Mess Hopkins, proprietor of the seen-better-days Fairfax Manor Inn, never met a person in need who couldn’t use a helping hand—his helping hand. So he’s thrown open the doors of the motel to the homeless, victims of abuse, or anyone else who could benefit from a comfy bed with clean sheets and a roof overhead.
When a mother and her teenage boy seek refuge from an abusive husband, Mess takes them in. Shortly after arriving, the mom goes missing and some very bad people come sniffing around, searching for money they claim belongs to them. Mess tries to pump the boy for helpful information, but he’s in full uncooperative teen mode—grunts, shrugs, and monosyllabic answers. It’s not long before the boy vanishes too. Abducted? Run away? Something worse? And who took the missing money? Mess, friend Vell Jackson, and local news reporter Lia Katsaros take to the streets to locate the missing mother and son—and the elusive, abusive husband—before the kneecapping loansharks find them first.
