He'd never admit to it, but Mike felt a distinct sense of relief when the Marina Motel came into view, its beige stucco walls covered in flowering plants all the way from the top floor to the sidewalk.
Small plaques and wind chimes only added to the mystical theme of the old motel nestled just east of the Presidio and right on the way to the Golden Gate Bridge.
What made him even happier was the sight of the tan Galaxie parked in front of it, its occupant presumably waiting for him inside.
Parking his blue LTD behind the other unmarked police car, Mike exited slowly, taking more time than usual to survey the scene, see if he was being watched, before proceeding to cross the busy street to the quaint motel.
While there was no point in speculating until he learned about the nature of the lead, Mike did wonder if Steve may have perhaps unwittingly stumbled across the hiding spot for their mysterious man in the green LTD.
Hesitating when he opened the front door for a lady headed in the same direction, he glanced over his shoulder once more, making sure nobody was following.
Once he was fairly certain that he was alone, Mike crossed the small foyer to the elaborate wooden front desk that stood unmanned amongst a maze of corridors and stairwells leading to other parts of the motel.
"You must be Lieutenant Stone!", a voice off to the right shouted in his general direction, startling him for a moment.
Gathering his bearings, Mike noticed a well-dressed woman in her mid-forties standing by one of the stairwells leading to the second floor, busy polishing the ornate wooden railings.
His faint nod was answered with a warm smile when the lady pointed her chin to the other side of the motel.
"Your partner is down the hallway, out by the back door."
"Thank you very much!", Mike responded, shaking his head slightly at the strange meeting place as he made his was down the deserted corridor, his eyes drifting left to right to keep an eye on the allotment of closed doors to either side.
By the time he reached the back door, he noticed a small wooden shim stuck underneath the frame, keeping it propped open for him to head outside, where the back alley connecting to a small nearby business district greeted him.
"Steve?", Mike called out when there was no sign of his partner to be found anywhere, "Stephen?"
Upon receiving nothing but silence, he decided to backtrack the alley toward their cars, wrinkling his nose at the nearby dumpsters sending less than appeasing odors his way.
By the time he reached the corner of the building and saw the trunk of the green LTD parked nearby, it was too late to ward off the vicious attack coming from behind.