by Mary Maxwell
“Did I see someone from the hotel bring you an envelope earlier?” she asked. “I thought I noticed a man talking to you while I was waiting for our drinks.”
The comment caught me off guard, and I did my best to appear unruffled even though the inquiry reignited the jumpy feeling in my stomach.
“It was nothing,” I lied, not wanting to reveal the contents of the disturbing note. My two friends deserved a fun getaway weekend, not three days edged with stress and uncertainty. “He was just being friendly and checking to see if we needed anything.”
Bree frowned. “But I saw him hand you something,” she said.
I casually rolled my eyes. “Oh, that! It was just promotional material about the resort.”
Emma shook her head. “Well, that’s the last thing we need right now!” she said, raising her glass. “We know where the bar is, where the pool is and where we’re having dinner.”
“That’s right!” I agreed. “As soon as we find the spa and our meeting rooms, we’ll have the entire weekend scoped out!”
I gave Bree a sideways glance. She was studying my face with narrowed eyes, as if she knew that my attempt to gloss over the curious note was a fib. Before her suspicions could blossom into another uncomfortable question, I asked her what she thought of the hotel.
“It’s absolutely stunning out here!” she said, gesturing at the lush landscaping around the massive pool. “I can’t wait to see our suite next!”
“I’m in favor of doing that right now,” Emma suggested. “I don’t know about you two, but I could use a little freshening up after our flight.”
Once we finished our drinks and collected our things, I followed Emma and Bree across the pool deck and into the lobby. Our suite was on the twenty-third floor, so we climbed into one of the glass-encased elevator cars and shot skyward. Between the rum in my daiquiri, the desert heat and the sudden chill of the air conditioning, I started to feel woozy as we stepped off the elevator into a stunning corridor lined with embossed silver wallpaper and dramatic photographs of desert landscapes.
“Here we are!” Emma chirped when we reached Room 2390. “Are you ladies ready?”
“Open the door, Em!” Bree blurted. “I’m dying to get out of these clothes, take a shower and maybe relax for a bit before we start getting ready for dinner.”
Emma slid the keycard into the door and it opened instantly. We crossed the threshold into a short corridor that led to a gorgeously decorated living room with one wall fashioned from floor-to-ceiling windows. The view was incredible; a seemingly endless vista of shimmering sand and mountains beyond the nearby cluster of glittering hotel towers.
“Wow!” I exclaimed, rushing across the room and gazing through the glass. “This is truly dazzling! I don’t think we’ve ever had such an incredible view of Vegas in all the years we’ve been coming to the conference.”
Bree kicked off her sandals and plopped down on one of the overstuffed sofas. “It’s well worth the upcharge for a suite,” she said, putting her feet on the edge of the coffee table. “We deserve a little extra pampering, don’t you think?”
Emma put her purse on the curved marble bar near the soaring wall of windows. “Of course,” she said. “Especially since our little group includes one of the three nominees for the Achiever Award.” She glanced over and beamed at me. “Someone who totally deserves to win, I might add.”
Bree leaned back and closed her eyes. “Well, maybe that’ll be me next year,” she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. “I tried my hardest to make it, but I guess Abby’s a better image consultant than everyone else. It’s just like when we were in school. Remember that one headline from the local paper after you took top spot at the debate tournament—‘Miss Abigail Miller Reigns Supreme’? And the home ec recipe contest? And all the other things that you did better than the other girls?”
The expression on her face was so flat that I couldn’t tell if she was joking or being serious. I decided to let it go, but Emma challenged her with a stern glare and sharp rebuke.
“That wasn’t very nice,” she said. “I hope you’re kidding, Bree.”
The ghost of a smile appeared on Bree’s face. “Do you even have to ask?” Her eyes popped open and she turned my way. “I’m proud of you, Abby. You sold more product and enrolled more new clients than me. Next year, I’ll work harder to do the same.”
Emma sighed and shuffled toward the three suitcases lined up against one wall. She raised the handle on her bag and rolled it toward one of the three open bedroom doors.
“If you don’t mind, I think it’s time for a little siesta,” she said.
Bree jumped up from the sofa. “I agree. I want to check my email and call home before I take a shower.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said, walking toward my luggage. “I think that daiquiri went right to my head. A little nap sounds like a really good idea.”
“And we may be up all night,” Emma called from the door to her room. “We need to recharge our batteries and get ready for whatever Vegas has to offer!”
Chapter 4
An hour later, after calling several clients back home in St. Louis and catching up briefly on the phone with my mother, I slipped beneath a soothing stream of hot water in the marble-lined bathroom’s spacious shower. Thick clouds of steam tumbled over the top of the frosted glass enclosure as I used the lavish collection of complimentary organic shampoos, body scrubs and fragrant gels to wash away the cares and concerns of the day.
The bathroom smelled like a heady whirl of coconut, papaya and cinnamon as I swayed under the deluxe rainfall showerhead. It was the kind of fixture I’d always dreamed about having, even though Robert and I made due with a standard setup in our modest suburban house. Luckily, I thought as the water pulsed against my skin, I can indulge in a few extravagances this weekend. Who knows what will be waiting for me when I get back home?
After rinsing my hair and gently washing my face with a special micro-exfoliating scrub that smelled like jasmine and lemongrass, I turned off the water and reached for one of the plush pale peach bath sheets. My plan was to dry off, climb into the sumptuous bed and close my eyes for a few minutes of tranquil rest before it was time to leave for dinner. But as the tips of my fingers touched the soft cotton towel, the bathroom lights suddenly clicked off and the door slammed shut.
I was plunged into a jet-black nothingness that was completely—and terrifyingly—impenetrable. I had closed the heavy room-darkening drapes beside the bed earlier to prepare for my nap. I couldn’t see a thing, and the sudden plunge into darkness sent a chill through my body.
“Hello?” I called hesitantly. “Emma? Bree?”
There was no reply, so I slowly groped my way to where I remembered seeing one of the hotel’s guest robes hanging from a hook on the bathroom wall.
Quickly slipping into the plush white terrycloth dressing gown, I kept my hand on the glass enclosure to maintain my balance and gingerly placed one foot on the cool marble floor just outside the shower.
“Is this some kind of joke?” I said loudly.
As I listened for one of my friends to respond, I heard a muted sound in the bedroom. It was squelchy and high-pitched, like balloons being twisted or markers writing on an erasable board.
“Em?”
The sound repeated.
“Bree?”
Narrowing my eyes desperately to try and detect even a slender slip of light under the door, I moved cautiously forward in the murky gloom. I pressed one hand against the wall and held the other directly in front of my face. I had a fairly good idea of the bathroom’s layout, but it wasn’t something I knew as intimately as my own space at home.
When I finally reached the door, I quickly turned the knob and walked into my room. It was as dark and foreboding as a tomb, and I paused briefly to try and get my bearings. As I squinted into the shadows, I heard a muffled rustle of fabric to my right.
Swiveling my head toward the sound, I gasped audibly as the
door to my room lurched open and a tall figure wearing a floppy red hat and billowing floral caftan disappeared into the hallway.
Chapter 5
A swarm of fretful thoughts whirled in my mind. Call security! Who was that? Are Emma and Bree okay?
Although I wasn’t a world-class traveler, I’d been on enough trips for my Splendora business to know that hotels were ripe settings for burglaries and theft. Perhaps someone had entered our suite with a master passkey to search for jewelry and other valuables.
The longer I stood like a frozen statue, the more I felt the knot of dread growing in my throat. Move, Abby! roared the voice in my head. Do something!
After gulping in a breath, I inched my way forward to the bed. When I felt the supple velvet duvet cover against my legs, I shifted to my left until I found the bedside table. Switching on the lamp, I quickly scanned the room. My suitcase was still unopened on the luggage rack near the closet. My purse, phone and laptop bag were untouched on the bed.
But as I turned to the dressing table on the far side of the room, a bolt of sheer terror ricocheted through me. Scrawled on the gold-framed mirror hanging above the table was another message written in lavender lipstick:
Withdraw from the Achiever competition—
Or else!!!
The scream that hurtled out of my mouth was razor-sharp and impossibly loud. It shattered the silence and echoed through the room as I stared at the ominous warning scrawled on the ornate mirror.
“Abby!” a voice called from behind the closed door. “Are you okay?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I swallowed and tried again, but the result was a lifeless whimper.
The door suddenly flew open and Bree rushed into my room. From the half-finished makeup and tousled hair, it was obvious she was in the middle of getting ready when she heard my cry for help.
“Abby?” Her face was contorted with worry. “Why did you scream?”
Emma appeared in the door a split second later. Her hair was dripping wet and she was draped in one of the hotel’s pale peach bath sheets.
“I was in the shower,” she offered breathlessly. “It sounded like somebody was being murdered in here!”
I raised one arm and pointed at the menacing lipstick threat.
Bree stumbled back, clutching her chest. “Oh, my God!”
“What is it?” Emma asked, narrowing her gaze. “I don’t have my contacts in.”
In a hushed and quivering voice, Bree read the message that was scribbled on the glass. Hearing the ill-omened words aloud sent new waves of fear clawing up my spine. I sank to the edge of the mattress and wrapped my arms around my body in a tight, trembling embrace.
“We’re calling security!” Emma declared, spinning on her heel and grabbing the hotel phone on the bedside table. “And we’re going to demand that they find out who did this and how they got into our suite!”
Chapter 6
Less than ten minutes later, a loud knock echoed through the silent suite from the front door.
Bree and I were sitting on one of the sofas near the wall of windows. Emma, who had been pacing wildly since calling the front desk, hurried across the room.
“Don’t open it until you look through the peep hole!” Bree said uneasily.
Emma complied with the request, easing the door open slightly with the chain guard still securely in place.
“Good afternoon, ma’am,” a deep voice boomed. “My name is Trevor Cole. I’m the director of security for the hotel. I understand there’s been a disturbance in your suite.”
“Do you have some type of ID?” Emma asked hesitantly. “I don’t mean to be rude, but we’re all a little jumpy at this point.”
The man smiled and nodded. “I understand completely,” he said, reaching into his jacket pocket. “Here you go, ma’am.” He held up an official hotel photo ID. “Ladies, you’re more than welcome to inspect it as well. I’m here to help diffuse the situation, so I want you to be completely comfortable.”
Bree gave my hand another squeeze before she got up from the sofa and walked over to the door.
“Looks legit to me,” she said, smiling. “Please come in, Mr. Cole.”
Emma removed the chain guard and stepped to the side as the handsome security director entered our suite. He was dressed in a trim dark suit with a white shirt and navy tie. From the subtle bulge on his left hip, I imagined he was carrying a holstered gun beneath the jacket.
“Thank you,” the man replied, stepping into the suite. “According to our registration, you three are in the hotel for the Splendora Beauty meeting?”
“That’s right,” Emma said. “We just checked in a couple of hours ago.”
The man glanced at his phone, swiping the screen with one finger. “And which of you is Emma Walters?”
“That’s me,” Emma said, raising one hand.
“And I’m Bree Sanderson,” volunteered Bree.
Trevor Cole looked at his phone again before aiming his vibrant green eyes at me.
“That makes you Abby Edison?” he asked.
I nodded as another rush of icy chills tumbled down my back.
“Okay, thank you, ladies,” Cole said. “I like to start by associating names with faces during things like this.”
“How are you going to find out who did this?” Emma suddenly demanded. “We’re all pretty freaked out by what just happened!”
Trevor Cole nodded solemnly. “I completely understand,” he said. “And I am so deeply sorry for the inconvenience and distress you’ve just experienced. Why don’t you start from the beginning and tell me what happened, Ms. Edison?” He paused, walked closer and stood a few feet from where I was sitting. “From the report I received, the disturbance was in your room. Is that correct, ma’am?”
Emma and Bree both silently turned and waited.
“Ma’am?” Trevor Cole said. “Can you tell me what prompted your call to security?”
I nodded and took a breath. “Yes,” I said in a quiet voice. “It actually started by the pool when we first arrived.”
Emma frowned. “By the pool?” she blurted. “I thought you told us that you were in the shower when someone turned off the lights.”
“That’s right,” Bree said, returning to the sofa and sitting beside me. “And then you found the threatening message on the mirror.”
“Yes, all of that is true,” I said, collecting my thoughts. “But when we first arrived this afternoon, I received another threat that was also written in Splendora lipstick.”
Trevor Cole pulled out a small leather-bound pad and sleek silver pen. He scribbled a few notes while I continued my story.
“Remember, Bree? You went to the bar to get our drinks while I waited at the table?”
She nodded her head. “Yeah, I remember. And I also remember that a hotel employee came over, but you said he was giving out promotional stuff about the resort.”
I felt a lump of guilt swell in my chest. “I didn’t want you to worry,” I said, reaching for my purse. “I hoped that maybe it was a prank or someone’s idea of a silly game.” I pulled out the envelope that the front desk clerk had given me earlier in the day. “But now I’m beginning to realize that it’s nothing like that at all.”
Trevor Cole walked over and held out his hand. “May I see that, please?”
I gave him the envelope and waited while he read the message inside.
“What does it say?” Emma asked.
“It says: ‘Winning comes at a very high price,’” the man answered, keeping his eyes on the sheet of paper. “‘Beware the Achiever banquet on Saturday night.’”
Emma and Bree exchanged an apprehensive look.
“Why would you think that’s a game?” Emma glared at me before reading the message over the man’s shoulder. “It’s obviously a serious threat of some sort.”
Trevor Cole returned the note to the envelope. “Is this why you called for security?” he asked. “I was under the impression that
something had also occurred here in your suite.”
I nodded. “Yes, it did,” I said, pointing toward my open bedroom door. “In there.”
“Someone broke in!” Bree said, tightening her grip on my hand. “While we were all taking showers and getting ready for dinner.”
“Did you see the person?” asked Cole.
“I caught a glimpse as they ran from my room,” I answered. “I saw a floppy red hat and a flowery caftan. It had a light blue background with bright green and yellow daisies.”
He nodded and made a note. “And which room is yours, ma’am?”
I pointed again at the open doorway on the far side of the suite.
“Do you mind if I take a look?” Cole said.
“Of course!” Emma answered. “We need you to figure out what’s going on and who’s doing this.”
While Bree and I stayed behind on the sofa, Emma followed Trevor Cole into my room. I could hear their voices as they talked, but the words were indecipherable.
“Are you okay?” Bree asked softly.
I smiled. “As okay as I can be considering the circumstances,” I said. “Nothing like this has ever happened to me.”
She gave me a warm hug. “You’re not alone, okay? Emma and I are right beside you!”
Chapter 7
As we waited for Trevor Cole to inspect the threatening message on the mirror, I reflected on the roller coaster ride that had started early in the morning. The trip to Las Vegas had been in the works for months. Since the three of us decided to attend our fifth Splendora convention together, I’d been anticipating the excitement and surprises of another great experience—not the astonishing and baffling events that had unfolded in the past few hours.
“One way or another,” Bree said as I felt her squeeze my hand again, “we’re going to get through this as a team!”
