Outside the car stood a policeman with a flashlight. "Are you okay, ma'am?"
"I ... uh ..." Jennifer took a deep breath, collecting herself. "I was waiting for my husband to get back. He's been gone a long time."
"You know this ain't exactly the best place to be at night, right?" he asked. "You should get a room at the inn."
"But it's closed, isn't it?" she asked.
"Not the last time I checked," he said. He looked off towards the direction of the town's hotel. Jennifer turned and looked in that direction herself and saw that the hotel's lights were on. It was definitely open for business. But it didn't look like that earlier. Like everything else in town, it had looked deserted. But now it was anything but abandoned. There were even a few cars in the parking lot.
"Come on, ma'am," the cop said. "I'll get you a room."
"But what about my husband?"
"It's a small town. I'll put out an APB on him. I'm sure someone will spot him before long and direct him towards the inn."
Jennifer thought for a moment. Should she go to the hotel, like the cop suggested, or stay in the car? As far as she was concerned, the car was the best place to stay. If Daniel ever showed up again, the car would be the first place he'd go, wouldn't it? But on the other hand, it was getting kind of cold out here and a room at the hotel did sound nice and comfortable.
After some time, Jennifer decided to ...
