A Web So Dark and Deadly

Chapter Twelve

Tabitha peers at the digital chip I pinch between my thumb and index fingers.

"That's it," she says. "Well done, Cleo."

My lips press into a slight smile, though my stomach churns and my head swims with fatigue. I don't want to be part of her plans any longer. In hindsight, maybe I should've stayed at the restaurant, taken my chances with the police. Maybe they'd have been willing to help me.

But what if they hadn't believed my story? Or worse, what if they sent me to prison for being involved in Daniel's murder. My head spins and swirls with all the 'what ifs,' all the things I could've done differently leading up to this point.

Tabitha snatches the chip from my fingers. She squints down at the tiny numbers on the side of it. Then, she crosses over to her bag, removing a small, blue toolkit from inside. "I picked this up while you were gone."

"What is it?" I yawn, garbling the last words.

Tabitha opens the top, revealing brushes, bottles of solution, strips with adherent plastic on them, a microscope, and other odd items. "A fingerprinting kit. If my memory serves me correctly, we need both to get inside the order's headquarters."

She slides the chip under the microscope, peering down at it. A frown wrinkles her features, then she shakes her head. "It's too small. Let me see the wallet."

I hand her the wallet. She opens it up, shifting it around. She shakes her head once more after a moment. "There are too many patterns. I don't know which one belongs to him."

"What do you suggest?" I ask.

Tabitha's expression remains fixed as she continues to look at the print. Then, her gaze bolts up, and she snaps her fingers. "Polyester!"

"Polyester?" A sinking feeling opens in my gut.

"Yes. We need a polyester or cotton article of clothing belonging to him. Any extra fingerprints will have been washed away the last time he washed the clothes, yet it should still have a fingerprint we can use."

"But how are we—"

"Not we! You! You're the one who will break into his hotel room, get the clothing item, and leave."

"Why me? I have no experience with this."

Tabitha's eyes narrow into daggers. I shrink against the bed. My gaze shifts to the clock on the bedside table. It's two in the morning, and my body is vibrating from a lack of sleep.

"Do you want to prove your loyalty to me?"

My head nods against my will. Everything is a cloudy, exhausted haze, and I can't tell if I'm still on her side or not.

"Then you must break into his hotel room. Otherwise, you are of no use to me."

I gulp, glancing back at the clock. "Can I at least get some sleep?"

Tabitha is already grabbing a trench coat from her closet. She tosses it to me, and I limply catch it in my hands. "Sleep in the car. I'll buy you a coffee and a donut on the way."

I follow her out the door, blinking away my blurred vision. I guess this is no worse than pulling an all-nighter in high school.

🕸 ✩⋆｡°🕸｡°⋆✩🕸

My body shakes awake. I open my eyes, finding Tabitha's hand planted on my shoulder. Once again, The Grand Star Hotel looms overhead, the white stone exterior glowing from the neighboring street lights.

Tabitha shoves a cardboard cup in front of my face. "Drink."

My palms encircle the cup's warm sides. I bring my lips to the plastic lid, taking a long sip. Scalding hot bitterness floods my tongue. I recoil, jolting awake. "What is this?"

"Do you take sugar?" Tabitha smirks, holding out a paper bag. I reach inside, fumbling for a few packets of cane sugar and creamer. As I adjust the coffee, she says, "Just remember, Daniel's hotel room is probably under close surveillance. Be aware that you may run into some unpleasant fellows."

I take another sip, much better than the previous. Tabitha holds out a blueberry muffin still suffocating in plastic. "Breakfast?"

I shake my head. My stomach sloshes and churns, on edge from all the recent activity.

"Alright. Go get that shirt for me."

I take one last sip of coffee before stepping from the car. The exhaustion in my bones has only lightened a tiny bit, not nearly enough to be breaking into someone's hotel room. Still, I force myself to stand straight, to act like I actually belong here.

Right before I enter the Grand Star Hotel, I glance at the room key's envelope. '256' is printed on it. The lobby doors part for me, and I stroll to the elevator. Another man stands before it, dressed in a navy suit and wearing black sunglasses that blend into his skin. He smiles and nods at me as I stand beside him.

Anxiety twitches at my fingers. I shove my hands in my coat pockets to keep from fidgeting, though my right thumb chafes against the room key's smooth, plastic sides. Once inside the elevator, the man presses the second floor.

"Which floor?" he asks.

"Same one." I force myself to smile, despite the knots in my stomach.

He nods and faces forward. Thank goodness he isn't a small-talker.

A ding sounds overhead, and the man starts down the hall. To make things less awkward, I start in the opposite direction, except the room numbers are heading away from 256. I backtrack, trying not to make it too obvious that I'm following the man.

My feet pad softly on the carpet. The man walks at a clip in front of me, one hand in his pocket, the other swinging at his side. As time passes and he fails to disappear into another room, my concern deepens. There's no way he's headed to 256. No way. Not possible.

He finally stops at the end of the hallway. He inserts his room key into the door, then turns the handle, disappearing inside. I note the door's placement, one room away from a gap in the doors. My heart drops when I reach it.

256.

Tabitha was right. Of course this wouldn't be a clean job. The question is whether I wait for him to leave or...

Who am I kidding? There are no other options.

The elevator dings again, and a maid pushes a huge cleaning cart into the hallway. An idea sparks in my head.

I hurry down the hallway. "Hey!"

The maid glances over her shoulder. "Huh?"

"Hey, I'm Cleo. You know, the new maid?"

The maid frowns, deepening the wrinkles on her face. "I don't know of a new maid."

"Well, I'm here for my shift. I just wanted to know where I can get my uniform from."

"Sweetie, you need to talk to the manager about this. I just clean here."

"I know. It's just... you don't have any extra uniforms lying around? Like, anywhere?"

"No, Sweetie. The manager can tell you how to order one." She turns and walks down the hallway.

I turn around, reevaluating my options. Waiting is still on the table, but what if he takes a really long time? I can't afford to sit around, not when Tabitha can weave my death at any moment she desires.

What if I just... walk in? I have a key. Perhaps I could just say that I was a friend of Daniel's. After all, he did give me the spare key to his hotel room.

Ugh. It doesn't get much more suggestive than that.

Swallowing my embarrassment, I return to room 256, unlock the door, and walk in.