by Leela Ash
She knew she wasn’t going to get out of the situation by lying awake and worrying about it, but she couldn’t help it. Miranda had always been a dreamer who thought the best in everyone, and now here she was with a boyfriend who bordered on evil and someone in her midst at work who was trying to set her up and get her fired. She had always worked so hard at doing the right thing and respecting and treating people well that she thought everyone else was like her… how wrong could she get?
Ryan let out a loud snore and Miranda jumped. As he stirred, she bit her lip in fear and clamped her eyes closed tight. The last thing she could handle when she was that sleep deprived was him waking up and yelling at her.
She peeked towards the doorway and thought about the spare bedroom down the hall. Did she dare try to climb out of bed, creep down the hallway and climb into it? Maybe she would be able to switch off easier if she was alone in there… but she knew it would only lead to an argument in the morning.
You’ve really gone and got yourself in a shitty situation, she thought. Put up and shut up. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes again. There was no point in worrying. And after thinking over the disciplinary and investigation at work again she decided that when her alarm sounded the following morning, she would get up, get dressed and make her way down there to set the record straight. She had been too timid to make a fuss before now, but she was sick of being walked all over and if it was one thing she didn’t want to mess up, it was her career.
Tomorrow, she thought, tomorrow I’ll tell them they’ve got it wrong. Tomorrow, everything will be better.
2.
Ryan woke early, dressed, and left her in peace. She was glad she didn’t have to spend the morning being pleasant with him when she really just wanted him to get out of her house. She had debated on a few occasions over just changing the locks while he was out at work, but now she didn’t have an income, and she needed him there to help pay the bills. She had squandered her savings on a series of lavish vacations with her friends a year before when she was single and with no responsibilities, but now she was regretting that decision because she was trapped. Financial freedom would have meant being able to get rid of Ryan, but she found herself dependent and it hurt her pride more than ever.
She pulled on a tight suit dress and a little black jacket, slipped her feet into her black court shoes and pinned one half of her hair back over her shoulder with a little silver clip. She looked groomed and elegant and she was sure that after spending the past three years of her life working at the firm, at least one of the partners would listen to her when she told them that none of it was true. She applied her lipstick and blotted it before making her way towards the door. “No more moping around,” she said aloud, “It’s time to take back control of your life.”
One of the downfalls of living and working in a small town was that everyone seemed to know your business. As Miranda crossed the street outside of her building and made her way down towards Main Street, she saw at least five friendly faces who all seemed to want to talk to her about what had happened at work.
“So are they clearing it all up for you, Sweetheart?” one of her neighbors, Mrs. Paver asked her, “I mean of course you didn’t do it… They must know that?”
“Well, I would hope so,” she said confidently. “I’m actually just on my way over there now to discuss a few things.”
“Terrible business,” Mrs. Paver said as she shook her head, “I’m sure they will catch whoever is responsible.”
“Well, as long as they accept that it wasn’t me,” Miranda smiled hopefully. “Have a good day Mrs. Paver.”
She trotted off down the street, hoping she wouldn’t have another run-in with a nosy neighbor. Even though most of them were harmless, after everything that had happened with her job, she couldn’t help but feel sometimes that they were more interested in the gossip surrounding her than her actual feelings.
Her heart began to beat faster as she approached the tall modern building on the corner of Main Street. Blake & Fox Law had stood tall and proud there since they had razed and rebuilt the building in 2009. Miranda started there in 2011 and had been a dedicated and valued member of the team up until the press ran a story about one of their most notorious clients. The journalist cited a source close to the firm who had provided them with the details that were not only confidential but also unknown to many people in the firm. Sure, quite a few people would have been able to view the information about the case, especially the PAs who were working on the correspondence and providing admin support, but with Miranda being the acting partners’ number one, the blame seemed to instantly fall on her.
“You viewed all of the documents more than anyone else,” Mr. Blake had said when he’d called her into his office, “We have no choice but to suspend you without pay pending an investigation.”
“But I didn’t do this,” Miranda had pleaded, “You know this isn’t me!”
“I’m sorry, but we can’t discuss this any further.” He had shown her the door, and she had left dumbfounded. That had been a week ago and now she was sick of being in the dark. She needed answers and she wasn’t going to be brushed off again.
As she approached reception, her heart seemed to catch in her throat as she saw Jessica, the cute little office girl, sat behind the welcome desk, filing her nails and gazing off into space.
“Hi, Jess,” Miranda smiled sheepishly. “I need to speak to Mr. Blake.”
“Hi,” Jess looked unsure, “Umm, okay, just give me a moment.”
She fiddled with her switchboard and held the phone receiver to her ear. “Miranda’s in reception,” she said quietly. “She needs to speak with you.”
Miranda sat down on a chair in the waiting area and stared at the floor. She didn’t want to look around and accidentally catch the eye of a colleague who may have been passing through reception. She wanted to be in and out of there as inconspicuously as possible.
“Miranda,” Jessica called over to her, “He said you can go through.”
“Thank you,” she said as she got to her feet and hurried along the corridor to the partners’ rooms.
The door creaked open and she knocked as she entered.
“Miranda,” Mr. Blake said as he rose to his feet. “Can I help you?”
“I know I’m supposed to be suspended Mr. Blake, but-“
“Sit down, dear,” he said as he gestured to the chair in front of him.
She took the seat and stared up at him.
“You know I didn’t do this, and I just want to come back to work. It’s just awful having to go through of all of this.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way,” he said genuinely, “But protocol is protocol.”
“But why?” she said, “No one else has been suspended, I don’t understand why I seem to have been chosen at random? You know I wasn’t the only person to see those files.”
“Miranda,” he said with a sigh, “Someone provided evidence it was you…”
“Who?” she snapped. “I’ll tell you who, the person who’s really guilty.”
He lowered his head and turned his eyes up to meet hers. “We are investigating it… that’s all I can say for now.”
“Am I going to be compensated when all of this comes out as being a big misunderstanding?”
“If that is indeed the outcome, then yes, of course,” he said.
“I just want to come back to work, Mr. Blake…” she said as the tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m innocent… I would never compromise one of our cases for the sake of a payoff from a journalist, and I know you know that.”
He looked up at her with sympathy in his eyes. “I’m doing everything I can to make sure this is all resolved quickly,” he assured her. “I promise to be in touch as soon as I can.”
He got to his feet and so did Miranda. She was glad she had had the opportunity to speak up after the initial shock of being told to leave the office the previous week, but she was also totally frustrated that he wasn’t just
welcoming her back with open arms.
As she walked down the corridor and made her way through reception, she smiled weakly at Jessica and crossed to the elevator. She needed something to cheer her up. And fast.
3.
Ice cream was her usual go-to when she was feeling down, and she knew the exact place to find what had been affectionately dubbed “Food Porn” by her and her friends when it had opened. Sundaes was a fifties-style diner in the middle of Main Street and only served the most wicked of treats. Miranda walked there quickly, and as she opened the door a bell jingled above her head. She smiled at the boy who was serving and perused the menu.
All of them, she thought. I literally want all of them.
After she had ordered her mega, chocolate fudge and fruit-topped sundae, she sat by the window and looked out as the world walked by. She pushed the ice cream around in the glass and found it impossible to enjoy.
“God, if this isn’t working, I really am fucked,” she said aloud.
A woman at the table next to her smiled and said, “I hear you there.”
Miranda laughed and realized it was the first time she had in a whole week. Her phone vibrated on the table, and she looked down to see a text from Ryan:
R: Where are you Babe? I got out of work early.
M: I’m at Sundaes, you coming over?
R: Yup, be there in two.
Even though she didn’t really want to see him, she needed to talk to someone and really, he was all she had.
Less than ten minutes later, the door jingled and Ryan entered, his scrawny arms swinging down by his side.
“What’s happening?” he said, “How come you’re not at home?” He looked at her up and down and scrunched up his face, “You look like you’ve been to a funeral,” he snorted.
“Well, I feel like I have, too,” she said as she took a bite of the ice cream.
“What?” he said with irritation.
“My own…” she laughed. “Just… Well, I went to see Mr. Blake to try and clear all of this mess up.”
“Jeez, Miranda,” he whistled and pulled the sundae out of her hands and began to eat it himself. “Just fucking leave it… they want to set you up, you don’t need that place.”
“Well, I can’t just sit around the apartment all day, can I, Ryan?” She reached back for the ice cream, but he pulled it further away.
“Why not?” he said. “Fuck those guys,” he shook his head and laughed. “Anyway… I like having you at home… One hundred percent dedicated to me.” He looked at her and grinned with menace in his eyes.
Within an instant, an ice-cold wave washed over her. It was him. He had made the whole thing up to get her fired… The twisted bastard was getting out of control.
“Ryan…” she said slowly, “Please tell me you didn’t do this to me?”
He rested the spoon down on the side and tried to take hold of her hands, but she wriggled free and glared at him.
“Like I said, babe, fuck that place. I like you being at home looking after me, okay?”
“What the hell!” She got to her feet, and the chair screeched back on its legs. “You’re supposed to be the one person I can trust, and you’re trying to ruin my life! What is wrong with you!” She grabbed her jacket and barged out of the diner, bashing into a teenage kid as she rushed down the street.
Within seconds, Ryan was behind her, grabbing at her shoulders.
“Don’t touch me,” she spat, “Just get out of my life!”
He dug his fingers into her and pulled her down a side street before pushing her up against a wall. He had a rage in his eyes that she had only seen once before, the night he had lost control and lashed out at her.
“Don’t speak to me like that,” he said as he held his finger up in a warning. “I’m just looking out for you, babe, okay?”
She tried to wriggle out of his arms, but he held her still and whispered in her ear, “If you speak to me like that again, I’ll fucking kill you.”
Her skin prickled in terror, and she stopped struggling. She knew when she had to give in. She’d lost this battle for sure. Somehow, she had been so naïve and stupid, blinded by dumb love that she had let this psychopath in too far. He had her in his clutches, and he was already ripping her apart.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered into his neck, “I won’t do it again.”
“Good,” he said pulling back and smiling at her, “Now let’s go home and you can cook me dinner.”
4.
She watched him from the other side of the room as she stood by the stove. He had his feet up on her couch and was watching her TV. She shuddered. He was so vile and repulsive and now, after making the discovery that it was him that had caused her all this heartache and trouble with her job, she just wanted to be as far away from him as possible.
“Pass me another beer, babe,” he called over to her as he belched and scratched the back of his neck.
There was no way she was staying here with him another minute. She wracked her brain for someone she could call for help, but she couldn’t think of anyone who could take her in as quickly as she needed. She had lost touch with almost all of her local friends and her parents lived a day’s drive away.
She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a beer before twisting off the top and passing it to Ryan. He took it from her without saying thank you, and she returned to the stove. Her cell phone was in front of her and she quickly picked it up, opened her search browser and typed “hotels with vacancy near me.” The results popped up instantaneously, but they didn’t look good. She had been hoping the bigger, chain hotel would have a room, but it was fully booked and there was a conference listed on its news page.
“Shit,” she whispered.
Small town syndrome struck again and the only other option she had without needing a car was an old, dilapidated motel on the outskirts of town. She knew the place, but she had never considered going there… especially alone. Psycho sprang to mind. She knew she didn’t have a choice. It was either flee to Bates Motel or whatever it was called or stay put and deal with Ryan who was peeling back the fabric of her life one twisted layer at a time. She knew the answer was a simple one. She pressed BOOK NOW and made a reservation.
***
As she had anticipated, Ryan was passed out drunk well before 9pm. He lay on the couch with beer bottles scattered around him. His mouth flopped open and a trail of spit lolled from it as he snored and rattled. Miranda stood by the doorway, watching him. She hadn’t packed much. She was pretty certain he wouldn’t wake until the morning or at least the middle of the night, and he’d probably be too stunned to know what to do immediately. She had at least until 8am to relax, and then she would move on to the next phase of her plan…calling her parents and getting them to come for her. Mom and Dad, to the rescue. She could hide out in the hotel until they got to her. She didn’t think Ryan was smart enough to come looking for her there, and even if he did, she was going to check in using a fake name.
She walked through the dark streets clutching her purse. She’d left with the bare minimum, and she was still wearing the dress and jacket “funeral” combo from earlier in the day that she had felt so powerful in when she’d initially left the apartment. How much things could change in a matter of hours.
The streets were quiet except for a rowdy group of guys hanging around the bars as she approached Main Street. She made a left instantly and continued up the hill. It wasn’t much further, but as her heels clipped in her court shoes, they began to ache with each step. She rounded another corner, and she could see it, up high and barely lit, its old sign swinging in the warm night air. It was on the edge of the road that went out of town and by the looks of things, a couple of the rooms were occupied. Dull lights shone within them and the neon sign out front buzzed VACANCY. She was glad she wasn’t going to be there alone, but at the same time she worried who she may be sharing the building with.
***
The lady at the desk was quiet and unassumin
g. Miranda told her that her name was Veronica and that she was just passing through. She didn’t recognize the lady, which was strange for a town as small as hers, and she figured not many locals would be anywhere near the place with its sole purpose being to provide a rest stop for truckers and other people making their way to somewhere else. The lady passed her the key and pointed out of the main door and down to the left. The building was old and rickety with a selection of sheds that had been changed into rooms.
“You can be out there or in the house,” the lady said. “Or we have a separate building out back, quieter and further back from the road.” She eyed Miranda.
“Yes, that one,” Miranda said, “I’m a light sleeper.”
The lady took her out back and down a small, winding path. The lights to the building were already on, and when the lady stopped in front of it, Miranda found herself looking around and running her hands up the crumbling exterior walls.
“What is this?” she asked, “It looks ancient, like a coach house or something…”
“Don’t know,” the lady snapped. “It came with the house.”
She nodded to Miranda and made her way back down the path. Miranda felt creeped out. It was almost completely dark out there and she could hear bats squeaking above her. She pushed the door open and made her way inside. It was one of the strangest buildings she had ever been in… it was like stepping back in time. She quickly realized that the light she had seen from the outside was coming from candles that were lit in sconces all around the edge of the room. The floor was a thick grey stone and so were the walls. It was cold in there and the bed was old and wooden. She sat down on the edge of it and instantly regretted her decision to try and hide even further out of sight… there was no way Ryan was going to come looking at the motel… she would have been just fine in the house or up at the front in the main residential building. She sighed and lay back. She was instantly jabbed in the back by a spring from the mattress.