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The lights were on, and the door was unlocked Brookhart’s stayed open until nine even on Sunday evenings during the off season
Bryce went in first, followed by Jennifer and Lisa Paige Tal entered last When choosing a erous situation, Bryce always preferred Tal Whitman He trusted no one else as much as he trusted Tal, not even Frank Autry
Brookhart’s was a cluttered place, but curiously warlass-doored coolers filled with cans and bottles of beer, shelves and racks and bins laden with bottles of wine and liquor, and other racks briars and cigarettes were stacked in boxes and cartons, and tins of pipe tobacco were displayed in haphazard oodies were tucked in wherever there was space: candy bars, LifeSavers, chewing gum, peanuts, popcorn, pretzels, potato chips, corn twisties, tortilla chips
Bryce led the way through the deserted store, looking for bodies in the aisles But there were none
There was, however, an enormous puddle of water, about an inch deep, that covered half the floor They stepped gingerly around it
"Where’d all this water come from?" Lisa wondered
"Must be a leak in the condensation pan under one of the beer coolers," Tal Whitman said
They caood look at all of the coolers There was no water anywhere near those softly hu," Jennifer Paige said
They continued their exploration, descending into the cellar, which was used for the storage of wine and booze in cardboard cases, then going up to the top floor, above the store, where there was an office They found nothing out of the ordinary
In the store again, heading toward the front door, Bryce stopped and hunkered down for a closer look at the puddle on the floor He ertip in the stuff, it felt like water, and it was odorless
"What’s wrong?" Tal asked
Standing again, Bryce said, "It’s odd-all this water here"
Tal said, "Most likely, it’s what Dr Paige said-only a leak in the pluh he couldn’t say why, the big puddle seenificant to him
Tayton’s Pharmacy was a s mountain towns An apartment occupied two floors above the pharmacy; it was decorated in shades of creareen accent pieces, and with a nuh the entire building, and they found nothing re roo wet; it squished beneath their shoes
The Candle glow Inn positively radiated charentility: the deep caves and elaborately carved cornices, the mullioned s flanked by carved white shutters Two carriage la the short stone ay Three sht across the face of the inn
Jenny, Lisa, the sheriff, and Lieutenant Whitlow, and Hammond said, "Are they open this tie to stay about half full during the off season But then they have atravelers-and they only have sixteen rooms"
"Well… let’s have a look"
The front doors opened onto a small, comfortably appointed lobby: an oak floor, a dark oriental carpet, light beige sofas, a pair of Queen Anne chairs upholstered in a rose-colored fabric, cherry wood end tables, brass laht A bell rested on the wooden counter, and Jenny struck it several ti none
"Dan and Sylvia keep an apart the cramped business quarters beyond the counter
"They own the place?" the sheriff asked
"Yes Dan and Sylvia Kanarsky"
The sheriff stared at her for a moment "Friends?"
"Yes Close friends"
"Then maybe we’d better not look in their apart shone in his heavy-lidded blue eyes Jenny was surprised by a sudden awareness of the kindness and intelligence that infor hiradually realized that he was considerably more alert and efficient than he had at first appeared to be Now, looking into his sensitive, co, formidable
"We can’t just walk away," she said, "This place has to be searched sooner or later The whole town has to be searched We et this part of it out of the way"
She lifted a hinged section of the wooden countertop and started to push through a gate into the office space beyond
"Please, Doctor," the sheriff said, "always let o first"
She backed out obediently, and he preceded her into Dan’s and Sylvia’s apartment, but they didn’t find anyone No dead bodies
Thank God
Back at the registration desk, Lieutenant Whit rented right now, and they’re all on the second floor"
The sheriff located a passkey on a pegboard beside the mailboxes With almost monotonous caution, they went upstairs and searched the six rooe and cameras and half-written postcards and other indications that there actually were guests at the inn, but they didn’t find the guests themselves
In the sixth roo bath, he found it locked He hammered on it and shouted, "Police! Is anyone there?"
No one answered
Whitman looked at the doorknob, then at the sheriff "No lock button on this side, so someone must be in there Break it down?"
"Looks like a solid-core door," Ha your shoulder Shoot the lock"
Jenny took Lisa’s arirl aside, out of the path of any debris thatto anyone who ht be in the bathroom, then fired one shot He kicked the door open and went inside fast "Nobody’s here"
"Maybe they climbed out a ," the sheriff said
"There aren’t any s in here," Whit
"You’re sure the door was locked?"
"Positive And it could only be done from the inside"
"But how-if no one was in there?"
Whitht to have a look at"
They all had a look at it, in fact, for the bathrooh to accoe had been hastily printed in bold, greasy, black letters:
Timothy
Flyte
The Ancient