16. Chapter Sixteen
Chapter sixteen
Noble put his back against the wall beside the door.
The breath caught in his chest. His eyes went to the open window.
He could still attempt to scale down the side of the building, but that was an option of last resort.
Most climbers make fatal mistakes on the decent.
And that climb, short though it was, had been difficult enough.
The drainage pipes were furred with moss.
One bad hold would send Noble plummeting to the stone courtyard.
A fall like that probably wouldn’t kill him, but it would definitely break some bones.
He had no intention of starting his new career with Burke in the hospital. Or worse, a prison cell.
Besides, this little trip had just gone from a probable goose chase to an honest to God mystery.
Bill and Milena weren’t just off the radar.
Something had happened to them. If they were still alive, then they needed help.
If they were dead, well then Noble intended to find out who had killed them and why, and then exact some vengeance.
In his mind he heard his mother’s voice quoting scripture; vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord.
Yeah okay, Noble thought. Then let’s just call it payback.
He didn’t know Bill or Milena, not personally, but they were friends of a friend and that was enough.
Besides, they looked like a couple in love, enjoying a long delayed honeymoon.
They deserved a little happiness. Didn’t everybody?
If Noble found out someone had done them harm, he was going to take a pound of flesh. It was only fair.
In the hall outside the door, the footsteps were getting closer. He crossed the room, eased the window shut, and hurried back to the door. If it was the guy and gal currently renting the room, an open window would immediately alert them something was wrong.
Noble stood behind the door, his teeth bared, waiting.
Outside, the footsteps passed the door, continuing down the hall. Noble let out a sigh of relief. He waited until he heard the hotel guests letting themselves into another unit, before easing down on the latch and opening the door just enough to peek.
The coast was clear.
He swung the door wide, let himself out of the room and hurried toward the stairs. He’d pressed his luck as far as he dared. He needed someplace to sit and dig through Bill’s stash. He pounded down the steps to the ground floor and pushed through the door into the lobby.
Xanders was still at his post, a phone to his ear. He looked up at the sight of Noble and his mouth fell open.
Noble cocked a thumb over his shoulder and without breaking stride he said, “Thought I left my wallet.”
A moment later he was out on the sidewalk, headed back across town to his hostel. He didn’t notice a dark sedan ease to a stop in front of the hotel.