Chapter 30

Once he was outside the door, Nick stopped and stood for a minute in the corridor, taking a few deep breaths. As much as he didn’t like leaving Todd, it was a relief to be out of the stifling atmosphere of the poker salon. The tension from the poker games was constant and so thick Nick could almost see it hanging in the air. It had assaulted him from every direction to the point he didn’t have to really see Todd’s opponents to know how they felt about their hands. He stretched, then rolled his shoulders a few times and dipped his head side to side to loosen his muscles and dissipate his own tension.

The billiards parlor had been a much more relaxed atmosphere the night before, and Nick hoped that would be the case tonight as well. Nick stepped inside the parlor; in other circumstances, he would have enjoyed it immensely. The place was a sharp contrast to the poker salon tonight, which was tense, serious, and brightly lit. A morgue had more noise and festivities.