Page 97 of The 9th Man

Thankfully, he had one factor working in his favor.

The rationalizations people made when they believed themselves in charge.

That everything was in their favor and all would be right.

Now both Stein and Simmons were dead. Simmons’s house burned to ashes. No word yet as to whether Daniels and Stein’s granddaughter were dead. But Talley had assured him that would happen. Everything was winding down. Finally. Soon, there would be nothing left for Stephanie Nelle to find.

Except for one thing.

David Eckstein.

Patience, he told himself.

That problem too shall pass.

48

LUKE LED THE WAY AS THEY ENTERED THE ADOLPHUS HOTEL, Adowntown Dallas landmark. Incredibly, there was a room available, one of their deluxe, with plush, pillow-top mattresses, an oversized desk, and, most important, high-speed WiFi. Rich leather and wood accents and a spa-like bathroom with marble and a rainfall shower suggested the promise of a few hours of comfort and rest. They both showered and cleaned up, donning the hotel’s signature robes, then ordered room service for a late lunch, or early dinner depending on how you kept time.

“I get that this is now your job,” she said to him. “But I want Rowland for my own reasons.”

“And I get that too.”

“You do realize,” she said, “all we have is a hunch that this Eckstein might have been there that day, might have filmed what happened, and might live in the mountains somewhere.”

“Where it snows a lot,” he added.

“We don’t even know if he’s in the United States.”

“He is,” Luke said. “Or in Canada.”

“What makes you so sure?”

He powered up the laptop and inserted the flash drive, reading again what Ray Simmons had written.I’m thinking about trekking up there again, but I’m getting too damn old for mountains and horses and snow.“That’s not the language you use if you’re talking about overseas. Maybe Canada. But I doubt it. To Ray,upmeant north of Louisiana.”

“I can buy that,” she said. “But it still doesn’t get us any closer. Obviously, Ray knew where to go, but he didn’t write it down on anything we’re privy to.”

A knock at the door signaled their food had arrived.

They enjoyed the offerings and decided a little sleep would be great. He was especially tired, as he’d been awake most of the previous night dealing with the FBI’s expert. The man was on standby, awaiting more information.

As the guy said,You definitely intrigued me.

Luke woke and immediately checked the bedside clock.

8:45P.M.

He’d been out almost three hours.

Jillian was awake, planted in front of the laptop. “That stuff at the end of Simmons’s notes has been nagging at me.”

He recalled the five lines.

steel~myth~barrel

depth~signature~language

computer~height~artisan