Chapter 14 - Room 417
The elevator opened onto darkness.
Julian stepped out first.
Claire followed reluctantly.
Vanessa stayed close.
Room 417 stood at the far end of the corridor.
The door was covered in plastic sheeting.
Claire inserted the key.
It turned.
Inside was not a hotel room.
The walls had been stripped.
A desk stood in the center.
On it rested an old laptop.
Beside the laptop was a framed photograph.
Claire picked it up.
A young woman smiled beside Julian.
Claire recognized her.
“Who is she?”
Julian’s face tightened.
“Emily Ross.”
Vanessa whispered, “The Hawthorne accountant who disappeared.”
Claire looked at Julian.
“You hid her here?”
“For three weeks.”
“Why?”
“She found Richard’s books.”
A voice came from behind them.
“And she made a very unfortunate choice.”
Stephen Marr stood in the doorway.
He held a gun.
Marcus stood beside him.
Claire stared.
“You were arrested.”
Marcus smiled faintly.
“Money opens more doors than keys.”
Vanessa looked furious.
“Where is Richard?”
Marr pointed down the hall.
“Alive.”
Julian stepped slightly in front of Claire.
Marr noticed.
“How romantic.”
Claire looked around for another exit.
None.
Marr walked toward the laptop.
“Emily Ross copied Richard’s ledger.”
“What happened to her?”
Julian answered before Marr could.
“She disappeared.”
Marr smiled.
“That is such an ugly word.”
Claire’s stomach turned.
“You killed her.”
“I solve problems.”
Marr looked at Claire.
“And lately, you have become one.”
Julian moved.
Marcus immediately struck him across the face with the gun.
Julian hit the floor.
Claire shouted.
Marr remained calm.
“The key, please.”
Claire handed it over.
Marr laughed.
“You really thought this was about a key?”
Claire said nothing.
“It was about confirming Julian had contacted you.”
Claire looked down at Julian.
He wiped blood from his mouth.
Marr continued.
“We have spent six months looking for Emily’s copy.”
Vanessa frowned.
“You just said she disappeared.”
“She did.”
“Then who has it?”
Marr looked at Claire.
“We hoped Julian had given it to his devoted wife.”
Claire suddenly understood.
The debts.
The surveillance.
The destruction of her life.
They had not only wanted Claire isolated.
They had been searching her belongings.
Julian whispered, “I never had the copy.”
Marr aimed the gun at him.
“I know.”
Then the old laptop on the desk turned on by itself.
Everyone froze.
The screen displayed one sentence.
UPLOAD COMPLETE.
Marr’s face changed.
For the first time, he looked terrified.
A woman’s recorded voice came through the laptop speakers.
“My name is Emily Ross.”
May you like
Claire stopped breathing.
“If this message is playing, someone finally opened Room 417.”
