The One
Chapter 84
ALEX
It was Alex who had found the note waiting for him in Nick’s empty hotel room.
When he had still not heard from Nick the morning after sending him so many texts and voicemails, he’d cancelled his clients’
appointments and took a taxi to the hotel where Nick was staying.
He knew his train back from London was scheduled for that morning, so he would wait for him, but hours later, when Nick still hadn’t returned, Alex, full of worry, talked the receptionist into letting him in.
As the electronic key card opened the door, Alex held his breath, scared of what he might find. Inside, the room was empty and tidy, but the bin was full. Crammed along with cigarette packets and minibar bottles were scraps and scraps of paper, curled up into tight balls having been tossed away.
The security man stood by the wide-open window looking puzzled.
While the breeze violently blew the curtains back and forth, it did little to take away the smell of stale smoke that clung to the material.
‘He’ll be fined for that,’ the man mumbled in broken English.
Alex glanced around the room and eventually spotted the sealed envelope which sat atop the pillow on the neatly made bed. He felt a sudden chill from the wind when he recognised his name and the handwriting, then held his breath as he dashed to the window and looked to the concrete roof of the building nine floors below.