Line of Dissent by Ray Scott

Author:Ray Scott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Silverbird Publishing

CHAPTER 14

The motel was on the road to Horsham, I passed and repassed it three times before I was satisfied I wasn’t being followed. Darkness was setting in when I finally nerved myself to drive through the motel entrance; as the sun disappeared behind the distant hills.

‘Which is Mr Shaw’s room, please?’ I said brusquely to the receptionist as I peered at her through the glass. I also examined my reflection to check over my shoulder without turning around. I had thought I’d heard someone come in behind me and my nerves were screaming but there was nobody there! She looked at the chart and gave me a smile that in happier circumstances would have sent prickles up my spine.

‘Seven,’ she said. ‘That’s around the corner to the left, third unit past the rockery.’

‘Thank you,’ I climbed back into the car and cautiously circumvented the quadrangle bounded by the units. I had been round once and was starting on a second circuit when I realised by going in ever decreasing circles, I would only draw attention to myself.

I parked at a point distant from No: 7 and switched off the lights. I climbed out and peered around. There were lights on in five of the units, not all were occupied, but there was a light in No: 7. I approached the unit with exaggerated caution; it had reached the stage where I felt a complete damned fool. Since my arrival I had been creeping around the undergrowth and peering around corners.

I decided to grasp the nettle, advanced to the door and knocked. I placed my back against the wall and carefully cast my eyes all around the units and quadrangle. The door opened and I turned towards the light.

‘Mr Shaw?’

‘Mr Meredith, I presume.’

I resisted the temptation to make some crack about Livingstone and Stanley as I thought neither of us would be in the mood for jokes. I merely nodded and after a cursory look into the room and a glance through the crack between door and doorpost, I sidled in.

There was nothing unusual about the room. It duplicated virtually every motel room I had occupied over the last few years. It had the usual double bed, single bed, television and kettle on the bench alongside the wall together with a wash hand basin, toilet and shower at the far end. I strode to the toilet and peered in, there was nobody there. I opened the wardrobe and peered in that as well, it was empty.

Shaw cynically eyed my erratic progress around the room.

‘Satisfied?’ he remarked laconically as he watched.

‘Just checking, that’s all,’ I was in a boorish mood, but also felt a little foolish which didn’t improve my temper. He nodded, from his demeanour he didn’t seem to consider my actions untoward.

‘Very wise,’ he said. ‘I’ve been doing that myself for several weeks.’

‘So what’s all this about?’ I asked.

‘Take a seat,’ he ignored the question. ‘Can I get you anything?’

‘What have you got?’

‘Scotch, beer!’ He indicated a bottle of Scotch and a beer bottle on the refrigerator.

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