The bedroom was warm even as a breeze blew through the open windows, rustling the curtains. Hugo sat on the edge of the bed and fumbled around in the dark for his underwear, putting them on and standing up in one swift motion. He found clothes to wear, and he cursed as he put them all on.
Then he climbed out the window, landing among the rhododendrons.
The backyard was dark and the other houses were all dark for the night, too. Maybe a stray light on here or there. Hugo noticed that the back door had been left open of the bungalow that bordered on this yard. He moved around the side of the house towards the front slowly, and as he reached the front yard he stopped and looked.
A sky blue taxi was parked in the driveway on the other side of the house. A man got out of the taxi, carrying a small suitcase. A woman was standing in the open front door, wearing a long t-shirt and nothing else.
Hugo could hear her say, “I thought your flight back was tomorrow morning?”
Hugo waited until the man with the suitcase was busy paying the taxi driver, then he sprinted in the opposite direction, moving low and fast.
As fast as he could with only one shoe, anyway.