Phoebe let out a laugh and gestured to the door. “Well, let’s see if you’ve retained the skill.”
But when Will reached out to inspect the doorknob, he found it unlocked. They exchanged a glance. Will pressed his ear to the door, but no sounds came from the other side.
“It’s empty.” He turned the knob and the door opened easily. Phoebe grabbed his arm just as he was about to enter.
“Careful,” she whispered, her hazel eyes wide with apprehension.
“It’s all right.” He patted her hand, then simply rested his palm on top for as long as he dared. It felt remarkably good. Together they entered the tiny room, which was just as dank and dim as the rest of the building. Phoebe immediately headed for the lone window and pulled back the threadbare curtain. The neighboring building blocked most of the direct sunlight, but they could now see a space that, while small, was quite clean. A cot took up one wall, while a table with two mismatched chairs took up the other. Phoebe moved around the cramped space, pulling back the patched bedspread and looking under the sparse furniture. Her worried frown deepened the more she took in.
“There’s nothing here,” she finally said. “Her clothes, her things, it’s all gone.”
“She must have left.” It was the only reasonable explanation.
Phoebe sat down hard on the cot. She looked defeated. “Then I failed her.”
His chest tightened. It wasn’t right seeing her without that confounding sense of determination. Like a crow that couldn’t fly or a lion tamer without a whip. Will shook his head. Those were terrible analogies, but the point remained: Phoebe couldn’t blame herself.
“Come,” he prompted. “We’re going to find that blasted maintenance man.”
Phoebe looked up. “What for?”
“I’ve a few questions to ask him.”
“He won’t cooperate.”
“Perhaps not, but we’re going to ask anyway.”
Phoebe stared at his offered hand for a moment before taking it. “So sayeth the duke,” she replied as he pulled her to her feet. A faint spark had returned to those hazel eyes and Will relaxed. All was right with the world again. At least for now.
Eight
As they made their way down into the decrepit building’s equally deplorable basement, Phoebe practically clung to Will’s sleeve.
“I can barely see a thing,” she explained unprompted. Their path was illuminated only by the faint daylight that came in from a small window. “It will be a miracle if we don’t break our necks.”
“Not to worry,” he said with a smile as they reached the door to Mr. Felton’s quarters. “I have excellent reflexes.”
Before she could respond to that remark, he knocked so hard that Phoebe jumped and grasped his arm even harder.
“Sorry,” Will said as he patted her hand. “If he is dead drunk, I want to make sure he can hear me.”
But there was no answer.
“Excuse me,” he called out. “Is anyone in there?”
Then he knocked again even harder, while the worn door creaked in protest.
“Careful or you’ll break it down!” Phoebe hissed.
He shot her a wry look. “That would be helpful in this situation.” After a moment of taut silence, Will rattled the knob and let out a dry laugh. “Does no one lock their doors in this place?”
Phoebe’s shoulders tensed and the sinking sensation that had begun upstairs only grew. Nothing about this was right. Not Alice’s empty flat, not the mysterious visitor, and certainly not another unlocked door. People here knew better.
Will pushed the door open and entered. Phoebe followed a few steps behind him. She had faced Mr. Felton’s wrath once before and had no desire to repeat the experience.
It was larger than she expected, as it appeared to double as the man’s living space, but it was in a sorry state. Like the room preceding it, this one had a small window that let in enough natural light to make out their surroundings. A tattered sofa was littered with old newspapers and bits of soiled clothing, while used cutlery and the remnants of several meals covered a battered table. Phoebe’s nose wrinkled at the stench of rotting food. How could anyone live in such a place?
She was just about to make the comment to Will when he came to an abrupt halt. Phoebe walked right into him.
