The Forgotten Room

24

As Logan was returning to his own room on the third floor, another resident, in a small set of rooms in a far section of the second floor, was pacing restlessly. The lights were out, and the only illumination came from the flickering tongues of lightning beyond the mullioned windows.

After several minutes, the pacing stopped. The person, apparently coming to a decision, walked over to the phone, then dialed a number with a 401 area code.

The call was answered on the first ring by a gravelly baritone. “Operations. Abrams.”

“You know who this is, right?”

“Yes,” the man named Abrams said.

“You were responsible for what happened today, weren’t you? That run-in with Logan on the road.”

“How did you learn about that?”

“I heard him talk about it at dinner. Besides, it’s hard to keep anything private in a place like Lux. But that’s beside the point. Are you crazy, doing a thing like that?”

“But he knows about the room. You said it yourself. If he pokes around in there, it could ruin everything.”

“What would ruin everything is your killing him right in town. That’s not what we agreed. He’s too high profile. You’ll only raise suspicion. You might even wreck my cover.”

“Logan is an unknown variable in the equation. We can’t afford to let him remain at Lux.”

“He won’t learn anything. I’ve been too careful for that.”

“That’s a chance we can’t take,” said the man named Abrams. “The stakes have grown too high. If only he’d waited a few more days before—”

“Well, he didn’t. We have to play the hand we’ve been dealt. Look — no more going behind my back. No more making any rash decisions without consulting me. Otherwise…otherwise, I’ll back out. Take the item elsewhere.”

“You wouldn’t be that foolish. You’re in it too deep.”

“Then you listen. We’re going to do this my way. I believe Logan thinks what happened was an accident — and it’s a good thing for you that he does. If he gets suspicious, he’s going to become ten times as dangerous as he already is.”

“So what, exactly, is ‘your way’?”

“Logan is my problem — let me deal with him. I know just what to do.”

“You’re going to…?” The voice on the far end of the line trailed off.

“Precisely.”

“Don’t wait too long. The clock is running, and we don’t have much time.”

“That’s why I’m going to act fast.” And with a sharp click, the call was disconnected.