PROVIDENCE, R.I. — At first, the toxic smoke, hazmat suit and money inside Room 323 at the Hilton Garden Inn had police believing they were looking at the remnants of a drug lab Tuesday afternoon.

Not anymore. Providence police Maj. David Lapatin said Thursday that investigators have ruled out narcotics and, with the assistance of the FBI and Secret Service, are focusing on a different, "unusual" direction.

Lapatin declined to reveal further information, citing the ongoing investigation.

The person who paid for the room Tuesday afternoon had been in the company of three other men, all carrying several large, dark suitcases into the hotel, according to a police report.

They fled 40 minutes later when the smoke detector in the room went off at 4 p.m. The hotel's chief engineer checked the room and then called 911 when he saw a cloud of white smoke.

As police officers and firefighters searched the room for any occupants, they saw a hazmat suit and mask on the bathroom floor, near the bathtub where the hot water was left running, according to a police report.

They also found money in tin foil next to the bed, and several plastic bags on the bureau and in the closet, the report said.

The toxic air forced them out, and the entire hotel was evacuated until the air was cleared. The smoke was actually chemical-based steam, police said.

While narcotics detectives and the Drug Enforcement Administration hazmat team began the investigation, they soon determined the cause wasn't drug-related, Lapatin said.