Chapter 36: Elsa, Part 2

Under the streetlights, the road was a glare of slick reflections. Elsa navigated slowly, though she was only half focused on the task. Most of her attention was on the question "where to look for Tristan?"

Twenty minutes later, she parked outside of the Roockwood Inn where Tristan had been staying. The vacancy light flickered eerily, and the raindrops echoed off the car; ping, ping, ping. The darkness seemed to watch her like a tangible, malevolent creature. She shivered at the thought and climbed out into the storm.

Room 622, around the back. That was where he'd been, but no one answered her knock. She pounded again and again, until someone in the next room shouted at her to be quiet. She couldn't give up, so she hurried through the rain and into the shabby motel office. The walls were stained with tobacco and smoke hung thick in the air. The bell was broken, so she banged on the counter impatiently.