It wasn’t hard. From a drugstore phone booth I called the desk, said that I was Caine, gave the room number, and instructed him to let up two of my friends as soon as they came in.“And show them respect,” I imperiously added. “They’re important.” I was taking a chance the guy on the line knew Caine’s voice. On the other hand, if I was bossy enough, he might fall for it. Must have worked; I got a weary “yes, Mr. Caine” in reply.Kroun drove half a block and parked across the street. We walked into the lobby. “I’ll handle it,” he said, and veered away. He murmured to the clerk there, who eventually nodded and handed over a key.“When the cops start investigating, he’ll remember your face,” I said.“Yeah, but by then I’ll probably be back in New York, won’t I? Besides, I got one of those hard-to-remember mugs.”He had to be kidding. The clerk noticed us, noticed Kroun, the moment we came in. There was no dampening of his magnetism at all. On the other hand I was wallpaper by comparison and content to stay that way.He continued, “Most people only see the white streak in my hair, and I kept my hat on.
