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“Alright. You win. I’ll let your people up on the third floor.”
“Damned fucking right you will. And anywhere else they need to go.”
“Yes.”
Xiomara’s expression didn’t change one bit, not even after she’d gotten her way. She delivered them all one last scathing look of death before reaching down and cutting the connection.
The screen went black. Logan whistled. “Shit. You got lucky.”
“What?”
“You caught her in a good mood for once.”
Kara laughed without laughing. “He’s right,” she said. “She didn’t even tell you to ‘fuck off’ before hanging up.”
Travis Radcliffe allowed himself a long deep breath, and then finally sat up straight. “You do realize most of the hotel’s activity has taken place on the third floor?”
“Most but not all,” Logan pointed out.
“And that’s why it was closed,” the owner said. “Back in the sixties.”
“Nineteen sixty nine,” said Kara.
The man looked at them both and sighed. “I’ll open it up to you, but just you. Even the staff is afraid of the third floor, although we do send people up twice a year for a very quick once-over.”
“And they’ve never seen anything?”
He shook his head. “The cleaning crews are sent in large groups, for protection and to make things fast. And only during the day.” He grumbled. “I can only get them up there by paying triple time, too.”
Kara ignored his last statement. “Anyone we should talk to?”
Mr. Radcliffe steepled his hands together for a moment, lost in thought. “You should probably see Jonathan. He’s the janitor — or rather, the head of maintenance. He’s been here longer than any of us. He also knows the Averoigne inside and out.”
“Roger that,” said Logan. “Jonathan.”
“I’ll tell him to give you the master key. It’ll open anything on the third floor.” Radcliffe leaned across the desk confidentially, almost like he did on the phone call. “But please, try to keep things quiet. We have a lot of guests here right now, and some of them might be curious.”
“Fair enough.”
“I’m also absolving myself — and the Averoigne — of all responsibility,” said Radcliffe. “Whatever happens up there, it’s on you.”
Kara settled back in her chair and sighed. “Always is.”
“Is that all?” Radcliffe asked. He sounded almost annoyed now. “I really need to get back to work.”
“No,” said Kara. “Tell us… what’s next to room 207.”
“What?”
“The room you gave us last night,” she repeated. “Number 207. What’s next to it?”
“Room 209?”
“No, on the other side.”
The owner’s eyes rolled up to the ceiling, like he was checking on some mental map. “Ummm…” He snapped his fingers. “Oh, that’s right. Maintenance closet.”
Logan and Kara looked at each other.
