Page 150 of Beautiful Liar

“This is where you used to stay?” I venture.

He nods and points to the tiny turret jutting out from the roof. “Right at the top. It was my own personal castle for a night.”

On impulse, I step out of the car, go round to his side and hold out my hand. “I’d like to see it,” I say with a smile.

He hesitates for a moment, but then steps out. We climb the small hill and enter the parlor reception area. A woman in her fifties emerges from a back office and smiles at us. Her chest tag reads MANAGER.

“How can I help you folks?”

I exchange glances with Quinn. He raises an eyebrow, his eyes gleaming with the barest hint of amusement. “Uh…this is a probably an odd request, but my uh…friend here, used to stay here with his mom,” I look at Quinn, but he doesn’t seem inclined to help. “We…he wants to see the room upstairs…where they used to stay?”

The woman looks from me to Quinn and back again. “You mean you want to book it for the night?”

“Um, well, not exactly—”

“Yes. Is it available?” Quinn asks.

My eyes widen in a what-are-you-doing query, but he ignores me.

The woman nods with a slight frown. “It is, but the beds in there are two singles, not a double. Are you sure you don’t want another—?”

“We’ll take it.” Quinn pulls out his wallet and slides his black card and ID across the desk.

She picks up the ID, sees his name and her eyes widen. “Quinn? You’re Adele Blackwood’s son?”

He nods tersely.

Her face softens. “I was sad to read about her passing. She was a lovely woman.”

Stillness engulfs him. “Thanks.”

She senses the subject isn’t one to linger on, so she enters his details, and hands back his cards. “If you’ll wait a moment, I’ll grab the keys and take you up.”

The moment she disappears, I turn to Quinn. “This isn’t a good idea.”

His eyes hook into me. “Why not? Do you have some place else to be?”

“No. But—”

“It’s just for one night, Elyse.”

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