A covered walkway led to the front lobby and two malnourished bushes, each with a tired bench, sat on either side of the doorway failing miserably in their attempt to make the place look cheerful. A single sodium light set into the painted block above the door lit the front of the building, and somewhere not too far from where Lyle and Rafe stood assessing the building, a bug catcher snapped and snarled at its share of insects.
“I hate to sound ominous,” Rafe said quietly. “But…”
“A room is a room,” Lyle replied. He dropped a hand on Rafe’s shoulder and pushed Rafe toward the entrance. “At this point, I’d have to say that pretty well anything you sleep on is going to be a far cry better than what you have been sleeping on.”
The lobby was small but clean. The air conditioning had been tu
