Light in Shadow by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

He went back to his office, opened the phone book, and started punching numbers. There

were a lot of resorts, hotels, and motels in Whispering Springs and the surrounding area. This

was Arizona, after all, a golfer's and sunseeker's paradise. But he cut the list down

considerably when he excluded the high-end establishments. He had a feeling that Grady was

the kind of guy who would feel more comfortable in inconspicuous surroundings. Blackmail, by

its very nature, demanded a low profile.

He thought it was also safe to assume that Grady would not have set up shop too far from his

target. He would want to keep tabs on Zoe.

It was amazing how free with information people were when you asked the right questions.

"… I'm trying to find my uncle. He's got Alzheimer's and he's wandered off again. Big flashy

ring. Thinning hair. You'd never know he was ill. Keeps changing his name because he can't

remember his own. We're really worried about him…."

At eleven-thirty that morning, he drove into the graveled parking lot of the Sunrise Suites

motel. Half a dozen cars were parked in the lot. A fast-food chain restaurant occupied the

property on the left. There was an old, boarded-up house on the right and, beyond it, a row

of dilapidated warehouses that appeared to have been abandoned a long time ago.

Ethan sat behind the wheel for a few minutes, studying the two-story motel. In most of the

windows the drapes were open or only partially closed. But one window was completely veiled

with dingy curtains that sagged from the rod.

He climbed out of the SUV, collected his tool kit, and went up the outside steps at the far end

of the building. He walked along the second-floor balcony, stopped in front of the door that

went with the closed drapes, and knocked.

There was a short pause.

"Who's there?"

A man's voice. So far, so good.

"Sorry to bother you, sir," Ethan said, making it sound like he wasn't sorry, just bored. "My

company got a call from the manager. There's a leak in the room below. I took a look down

there and I'm pretty sure the water's coming from this room. I need to check your shower."

"Come back later."

"Sorry, sir, this is sort of an emergency. The manager is freaking out about the damage

downstairs. I gotta get this leak stopped."

"Hell with it. Okay, okay, give me a minute."

A short time later the door opened. A heavyset man with thinning hair peered out through the

crack. He was wearing a faded tan polo shirt and polyester slacks. There was a really big,

really fake-looking diamond ring on one finger. He surveyed Ethan's gray work shirt and tool

kit. Apparently satisfied, he stepped back.

"Make it fast, will you? I'm in the middle of some business here."

Ethan caught the scent of antacid tablets on his breath. He walked into the room and closed

the door.

"This won't take long, Grady," he said.

"It better not, I'm trying to work – " Grady broke off abruptly. His mouth opened, closed, and

opened again. "What the hell? How do you know my name? Who are you?"

"I represent the lady you're trying to blackmail.

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