The guy disappeared inside, and the door slammed shut.
“—talk.” Reese stopped at the guy’s door. Cops guarding the backside of the breezeway glanced up. There were fewer people on the backside, but that might have been because the wall of military vehicles blocked off the other end.
Reese knocked on the door. “Hey, can I talk to you?”
A curtain moved in the window.
“Please, I’m not going to cause any problems.”
Shuffling brushed the door. “You a cop?” His voice cracked.
“No. I’m not a cop.”
“I already talked to one of those government people. I didn’t see anything.”
“I’m not one of them either.”
The guy laughed. “Liar. I saw you get out of that car with the military guy.”
“Okay, yeah, I’m traveling with him because I’m the only one they have that knows….”
Laughter broke through the chatter between police officers.
Reese leaned closer to the door. “I’m a scientist. My name is Dr. Reese Dante. Please, if you saw anything, it could save an innocent life.” It wasn’t a lie. The Anubis were after Luca.
“Who?”
“What?”
“Who are you worried about?” The tone of the question needled Reese’s curiosity.
“Does it matter?”
The door opened, and the chain limiting its width pulled taught. Road rash marred one of the guy’s forearms. He followed Reese’s gaze and yanked down his sleeve. “Yeah, it matters.”
What would it hurt to tell him? “His name is Luca.”
The guy sucked in his breath.
“You knew him.” Reese made it a statement.
The stranger stood on his toes, looking past Reese.
“I’m alone. Please, if you can help—” The door slammed shut. “Godda—” The chain clicked, and it opened again.
The guy waved a hand.
Reese stepped inside, and the door shut behind him. A deadbolt thumped.
Piles of clothes on the floor, stacks of empty food containers covered the dresser. A few whisky bottles sat on the bedside table with a clean ashtray and an unopened package of cigarettes.
“How do you know Luca?” The guy pushed past Reese and kicked aside some of his clothes laying in the walkway between the king bed and dresser.
“I don’t know him personally.”
Those black on black eyes flashed with anger.
“I knew his brother, Koda.”