It had seemed empty, but he didn’t know that for sure. As much as he wanted to simply let himself in and poke around, he figured it was smarter to cover his bases first.
He raised his hand and knocked on the door.
No answer, even though he waited a good twenty seconds or so for a response. Once again he knocked, and again only silence came back to him.
It should be safe enough.
He wrapped his fingers around the doorknob and stepped inside. The place was utterly dark, not even a nightlight to break up the gloom. Right by the door was a dual switch, so he flicked one upward. At once an overhead fixture flared to life, revealing a short hallway decorated with posters of local events — wine festivals, art exhibits — and not much else.
After moving farther in, he debated whether to turn on
