This reminds me of the only scene of The Difference Engine which I remember fondly. A murder takes place in a hotel room, and it is full of regret, and charged with passion (both carnal, and criminal).
You have such a way with unexpected metaphor. Always enjoyed.
Thank you! That's quite a compliment coming from you.
Is The Difference Engine bad?
For a novel that was meant to spawn an entire genre, it is dense, full of language that is "look at all the words I know" (without good reason - the way even criminals speak is far too academic) - and it just felt like it had poor pacing.