“Of course there’s a body in the shower. This night just keeps getting more interesting.”
Chapter Three
“I didn’t kill him,” Alicesaid.
She knew she sounded defensive. She couldn’t help it. She had to make him believe her, at least for now. He might not be the ideal rescuer, but she had to work with the material available.
“At this point, I don’t give a damn.” Owen turned away from the shower and aimed the light at the mirror. “Right now, we need to focus on getting out of here.”
“Right. Focus.”
There were no fog jets inside the bathroom, but the heavy vapor from the main room was flowing through the open door, threatening to fill the space. The hallucinogenic visions were getting stronger. The handheld showerhead was now a gleaming viper, jaws agape, venom dripping from its fangs. She had to work to suppress a primal jolt of terror.
“Close the door,” Owen said.
“Right. Should have thought of that.”
She closed the door, cutting off some of the vapor, but the stuff continued to flow under the bottom edge.
She watched Owen move to the full-length mirror. He used the grip of the flamer to tap the nearby wall tiles.
“Are you sure there’s an emergency exit from this room?” she asked.
“I did some research on the way here. Found the original construction plans. Each room has a hidden door that opens onto an interior passageway that runs throughout the building. But the hotel was built decades ago under old construction codes. It was sold at auction and then remodeled by the new owner. Then it was closed for a while after—”
“After my husband jumped off the roof,” she said, her voice very tight. “Yes, I know.”
“Sorry. The question is whether the old emergency exits have been boarded up by the current owner.” He tapped another tile. “Here we go.”
He pressed the tile. The mirror swung open, revealing a narrow, unlit passage. A draft of air spilled out, stale and infused with a hint of mold. But the interior appeared free of hallucinogenic fog.
Sebastian chortled and fluffed up, thrilled with the new discovery. He wriggled out of the crook of Alice’s arm, bounded down to the floor, and zipped into the shadows of the concealed passage.
Alice’s spirits soared. “He doesn’t detect any immediate threat. That’s a very good sign.”
“Yes, it is. Let’s go.”
“Wait, I need my stuff.”
“We are not hauling your luggage with us,” Owen said.
“I didn’t bring any luggage. I had no intention of spending the night here.”
She took a deep breath and held it long enough to open the door and dart out into the other room. She groped her way through a junglescapeof scaled and fanged creatures—giant snakes, dragon-sized lizards, an assortment of crocodilians. When she reached the dressing table, she seized the coiled snake that was the strap of her small backpack, slung it over one shoulder, and returned to the bathroom.
She shut the door and released the breath she had been holding. “Got it.”
Owen was already inside the passage, waiting for her. His expression was grim and his eyes burned with a little energy. She knew he had rezzed his senses and she was pretty sure it wasn’t just because he was using psi to suppress the hallucinations. He was annoyed by the delay.
She considered reminding him that he claimed to be responsible for the fact that she needed rescuing, but decided that discussion could wait for a more appropriate time. She followed him into the dark hall. Sebastian bounced up and down, eager to explore. An object glinted in one of his paws.
“What is that?” she asked. “It looks like a mirror.”
“It is,” Owen said, clearly not pleased. “While you were fetching your luggage—”
“My pack.”
“—Sebastian went souvenir hunting. He found that hand mirror in the trash basket under the sink.”
