I pointed between a pick-up truck and a UPS van. ‘Wait under the landing, keep out of the rain. I’ll be back soon.’ ‘I want to come with you, Nick.’ I started my puppy training act. ‘No . . . wait . . . there. I won’t be long.’ I disappeared before she could argue. The hotel reception was just one of the ground-floor rooms turned into an office, and checking in was as casual as the layout. The poor Brit family story was understood a lot quicker here; they obviously didn’t grow too much corn around these parts. I went outside, collected Kelly and, as we walked along the concrete and breeze-block towards our new room on the second floor, I was busy thinking about what I’d have to do next. She suddenly tugged my hand. ‘Double crap!’ ‘What?’ ‘You know, not nice. You said the other one was crap. This is double crap.’ I had to agree. I even thought I could smell vomit. ‘No, no, wait till you get in. You see that satellite dish? We can probably get every single programme in the world on that.
