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The housekeeping staff had cleaned up since Marten’s last day in the room. Clean towels towered on a rack, and fresh bottles of hotel toiletries lined the vanity.
“You’d think housekeeping would be curious as to the guest’s whereabouts.”
“As long as his departure date hasn’t come and gone, I don’t think they care or pay attention.” She grabbed the handle of the bathroom door and pulled the door forward.
Marten’s toiletry bag banged against the door.
Joe snatched it off the hook and dumped the contents on the counter of the sink.
The usual suspects rolled and spilled from the bag—shaving cream, razor, comb, condoms.
Hailey pinched a foil pack between her fingers. “Typical Marten. Wouldn’t leave home without a stash of condoms.”
“At least he played it safe in some areas of his life.”
Hailey sank to the edge of the tub. “There’s nothing here. Nothing. Why did he want me to have that key? How am I supposed to figure out what it matches?”
“Come on. Let’s get his clothes back in the suitcase.” Joe shoveled Marten’s toiletries into the bag and hung it back on the hook on the door.
Placing her palms against the cool porcelain of the tub, Hailey pushed up. “I’m disappointed. I was so proud of myself that I got us in here, and it all came to nothing.”
“We didn’t check all the drawers in the room. Maybe he stayed at this hotel because he knew you could get in here, and he left a note for you.” Joe backed out of the bathroom.
“Why didn’t he just leave a note with the key? Better yet, just leave me a note telling me what he was going to reveal to me on the ferry?”
“All of that would be too easy for someone else to find. He’s obviously protecting this information.” Joe crossed the room to the desk by the window and yanked open the top drawer.
Hailey placed one knee on the bed and plucked up one of Marten’s shirts. As she folded it, a thump outside the door caused her to clutch the shirt to her chest.
“What was that?”
Joe squinted at her over the top of a piece of hotel stationery. “Maybe just housekeeping.”
Hailey dropped the shirt and tiptoed to the door. Placing one hand against the solid wood, she leaned forward and put her eye to the peephole.
She jerked back, her eyebrows colliding over her nose.
“Someone out there?” Joe crept up behind her.
“I can’t see out the peephole. It’s blocked or something.”
Joe drew up beside her and nudged her over. “Let me have a look.”
He peered through the peephole and immediately reared back, jamming his thumb against the peephole.
Hailey swallowed. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone replaced the peephole with a camera. We’re being watched.”
Chapter Nine
Hailey staggered back from the door. “Are you serious?”
“Deadly.” Keeping his finger against the door, Joe reached for the front pocket of his jeans. He pulled out a knife. “Open this for me.”
With shaky fingers, Hailey pulled out the blade and handed the knife back to Joe. “What are you going to do?”
“Get rid of it.” He slid his thumb from the peephole and held his hand cupped over it instead while he worked the point of the blade around the edge. After several minutes, he dug the device out of the door and closed his fist around it.
Tipping the back of her head against the wall, Hailey asked, “Someone was watching us this whole time?”
“Someone has had their eye on this room for who knows how long. That camera could’ve been there when Marten was still here.”
“And after he...left—” Hailey licked her lips “—they wanted to see who came in here. They must’ve already searched this room. Maybe they took his laptop. Where else would it be? He didn’t leave it at Joost’s place.”
“Hailey, I’d love to stay here in this comfortable room talking to you all night, but we’ve gotta get out of here. The person or persons on the other side of this camera could be on their way right now.”
A stream of adrenaline rushed through her body so fast it made her head hurt, and she pressed two fingers against her temple. “Oh my God. I didn’t even think about that.”
