Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
The man stared at the hundred dollar bill on the counter. “Not sure that’s enough.”
Jesus fuck, this asshole. “Look, Bert,” Rez started, “I’m tired of this fucking game you’re playing. This situation is life or death. The woman we’re looking for is the sister-in-law of another cop and was abducted out of Pennsylvania. We’re worried she’s being abused and could be hurt beyond the point she can call for help. You really want that on your conscience?”
Bert shrugged. “Ain’t my sister-in-law. And if it was, I probably wouldn’t give a shit since she’s a cunt.”
What a stand-up guy.
Nox snagged the hundred dollar bill from the counter, turned to Rez and tipped his head toward the door. “Let’s go do some knocking and announcing since this fucker doesn’t want to do this the easy way.”
“Sounds good to me. Hang on, let me practice first…” Rez cleared his throat loudly, then yelled, “Police! Open up!” He grinned at Nox. “Not good enough. Let me try that again.” He bellowed even louder, “Police! Open up! This is a raid!” He glanced at the manager. “That’ll work. Let’s go.”
As they headed toward the door, the guy yelled out, “C’mon, man!”
Rez stopped with his hand on the door handle.
Beside him Nox asked, “You willing to cooperate now?”
The man closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them, he said, “Promise me I won’t be responsible for anything you find in their room.”
Suddenly, that sick feeling was back deep in the pit of his stomach.
“We tend to look the other way when it comes to cooperating witnesses,” Nox lied.
Rez struggled to keep his eyes from rolling.
“Last room at the far end. Room one. But you did not get that from me. And whatever you find, I had nothing to do with it.”
Nox and Rez shared another look, then they headed out back into the cold, dark night.
Chapter Twenty-Two
They both stood in front of room one’s door, staring at it.
“Knock or kick it in?” Rez asked his partner.
The wood door had so much rot, it wouldn’t take much to break it open. Maybe just a good shove with a shoulder was all that would be needed, instead of a boot.
“Knock first,” Nox answered. “If she’s in there, let’s give her a chance to answer first before scaring the shit out of her by bulldozing our way in.”
“Good idea. Plus, I don’t trust that fucker. Bert could be lying about this being the room. We don’t want some poor unsuspecting guest to have a heart attack.”
As they stepped closer to the door, a foul odor hit his nose, making it wrinkle.
Damn, that was not a good sign.
Rez glanced over at Nox. With one side of his lip curled up, it was obvious he got a whiff of it, too.
“Wonder when the last time the maid’s been in this room?”
“With a ‘do not disturb’ sign hanging on the door knob,” Nox answered, “I’m guessing not for a while.”
“I keep forgetting what a genius you are.”
“Don’t worry, I have no problem reminding you,” Nox muttered. He pounded on the door and yelled, “Sadie!”
When they both took a step back to wait for someone to answer the door—Sadie or otherwise—Rez turned his head and sucked in a breath, hoping to fill his lungs with clean air.
It wasn’t much better from two feet away.
Oh yeah, not a good sign.
After a minute or so, he held his breath and moved closer again, putting his ear against the door.
“Anything?” Nox asked.
Rez shook his head. No TV, no radio, no voices could be heard.
Nothing but dead silence.
He stepped back to stand next to Nox again and glanced at the room’s window. The curtains were drawn and no light peeked around them.
But that fucking smell…
It was beginning to fry his nose hairs and turn his stomach more than the damn chili dog.
Rez tugged the collar of his long-sleeved thermal up over his nose but came up with a better idea. “Hang on a sec.”
He ran to the car, grabbed their bandanas and when he got back to Nox, he tossed one to him. They covered their nose and mouth, hoping it would filter out some of the rank smell.
“Okay, now what?” Rez asked Nox. “Go back into the office and see if ol’ Berty Boy will give us the key?”
“Fuck that asshole. I have my own key.” Nox dug out his wallet and slid what looked like a credit card free, but it was made of metal.
“You sure like breaking into rooms.”
Nox ignored him and instead jimmied the card between the door frame and the latch, working it until he got the door free. He twisted his head toward Rez. “Ready?”
“Not really. You?”
Nox’s expression turned grim. “I’m not going to like what we’re about to find on the other side of that door.”
“You and me both, brother.”