room.