Matthew slowly puts his hand up, glancing back at me once more. I raise an eyebrow at the classroom tactic. “Yes, Matthew?”
Hunter drops his hand from Xavier and takes a step backwards. Xavier studies Matthew curiously and leans back against the bar, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Um… is that really—I mean—there are so many steps before ‘murder’ becomes the option, right? Like that’s Option Z. Or option ZZZ. Way, way to the right.” At our blank looks, he says, “Uh, that’s a spreadsheet reference.” He shakes his head. “Never mind. Carry on.”
“Matthew, I’m very sorry that you were—”
“It’s fine,” he interrupts Hunter, like he doesn’t want to hear the rest of the sentence. Ignorance is not bliss in this instance; it’s how people die. Eyes wide open is the only way to step forward in this world.
Hunter frowns. “No, it isn’t. I need to explain.”
My phone buzzes, and I check the message.No one is in the building that isn’t supposed to be. There is a… mess of sorts on the third floor. I’ve blocked it off, but you’ll want to see this.
“That will have to wait.” Matthew has to be supervised until we decide what to do with him. Do I trust Hunter not to take off with him? Not my decision to make. “There’s something upstairs requiring our attention.”
Xavier pushes off the bar and spreads his arms, the rings on his thumb and middle finger glinting from the low light above. “Then by all means, we shouldn’t keep anyone waiting.”
“What about Lester?” Hunter asks. “This could be a trap.”
“He’s not here.” A pity, I’d like to see what his blood looks like on the carpet. “It seems like he left us a gift.”
“There’s a lot of that going around at the moment,” Hunter says dryly. “It’s not likely to be a gift card or a new watch.”
“I doubt it.” I’d be checking that watch for explosives. “Xavier, stay here with Matthew. Hunter, with me.”
“Who put you in charge?” Hunter mutters, though he does follow me out of the room, with a single glance behind himself to the teacher watching our departure.
Of all the things I’m expecting to find, a body in the middle of the hallway isn’t one of them. By the uniform, it’s one of the hotel staff. There’s an untouched room service cart, complete with a meal for two and chilled wine. He didn’t make it to his destination. He’s sprawled over the floor, blood underneath him from the multiple stab wounds. Quick and precise. No finesse. Clearly Lester’s handiwork. He never did have vision.
A folded card is on the man’s chest, like a name placard, with the hotel logo on the front. A message, then. Charming.
“Extravagant gift,” Hunter remarks. “Usually, I just get people a box of Favourites and a gift card for a massage.” He crouches beside the body, looking it over before plucking up the folded card and flipping it open. His eyes darken as he reads, a snarl forming on his lips. “For Xavier.”
He holds it out to me and then continues checking over the body.
There’s one sentence written in the card.
Nice place you have here, Xavier.
Taking a deep breath, I deposit the card in my pocket. “Anything else?”
“Doesn’t look like it. Do you know this man?”
“No.” It’s not my area to know every staff employed in Xavier’s businesses. I’ll need to find out in order to make reparations. Taking a snap of the man’s face, I send it to Adam. I don’t trust anyone but those two with this information or with handlingthis. It’s too close to Xavier, and no one else has earned that level of trust. Not when it comes to Xavier’s life. Or Hunter’s.
“Wrong place, wrong time rather than targeted,” Hunter murmurs. I don’t reply; it doesn’t sound like he’s speaking to me. “Says a lot about the kind of man we’re dealing with.” He fishes out his own phone. “I’m calling Six and Spencer.”
“We don’t need their help.” Too many hands in the pot only thickens the soup and turns it into slop.
“I’m not asking. I’m involved in this now, and that meansmymen are getting brought in.”
“Fine.” It’s not worth arguing over. If Xavier wants to protest, then I’ll sit on that hill. Until then, I don’t care. “Tell them to speak to Adam and Theodore.”
Hunter nods sharply and then stands with his phone pressed to his ear. He moves further down the hall, out of earshot. The hotel manager arrives as he’s speaking, and I tell him to keep the corridor clear, no exceptions. We’ll have it cleaned in the next hour, and if the police need to be involved, we’ll deal with it.
“Are there people booked in here?”
“Yes, sir.”
