by Elle Dalton
I needed to get to Chloe’s room, to see if she had left behind something that could tie her to any of the murders. If I couldn’t, it would be difficult to prove that Chloe had indeed murdered Jordan and Donny. And for all I knew, she was across state lines by now.
I doubted it though. If it was indeed Chloe and she wanted me dead, she wasn’t going to leave town until she made sure I had taken my last breath. I was unfinished business. She also wouldn’t leave Ervin. It was him she had wanted from the start.
That meant I was still in danger. I had to leave the hospital before she came to finish me off. It was a small town. Sooner or later, Chloe would hear about my recovery and come for me. I had to get myself out of harm’s way.
Once visiting hours were over and the lights were dimmed in the patients’ room, I decided to make my move. Ervin had brought me a change of clothes in case I found the hospital gown uncomfortable. I slowly got out of bed and put the sweatshirt and yoga pants on. They were comfortable clothes, but getting dressed was a chore. I’d underestimated how exhausted my body was.
I shuffled out of my room and looked up and down the halls to see if any nurses were nearby. Thankfully, Shadow Creek was a small town with a sleepy little hospital. There couldn’t be many doctors and nurses on duty late at night.
I only noticed I was wearing socks when I was a distance from my room. I kept going anyway. Socks were quieter than shoes.
Panting with exhaustion, I made my way to a stairwell that was only ten feet away and used all my strength to push open the heavy door.
I did it. In a few minutes, I’d be out of the hospital. The stairwell went all the way down to the first floor. I could make my exit before anyone even noticed I was gone. The hotel was not far from the hospital. I’d be there within half an hour.
I started to step down the cold, concrete steps when a voice made me freeze. At first, I only stood in place, afraid a nurse was coming up the stairs and would catch me leaving. I tried to ascertain whether the footsteps were coming or going until I realized there were no footsteps at all. Whoever was speaking was standing in place somewhere in the stairwell.
The more they talked, the more I recognized the voice. It was my mother’s. She sounded upset.
I peered over the railing and caught sight of her standing two floors under me. Standing next to her was none other than Fred Danes, the man who had been loyal to the hotel.
What on Earth was he doing with my mother? I hadn’t been aware that they knew each other.
My mother’s voice bounced off the concrete walls. It made it easier to make out her words.
“I just feel so terrible, you know?” she said.
“Oh, sweetheart, don’t feel bad. None of this is on you,” Fred replied and pulled her in for a hug.
Were they together? For a second, the idea made me happy. My hospitalization had been hard on my mom. I was glad she had somebody to comfort her. They probably got to know each other at the hotel during the lockdown. I only wished she had felt free to tell me about her relationship with Fred. Perhaps she was waiting until I got better to reveal they were dating.
And there I was thinking she was dating the man in the photo I saw in her room.
“I know, I know. But I shouldn’t have done what I did. I mean, we shouldn’t have done it.”
Dizziness took over my body. I clutched the railing for support.
My mom continued, “It isn’t what I planned. I wanted the Ivory Rose shut down, but not like this.”
“But it is shut down now. That had been your goal for so long. Why don’t you just revel in that?”
Oh my God. It was her.
“Because I had a role in ruining the life of my own daughter, Fred. How could I revel in that? How could you even say that?”
For the second time in a few hours, I felt like a complete idiot.
When my mother had asked me to forgive her and cried next to me, I thought she was being genuine. I believed she loved me. I was so blind. How could I believe her after everything she put me through?
I had felt so vulnerable that I wanted to believe her. I wanted her back. She was a great source of comfort during my dark time.
Turns out she created the darkness.
“Just relax, and take this for now.” Fred handed her a small bottle of what looked like liquor.
“No, I don’t want it anymore. I’m not going to cause any more trouble.”
“This cost a lot of money, you know,” Fred’s voice hardened.
“I don’t care.” She tucked her hands under her armpits. “You keep it. I’m done with this, with all of it.”
Inside my head, everything clicked into place. My mom never had an alcohol problem. It had not been alcohol she was carrying in her purse.
Chloe may have been insane, but I was wrong to think she was responsible for the murder. It was my own mother all along. She had me so fooled.
I should have started backing out of the stairwell slowly, trying to go unnoticed.
Instead, I was so horrified by what I heard that I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
“How could you?” I shouted as I stumbled down the stairs, no longer feeling tired.
My mom spun around and looked up. Her face went pale.
“How could you do this to me? I’m your daughter. You’re my mom. You’re supposed to protect me, not do everything you possibly can to hurt me.”
“Diana, you don’t understand… It’s not—”
“Don’t I? I heard every word you said. I know that’s not alcohol in that bottle.” I snatched it out of Fred’s hand, who had said not a word when I came down. When the bottle left his hand, though, he bolted, solidifying what I already suspected. They were doing something criminal with whatever was in the bottle.
While my mother covered her mouth with both hands, I unscrewed the bottle. The pungent smell of the contents hit me like a ton of bricks and made my eyes water. It wasn’t vodka. They had emptied out the bottle and put something else inside.
“Are you going to tell me this isn’t poison?” I asked her.
Her eyes widened. “Diana, I know how this looks, but I would never harm you. You’re my daughter. I love you more than anything.”
“You would just harm everyone else around me, right?”
Tears filled her eyes. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I just didn’t want you in Shadow Creek anymore. You don’t understand what I’ve been through, how my life has fallen apart.”
“Oh, I understand. I was in your room. I saw the tags on all your designer outfits. I know you’re in dire straits and the tabloids are all over it.” I felt like crying so bad, but the tears refused to come.
“How do you know that?”
“I went to your room. I was suspicious of you, suspicious of your motives for being at the reopening. I knew you hadn’t come because you wanted me to succeed. I’m not an idiot.”
“I do.” She made a move to touch me, but thought the better of it and allowed her hands to drop at her sides. “I want you to succeed—”
“Don’t lie to me,” I snapped. “You’ve done enough of that.”
“Okay, fine!” Her voice rose. “I didn’t. I needed you back in New York. At least, I thought I needed you there. Now I see that I don’t. All I need is for you to be happy.”
“And what did it take for you to realize that?” I scoffed. “Nearly killing your own daughter?”
“I did not try to kill you, Diana.”
“Who did then? Your boyfriend, Fred?”
It all made sense. Even though my mom wasn’t around for the previous murders, Fred always was. He had been a loyal customer the entire time. Even when he should have been scared off by the reputation of the hotel, he remained. Now I knew he had been guided by mom to commit atrocities, so I’d have to go back to New York.
“He wouldn’t kill you either,” she said, dropping her head.
“Just Jordan and Donny? I mean, really, Mom, what did Jordan have to do with anything?
And how could you kill Donny? You knew him. You acted like you liked him.”
My mother clutched her chest as if she was about to have a panic attack. And she should. She would probably be going to prison for the rest of her life, and they didn’t have designer jumpsuits in prison.
She finally calmed down and looked into my eyes. “Baby, you have every right to be mad at me. I’ve been a bad mother and a bad person. I did things that nobody should do, but they weren’t murder.”
I found it hard to believe her. I made the mistake of doing that earlier. Maybe she was a better actress than I thought.
“That makes no sense, you have the poison right here. It doesn’t make any damn sense. You can’t talk your way out of this one, Mother.”
“It’s not poison.” She paused. “I mean, it is, but it’s not capable of killing anyone. It’s to make people sick.”
“Make people sick?” I asked between gritted teeth.
“That’s it. I wanted to make your guests sick.” She threw her hands in the air. “You’re right. I’m a terrible person. I didn’t want you to succeed, so I came to the reopening to ruin it. I was going to pour this into one of the tea kettles and let people think they got food poisoning from Donny’s cooking. That’s it, that’s all, Diana. I know it’s still terrible, but this liquid isn’t capable of killing anyone. I would never… you have to believe me.”
She nearly collapsed onto the stairs. And, oddly, I did believe her.
It seemed more in-line with what I believed my mom was capable of. Murder, I couldn’t see. Ruining my event, yes.
My inner relief didn’t show on my face. “That’s horrible, Mom. You were supposed to support me.”
“I know, and I’m truly sorry,” she sobbed. “I wish I could have seen through my selfishness earlier. It shouldn’t have taken you nearly dying to wake me up. I know you’ll probably never forgive me. But I need to know you believe that I would never hurt you or Donny. I love you. You are my only child.”
I swallowed hard. “I do believe you, but you’re right, I don’t know if I can forgive you for what you did.”
She wiped away her tears. “I understand. I do. But I’m still going to be here for you. I’m going to try to help you as much as I possibly can.”
I shook my head. “Don’t. Right now, I need you to help me by staying away. I can’t process all this. I don’t have time to think about what you’ve done. If you didn’t kill Donny and Jordan, I have to find out who did.”
I could tell she wanted to argue, possibly to tell me to get back in bed because she was worried for my health. But we both knew she was in no position to tell me what to do. She didn’t have that authority over me anymore.
“Can I use your phone? I need to make a call.” I stretched out my hand.
She said nothing as she dug her phone from her purse and handed it to me. Fear was written all over her face. She probably thought I would call the cops.
I dialed Ervin’s number.
“Hello?”
“Ervin, it’s me. I need you to pick me up from the hospital parking lot.”
“No, Diana. You need to be in your bed. You heard what the doctor said.”
“I did, but I won’t stay here. If you don’t come for me, I’ll have to find another way to get out of here.”
Ervin sighed. “I’ll be right there. Is there anything you want me to bring you?”
“Yes, shoes, please. Thank you, baby.”
I handed my phone back to my mom. “We’ll talk later.”
Chapter 17
Ervin’s hands tightened around the steering wheel and he gave me a quick sideways glance.
“I still don’t think this is a good idea, Diana. Leaving the hospital against doctor’s orders could be dangerous.”
“I’m fine, I promise. Seriously, you don’t have to worry about me.”
As I watched the street lights soar by us, nausea started creeping up on me again. But I couldn’t tell Ervin that.
“This is getting out of hand, though. Baby, someone tried to kill you and we don’t know who it was. You need to be where we can keep you safe. Going back to the Ivory Rose could be a mistake.”
I clasped my hands in my lap, my temples throbbing with annoyance. “I don’t understand why you’re pretending not to know who it is. We both know it’s Chloe.” I tried hard to ignore the urge to vomit. “And we’re not going to the Ivory Rose.”
Ervin turned his head toward me for a second, then focused back on the road.
“I thought that’s where you wanted to go. Where are we going, then?”
“To Chloe’s house. I’m assuming you know where it is, right?”
“You can’t be serious. You’re positive that Chloe is the one who tried to kill you and you want to go to her house? It’s not safe.”
“I need proof, Ervin, and that’s where I think we’ll find it. If she’s home, we’ll confront her and if she’s not, we can check out her house.”
“Check out her house?” Ervin shook his head. “You want to break in? You want to break the law?”
“She tried to kill me and you’re worried about breaking and entering?”
“No way,” Ervin answered with a finality I’d never heard from him before. “We’re not going to Chloe’s house. Sorry, baby, but you need another plan. I won’t let you do something that crazy.”
“I need to do this. You can take me to her or I’ll find someone who will. If I can’t get anyone to come with me, I’ll go alone.” I fixed my eyes on the side of his face. “I don’t think you want me to be alone with Chloe.”
His jaw tightened, but he said nothing as he turned down a road I knew led to Chloe’s neighborhood.
“I just don’t get why you’re so eager to do this,” he finally said. “Is this about saving the reputation of the Ivory Rose?”
No, it wasn’t. It had been my primary motivation to solve the previous murders that occurred at the hotel, but at this point, the Ivory Rose was likely past saving. This time, it was about more than my business. It was about my family.
I considered Karen to be family, and I wouldn’t let her take the fall for something Chloe had done. I also had to protect my mother. If I was capable of uncovering her lies, it was only a matter of time before the police did as well. It wouldn’t go well for her when they did.
While I had many issues with what she had done, I did think she was ready to change. She was still my mother. I still hoped to have a relationship with her one day. I’d protect her just as much as Karen.
We drove past most of the residential neighborhoods until we reached a sandy beach.
“She lives all the way out here?” I asked, a bit surprised. Chloe had made out like she couldn’t afford her bills, but the beachfront properties were some of the most expensive in Shadow Creek.
“Her mom inherited the house. Chloe lives with her.”
“She lives with her mom?” I’d never even heard Chloe mention her mom before. Aunt Jolene did mention a few times that she was friends with the woman, but never really said more.
We pulled up to a pastel blue cottage. A single light gleamed from what I assumed to be the living room window. Hopefully, Chloe wouldn’t be awake. Perhaps she wasn’t. It could be her mom that was still up.
“I need to do this alone.” I unbuckled my seat belt. “Can you wait here?”
“But I’m here to keep you safe.”
“And you will. Watch me from the car. If something happens, I’ll scream loud enough for you to hear me.”
He reached for my hand and held it. “This is getting out of hand. I don’t want you to get hurt again. Why don’t we just call the cops? They should question her.”
“They already think their job is done. I need to get them evidence that proves Chloe committed murder.” I slid my hand from his. “I know you’re worried about me, but if we walk through that door together, I’ll get nothing out of Chloe. I don’t want her to see you. Stay here, please.”
I didn’
t give Ervin a chance to argue. I hopped out of the car and made my way to Chloe’s house.
It wasn’t Chloe who answered the door. Her mother stood in front of me. I was struck by how much she looked like Chloe.
“Hello, can I help you?” she asked.
“Yes, please. I’m looking for your daughter, Chloe.”
“Are you a friend of hers?”
“No, she isn’t,” Chloe answered from behind her seconds before she came into view. “What are you doing here, Diana?”
“I need to speak to you.” I kept my voice light, afraid to scare her off.
She folded her arms. “Well, you can’t. I’m busy.”
“No, you’re not, honey,” her mother said, then smiled at me. “I was just pulling some cookies out of the oven. Why don’t you come in and have a few?”
Her hospitality stunned me. It was as if Chloe’s mother was her exact opposite. Her kindness didn’t feel fake or manipulative. The only thing they had in common were their looks and nothing else.
I returned her warm smile. “Sure, I’d love some.”
Chloe glared at her mother. “You can’t let her in.”
“Why not?” The older woman ignored her. “It’s not common we get visitors, especially not friends of yours. And her aunt was kind enough to offer you a job at the Ivory Rose as a favor to me.” She paused. “We were good friends in school, you know.” She opened the door wide and I entered.
“Yes, she mentioned it to me.” I followed her into the kitchen, where the scent of chocolate chip cookies wafted around the room. It made my mouth water.
All I’d had all day was tasteless hospital food. It probably wasn’t the healthiest decision to have cookies, but why not?
“Here you go.” Chloe’s mother handed me a large plate of cookies and a glass of milk.
I was about to take a bite of the first cookie when I looked down at the glass. I couldn’t eat anything I was offered in Chloe’s house, not after she tried to poison me. Even if Chloe’s mom seemed sweet, it wasn’t safe. I didn’t know what else Chloe was capable of.