past a night clerk.”
“What if the clerk had earphones on and was listening to AC/DC?” she asked.
“What about the security guard?”
“Maybe he was listening to another heavy-metal band,” Kat said.
He grinned, then paused, staring at the wall by her room, frowning.
“What…” she began to ask.
“The wall. There’s something on the wall.”
She stood close to him, examining the wall, which looked as if someone had stuck a yellowed and dirty old bandage against it.
“This looks like…”
“Mummy wrapping,” Kat said. Her dream rushed back to her. “Except it’s not. Mummies are treated after they’re wrapped, and this just seems like someone’s idea of a Halloween prank.” Her tone was harsh. Despite her training, common sense and logic, it was unnerving to see that someone had been outside both of their rooms, either out to do actual harm or trying to…unnerve them.
“Mummies aren’t always treated,” Will said quietly. “There are a number at various museums around the world that haven’t been soaked in any kind of resin. The reign of the pharaohs went on for thousands of years, and I don’t know about all their interment rites, but I’ve seen mummies that were buried only in wrapping. I agree with you, though. I don’t think this is real. I think it’s something bought from a Halloween shop. But I’m going to get an evidence bag and see what we can find out.”
She waited, her fingers tight around the grip of her Glock, while he went to his room for an evidence bag. He returned in a matter of seconds. He’d relinquished his gun—because he felt there was no more danger or because he had faith in her, she didn’t know—and had brought a knife and the bag. She noticed then that his chest and arms were lean, sleek and well-muscled, and that he could move with the silence and agility of a cat, despite his height and build.
He scraped the fragment of slimy gauze from the light gray wall into the bag.
“What now?” she asked.
“You’re not going back to sleep?”
“I had my alarm set for six-thirty. Not much point now, even if I felt I could fall asleep.”
He shrugged. “Then we’ll be good and early. I’m going to shower and dress. I’ll meet you downstairs at six. That’s when they have the coffee ready so we should get the first cups.”
She nodded, wondering if she should say what was on her mind—that she didn’t like the idea of people crawling around the hall.
He seemed to read her thoughts. “You know what? I’m going to do a setup. It won’t take long and it’ll help put you at ease.”
“I have been trained. I’m not a coward,” Kat said.
“There’s a major difference between being wary and being a coward,” he said. “Give me a minute, and you’ll see what I’m up to.”
The man seemed to be prepared for anything. He disappeared into his room and reappeared with a small camera, a thick wad of duct tape and a desk chair. He used the chair to stand on while he attached the camera just above her door. It was wireless and she thought it was small enough to go unnoticed, especially with the ornate trim over the lintel.
“You’ve got a laptop, right?” he asked her.
“Of course.”
“The camera works on a frequency. It’ll come in on a screen in my room, but I can have it zapped on to your computer. Then you can see what’s going on in the hall, and so will I. Any problems with that?”
“Not at all. In fact, I really like it,” Kat said.
“I have to grab a bit of software.” He disappeared into his own room again, then followed Kat into hers. She showed him where she’d set up her computer on the desk and he went to work. As he did, she noticed the door to the adjoining room—his.
He’d been concentrating on the task at hand, and when he finished, he turned to her. “There’s your icon. Hit it, and you’ll see whatever is going on in the hall.”
“Thanks. I wonder if we should unbolt the connecting doors,
“What if the clerk had earphones on and was listening to AC/DC?” she asked.
“What about the security guard?”
“Maybe he was listening to another heavy-metal band,” Kat said.
He grinned, then paused, staring at the wall by her room, frowning.
“What…” she began to ask.
“The wall. There’s something on the wall.”
She stood close to him, examining the wall, which looked as if someone had stuck a yellowed and dirty old bandage against it.
“This looks like…”
“Mummy wrapping,” Kat said. Her dream rushed back to her. “Except it’s not. Mummies are treated after they’re wrapped, and this just seems like someone’s idea of a Halloween prank.” Her tone was harsh. Despite her training, common sense and logic, it was unnerving to see that someone had been outside both of their rooms, either out to do actual harm or trying to…unnerve them.
“Mummies aren’t always treated,” Will said quietly. “There are a number at various museums around the world that haven’t been soaked in any kind of resin. The reign of the pharaohs went on for thousands of years, and I don’t know about all their interment rites, but I’ve seen mummies that were buried only in wrapping. I agree with you, though. I don’t think this is real. I think it’s something bought from a Halloween shop. But I’m going to get an evidence bag and see what we can find out.”
She waited, her fingers tight around the grip of her Glock, while he went to his room for an evidence bag. He returned in a matter of seconds. He’d relinquished his gun—because he felt there was no more danger or because he had faith in her, she didn’t know—and had brought a knife and the bag. She noticed then that his chest and arms were lean, sleek and well-muscled, and that he could move with the silence and agility of a cat, despite his height and build.
He scraped the fragment of slimy gauze from the light gray wall into the bag.
“What now?” she asked.
“You’re not going back to sleep?”
“I had my alarm set for six-thirty. Not much point now, even if I felt I could fall asleep.”
He shrugged. “Then we’ll be good and early. I’m going to shower and dress. I’ll meet you downstairs at six. That’s when they have the coffee ready so we should get the first cups.”
She nodded, wondering if she should say what was on her mind—that she didn’t like the idea of people crawling around the hall.
He seemed to read her thoughts. “You know what? I’m going to do a setup. It won’t take long and it’ll help put you at ease.”
“I have been trained. I’m not a coward,” Kat said.
“There’s a major difference between being wary and being a coward,” he said. “Give me a minute, and you’ll see what I’m up to.”
The man seemed to be prepared for anything. He disappeared into his room and reappeared with a small camera, a thick wad of duct tape and a desk chair. He used the chair to stand on while he attached the camera just above her door. It was wireless and she thought it was small enough to go unnoticed, especially with the ornate trim over the lintel.
“You’ve got a laptop, right?” he asked her.
“Of course.”
“The camera works on a frequency. It’ll come in on a screen in my room, but I can have it zapped on to your computer. Then you can see what’s going on in the hall, and so will I. Any problems with that?”
“Not at all. In fact, I really like it,” Kat said.
“I have to grab a bit of software.” He disappeared into his own room again, then followed Kat into hers. She showed him where she’d set up her computer on the desk and he went to work. As he did, she noticed the door to the adjoining room—his.
He’d been concentrating on the task at hand, and when he finished, he turned to her. “There’s your icon. Hit it, and you’ll see whatever is going on in the hall.”
“Thanks. I wonder if we should unbolt the connecting doors,
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