by Sonya Lee
Chapter 5
Katrina
Katrina drove towards downtown Chicago, bombarded with thoughts of Kim and Kim’s family. She drove listlessly, half paying attention to where she was going. Why would someone want to hurt Kim? She was so kind, daring and honest. Tears poured down her face. A horn sounded loudly in her ear jarring her from her thoughts. Katrina stopped at the red light on Michigan Avenue. She grabbed some tissues from her purse and cleaned her face. When she looked up again she spotted the Morae Hotel. She decided to check in. Knowing Mr. Peterson would be there provided her with a sense of comfort.
Katrina pulled into the valet lane. A young African American male stepped to her car and opened the door for her.
“Good morning ma’am. May I have your name?” said the valet. The valet looked her up and down but did not mention her attire.
“Katrina Castillo,” she replied a little uncomfortably. The valet had just reminded her of her clothing situation. She would have to attend to that when she had gotten some rest.
“Do you need any assistance with your bags Ms. Castillo?”
“Yes, there’s an overnight case on my back seat, can you grab it for me?” replied Katrina. She handed him her valet key and stepped out of her vehicle.
Katrina searched for the young man’s name tag. "Excuse me Derrick, would you happen to know Mr. Peterson?” she asked.
“Yes, everyone knows Mr. Peterson, he’s a fixture at this hotel,” replied Derrick.
“Do you know if he’s working today?” she inquired.
“Yes, he’s actually working right now. You’ll see him when you pass the concierge desk to your left,” he replied.
“Thank you.” Katrina walked into the hotel and spotted Mr. Peterson right away. A sense of relief overwhelmed her, she wasn't alone after all she thought. Mr. Peterson was standing next to the concierge desk. He was a big strapping man, his height reaching 6’3. He was solidly built from his years of serving in the Marine Corps. He sported a bald head with ebony colored skin. Allison had asked him once why he shaved his head.
He had replied, "it's easier to fool the young ladies like yourself into thinking that I’m younger than I am." She was never able to tell Mr. Peterson’s age. So she guessed the bald head did help. She did know that he had put four sons through college and he currently had six grandchildren in college. His wife had passed a couple of years ago. So he decided to come out of retirement. He said he didn’t like sitting around the house all day with nothing to do. She tucked that memory in the back of her mind and quickly made her way over to the concierge desk.
Mr. Peterson looked up and spotted her walking towards him.
“Katrina, I’m glad to see that you’re okay, you are okay, aren't you?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you, Mr. Peterson. I'm fine and I’m glad to see someone I know,” she replied.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I decided to check in here for a couple of days until Allison gets back.”
“Why aren’t you staying with your parents?”
“They’re out of the country right now, they won’t return for another week. I didn’t want to stay in that big rambling house by myself,” she said.
“Have you spoken to them? Do they know what happened?” inquired Mr. Peterson.
“No, I don’t want to worry them. I can’t reach them now anyway, they’re on safari.”
“Where is Allison?”
“She went home this weekend. Her parents were being honored at some big dinner, so she flew home to join in the celebration.”
“You look exhausted. Let’s get you checked in. I’ll tell them you’re my granddaughter, so you can use my family discount.”
“Mr. Peterson you don’t have to do that. I’m fine.”
“Well, you and Allison are like my grandchildren so I don’t mind,” he replied.
“Thanks Mr. Peterson, I really appreciate it.”
Katrina and Mr. Peterson walked over to the desk and got her registered. She requested a suite with two queen sized beds. She wasn’t sure how long she and Allison would be staying at the hotel. She decided to get the room for four days to be on the safe side. Once she was checked in she quickly went to her room. She needed a bath and a bed with all due haste.
The Morae Hotel was one of the best in the city of Chicago. It wasn’t overly expensive, but it was uncannily comfortable. The hotel’s receptionist told her the suite consisted of a living room, kitchenette, a bath with a shower and Jacuzzi, and two queen sized beds. The room was gorgeous, but she barely noticed. She walked into the bedroom. Her eyes went straight to the pillow topped bed. It looked extremely inviting. She decided to take a shower before crawling into bed for some much needed sleep.
She plugged her cell phone into the wall so that it could recharge and grabbed her overnight bag. The bathroom was huge. It was decorated in rich tones of gold, brown, cream, and black. There was a sunken Jacuzzi to the left of the entrance and an enclosed shower to the right. Straight ahead were the toilet and sink. Katrina considered slipping into the Jacuzzi, but decided against it. She was too tired and might end up drowning herself. She decided on a quick steaming shower to relax her muscles and frayed nerves.
After her shower she checked the charge on her cell phone. She had enough bars to call Allison. She dialed her number and Allison picked up on the first ring.
“Katrina, what took you so long to call me? I’ve been waiting around all day for your call. I’ve been worried about you,” Allison exclaimed in a loud voice.
“I was at the police station most of the morning. I’ve just checked into the Morae Hotel. I needed a shower and a change of clothing before I called to tell you what happened, if that’s alright with you,” Katrina said with irritation in her voice. “Look, I’m sorry for snapping at you, but it’s been a long day.”
“It’s okay. I’ve just been so worried. We heard about Kim’s death here in D.C. It made the national news,” said Allison.
“I haven’t had time to think about everything that has happened. I haven’t even watched TV today. So I have no idea what the news has said concerning her death,” said Katrina.
“The news hasn’t provided very many details. But I know it’s going to be in the spotlight for a while. A beautiful French-American Heiress killed in the U.S. Her family will make sure it stays the top story until her killer is found,” said Allison.
“Allison, I just wanted to let you know where I was, can I call you back later after I’ve gotten some sleep?” inquired Katrina.
“Sure, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You can call me if you need me. If I need to come home early, my parents will send me back, just let me know. Okay?” said Allison.
“Thanks. I’ll call you when I wake up, okay?”
“Sleep well, and put the safety lock on your door,” said Allison.
“Sure thing chief,” said Katrina. She hung up the phone and walked over to the door to throw the security lock. Katrina walked to the bed, pulled back the covers and laid on the pillow top mattress. She glanced at the clock. It was 12:30 in the afternoon. She was so tired, but couldn’t imagine closing her eyes. She was terrified of seeing Kim’s battered body in her dreams. She decided to try happy thoughts to help clear her mind. She thought back to a vacation she and her parents had taken to Spain one summer. She remembered the beach they had visited. The water was so warm and she enjoyed being in it. She fell asleep swimming in Spain.