We walked across the uneven path up the steps to a dusty porch to the front door.
I knocked.
We waited. Evi and Telaris had remained outside the porch. Reida studied the ceiling of the overhanging balcony. Trying to pick up signs of listening bugs?
Thayu studied the garden, the overgrown garden beds, the unruly bushes that must once have been part of a hedge, the weeds that grew in the cracks in the pavement. It was a riot of green. Insects buzzed from flower to flower, and I bet that the pond would be alive with ringgit at night.
From the other side of the door came the sound of a bolt being drawn back.
The door opened a crack.
In the darkness on the other side I could see movement.
I asked, “This is the house of Benton Leck, isn’t it?”
“Oh, it’s you,” a woman said.
The door open
