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.Otherwise, it was a Hilton.Jessica couldn’t gauge how long she’d been in the room, only long enough to really feel something like hunger once, meaning maybe for the space between two meals, when the lock began to turn from the outside.She sat upright on the bed and smoothed her rumpled clothes in place, readying herself mentally in case she needed to defend herself.The door opened only wide enough for her to see Conlan outlined by the door frame.She brightened for a moment, thrilled that he’d managed to escape and was coming to bust her out, but her shoulders slumped slightly when someone pushed him gently from behind and closed the door behind him.The lock turned in place and footsteps retreated down the exterior hallway.“Hi roomie!” he called out too happily, jumping and landing on the other bed in an outstretched position, letting his hands cradle his head on the pillow.He kicked off his shoes and crossed his ankles, obviously settling in.“Anything good on TV today?”“What are you doing here?” she asked, trying to mask her disappointment and failing miserably.“I mean, I’m sorry, that came out wrong.How come they put you in my room? Aren’t they worried about us trying to break out of here together?”“I’d say not.I didn’t think it was a great plan either, but think about it.We don’t even know where we are and we have no way of escaping on foot.And remember the way those three guys looked all nervous just from projecting their faces outside the building? Whatever was out there is probably scary enough to send us running back here, pounding on the door and begging to be let back in.They must not think escaping is too big an attraction, kind of like putting Alcatraz on an island surrounded by shark-infested waters.”“Or maybe they thought the accommodations made up for the fact that we’re locked in a room without contact with the outside world, held against our will?” she suggested, looking around the room.It wasn’t exactly ugly and it was bigger than even her living room at home, let alone her bedroom, but it was all ruined by the fact that she couldn’t leave.“Either way, I say we raid the minibar and watch lots of pay-per-view, and charge all of it to their room.When they see what I can do to a room service menu they’ll be sorry they messed with the wrong guy!” Conlan jabbed the end of his index finger against his chest and tried to smile.Jessica stretched out on her bed in a pose that mimicked Conlan’s, settling against the soft pillows when he reached for the remote and turned it on, keeping the volume low until they could find something they wanted to watch.He idly flipped through the channels and reminded her to call out if she saw something she liked.“But, Jessica, I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” he said, still holding the remote poised to strike at the sensor on the TV.“I didn’t want to pry or anything, but can you fill me in on why we’re here? I get it, saving you and driving off in my car was my idea, and it would be really shitty of me to assign any blame here, but this is all your fault.”“Hey! I thought you weren’t going to assign blame!” she yelled with a light laugh, throwing one of her extra pillows and hitting him square in the face.He moved the pillow and claimed it with a smug look, wrapping his arms around it before continuing.“I don’t want to sound like a whiner, but I do kind of want to go home at some point.What are they talking about, you’re supposed to sacrifice yourself and all that stuff?”“Heck if I know.I didn’t know anything until I jumped out my window, and I’m still completely clueless about it.If it hadn’t been for the ugly argument with Faydra and then hearing that creepy phone call, I’d still be sitting in my room at home.”“Are you sure about what you heard? I mean, it couldn’t have been taken wrong, or maybe that was supposed to be code for something?”“You know, I don’t know how these things work in your world,” she began sarcastically, “but in my world, the words ‘where am I supposed to hide her body?’ really only have the one purpose.But you’re right, maybe we should go ask her what she was talking about? Sound good to you?”“Okay, I see your point.I was just trying to put a positive spin on things.So let’s assume she was talking about killing you.Why would she want to do that? And who in the world would she be talking to on the phone about it?”“I don’t know.I’ve been thinking the same thing.We’ve never gotten along and she’s always been pretty hateful to me, especially after my dad died, but actually going so far as to kill me? That seems kind of far-fetched.”“You’d think your dad would be more careful about his choice of a wife.Especially once he got sick, he would have made other arrangements for you if there was even a chance that his wife was a psychopath, right?”Jessica was quiet for a moment, fighting the urge to say something loud, rude and quite possibly potentially violence-inducing.Instead, she switched directions.“I have to admit there have been a few times when Faydra came in handy.You’ve never seen someone go from zero-to-bitch in three seconds flat, at least not like she could whenever someone questioned her.Like the time I got in trouble at school for having too many tardy slips.She came flying up there and chewed out old Mr.Carver for daring to threaten me with suspension and promising he would call the truancy court on her.She actually picked up the little ‘principal’ nameplate off his desk and put it through the window behind his head!” Jessica said, laughing a little at the memory [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]