Chapter 2 - The Man With the Closed Fist
I ran into the hallway before I could think.
"Lily, stay with Mrs. Parker."
My daughter's teacher immediately wrapped an arm around her.
"Mommy!"
"I'll be right back."
I didn't know whether I was reassuring Lily or myself.
The hallway outside the ballroom was empty.
The hotel employee was gone.
So was the voice.
I stood there listening.
Nothing.
Only distant music from another ballroom.
I looked down at the silver key in my palm.
My fingers tightened around it.
The number meant nothing to me.
But the voice had.
There was no mistake.
I had heard that voice hundreds of times.
At breakfast.
In the car.
In our kitchen.
On the phone late at night.
My husband, Daniel.
Daniel had died three years earlier.
At least, that was what everyone told me.
The official story was simple.
A late-night highway accident.
Rain.
A wet road.
A truck that crossed the center line.
Daniel died before the ambulance arrived.
I had identified his body.
I had buried him.
I had spent three years teaching our daughter how to live with the fact that her father wasn't coming home.
So why had I heard his voice?
"Mara."
I spun around.
The hotel employee stood at the far end of the corridor.
He was holding his closed fist against his chest.
"You."
He looked frightened.
"Come with me."
"Where?"
"Somewhere private."
"No."
I walked toward him.
"Tell me what you found."
He glanced behind me.
"Not here."
"What is it?"
He slowly opened his hand.
The black object sat in his palm.
It was about the size of a small matchbox.
No logo.
No visible screen.
No obvious purpose.
I stared at it.
"What is that?"
"I don't know."
"Then why were you hiding it?"
"I wasn't hiding it."
"You ran."
He swallowed.
"Because someone told me to."
"Who?"
He looked toward the ballroom.
"Your sister-in-law."
My pulse jumped.
"Claire?"
He nodded.
"When?"
"Before the party."
"What did she tell you?"
He lowered his voice.
"She told me that if I found anything underneath the dessert table, I was supposed to give it to her."
I stared at the object.
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
He looked genuinely terrified now.
"I've worked at this hotel for six years. I've never seen anything like this."
"Then why did you look at me?"
He hesitated.
"Because your name was written on it."
My breath caught.
"What?"
He turned the object over.
There was a tiny strip of white tape on the bottom.
Three handwritten letters were visible.
MARA.
My mouth went dry.
"Where did you get this?"
"Under the table."
"How long was it there?"
"I don't know."
"Who put it there?"
"I don't know."
He started to say something else.
Then his eyes moved past me.
His expression changed.
I turned.
Claire stood at the end of the corridor.
She wasn't alone.
A man stood beside her.
Tall.
Dark-haired.
Wearing a black suit.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
For one impossible second, I thought it was Daniel.
Same height.
Same shoulders.
Same dark hair.
Then the man turned his head.
It wasn't him.
But he looked enough like him to make my knees weak.
Claire whispered something to him.
The man looked at me.
Then he looked at the black device.
The hotel employee stepped backward.
"Who is he?" I asked.
Claire didn't answer.
The man did.
"My name is Jonathan."
His voice was calm.
"I knew your husband."
I stared at him.
"How?"
He took one step forward.
"Daniel wasn't alone the night he died."
The hallway seemed to tilt.
"What did you say?"
Claire grabbed his arm.
"Not here."
Jonathan pulled away.
"It's already too late."
Claire looked at me.
Then at the device.
Then toward the ballroom.
"She has the key."
I looked down.
The silver key was still in my hand.
Jonathan's face tightened.
"Where did you get that?"
"Under the table."
He stared at the key.
Then he whispered:
"714."
"What is 714?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he looked at the hotel employee.
"Did you find the second one?"
The employee shook his head.
"Second what?"
Nobody spoke.
I stepped closer.
"Tell me."
Jonathan looked directly into my eyes.
"There were two devices."
My stomach dropped.
"Where is the other one?"
He opened his mouth.
A phone rang inside the ballroom.
Everyone froze.
Claire's face changed.
Jonathan whispered:
"Don't answer that."
But the ringing continued.
I walked back toward the ballroom.
My phone was vibrating inside my purse.
I pulled it out.
The screen showed a number I didn't recognize.
Then a text appeared beneath it.
MARA, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY DANIEL DIED, COME TO ROOM 714 ALONE.
May you like
A second message arrived immediately.
AND DON'T TRUST CLAIRE.
