Chapter 116
The darkness that envelops Hanna when she slips inside is so compact that she feels as if she is wearing a blindfold. She takes out her flashlight and chases the shadows away.
She is in the foyer. To her left is the reception desk, covered in brown-and-white cowskin, and straight ahead lies the wide staircase that she remembers from her previous visit.
The main entrance is to the right.
The air is cold and musty. The only sound is her own ragged breathing.
Where is Erik?
Zelda whimpers softly by her side.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Hanna whispers, clutching the leash tightly. “Let’s find your daddy.”
Her phone vibrates in her pocket. Daniel is trying to reach her, but Hanna rejects the call. He immediately tries again, but Hanna rejects that one too.
She is going to get into so much trouble for this afterward.
If there is an afterward.
She makes her way cautiously toward the staircase with its dark carpet. Her heart is pounding so loudly that Erik ought to be able to hear every beat. She peers up at the ceiling; the red-painted stairwell forms a square atrium, all the way up to the top floor.
That’s where the bar is.
The room where Filip is being held.
Silently she heads to the dining room and slowly sweeps the beam of her flashlight all around. No sign of anyone. Chairs and tables are set out as if dinner were about to be served. There are even cloths on the tables.
All that is missing are the guests and the staff.
It’s creepy.
As Hanna continues up the stairs, the faint smell of gasoline reaches her nostrils, and a shudder runs down her spine. To be on the safe side, she feels for her gun. It is exactly where it should be, and gives her a sense of security.
One more flight of stairs up to the Loft, where the dances used to be held back in the day.
Erik should be here somewhere.
And Filip.
She ties Zelda to the banister so that the dog won’t get in the way.
“Hello?” she calls out tentatively, drawing her gun. “Erik, are you here? Filip?”