“You are in the hotel room, right? Are you safe now?”
“No! There’s more. I was in the darkroom developing the photo my camera had taken, just in case it caught something important, when I heard a noise outside. When I opened the door, there was a man in my room. So I darted down the fire escape, but he followed me. When he came around a corner, I maced him and then managed to get in a cab. I had the driver take me to the hotel for the night.”
“Wow, okay. Well, I’m glad you’re safe. Did you get anything helpful from the picture?”
“Yes, actually. Both men had masks on, but one of them had a tattoo of the Virgin Mary on his arm.”
“That’s a good defining feature. But you’re safe for now, right?”There was that mother instinct again.
“Yes, I am. I locked myself in my room. No one knows where I am except you.”
“Perfect. Keep it that way. I’ll call my cousin. She’s married to a cop. Maybe there’s someone we can talk to that isn’t on the mob’s payroll because that could be why those officers didn’t believe you. Maybe they were covering it up. Do you still have the photo?”
“Yes, I brought it with me.” She didn’t mention that she had just destroyed it in the hotel’s guest business office.
There’s a soft sigh on the other side of the phone. “That makes you an even bigger target. Would you like me to hold onto it for you until we figure out what to do?”
“No. That’s okay. I already put you in enough danger calling you like this.”
“I want to help you. It’s late, so I’ll call my cousin in the morning as long as you’re safe for the night.”
“I am. Thank you, Rachel. I appreciate your help.”
“What’re friends for? Stay safe tonight. I will call you tomorrow with the details, okay?”
They ended the phone call, and Augusta sat motionless on the bed for several moments. She loved Rachel and felt bad for involving her, but she didn’t know who else to call.
Hearing that Rachel had someone to go to for help really calmed her nerves. Trying to take her mind off of it, she decided that she should rinse off after all the running around.
In the bathroom, there was a huge, jetted tub in the center of the room. She’d originally planned on a quick shower, but she wanted to take advantage of the safety and the comfort of a long soak. The cleaning crew had even left out bath salts. She started the water and poured in the minerals. She ran her hand under the water to make sure it was boiling. It was just what she needed after today.
She was safe, after all. There was nothing to be done about it tonight, and she felt a long bath was well deserved. It would help her think. She grabbed the fluffy towel off the shelf and hung it on the back of the door. Then she undressed.
When the water was just the right height, she shut it off and put both feet in, letting the rest of her body sink its way into the water. The bath warmed her whole body; it felt like a hug. She desperately needed it after what she had been through.
She leaned back against the tub’s side and let out a deep breath. She so needed this right now. As her eyes closed, the past events ran through her head. She hoped Rachel’s police cousin could help her. The cops she went to initially were probably in the pocket of someone with big money. Hopefully, she could trust the next cops she saw.
She sat in the tub for as long as her skin would allow. When her feet started to prune, she got out and grabbed the towel from the door.Why don’t they sell these?She slipped the soft fabric around her torso and tucked in the top corner above her breast.
The mirror exposed how her hair had reacted to the steam, and it wasn’t great. She giggled at herself as she walked to the door, twisted the knob, and walked out.
“Don’t scream.” A male voice that shouldn’t have been there caused her to start shaking again. All the benefits of that hot bath faded away as fear flowed through her veins.
Her whole body froze as she recognized that voice, and he was already crossing the room to her before her brain caught up. Her heart raced at the sight of him.How had he managed to find her?
He lunged at her with incredible speed and had her back against the wall. His hand flew over her mouth before she had even uttered a sound.
No one knew that there was an intruder in her room.
“I’m just here to talk.”
Augusta couldn’t help but want to roll her eyes while her heart pounded hard in her chest.Yeah, right.
Chapter5
Augusta
His hand pressed down on her mouth, keeping her pinned against the wall. Her heart rate spiked higher, if possible. She was pretty sure she could hear it bouncing around in her head. She tried to swallow, needing to wet her suddenly dry mouth.