Cursed

7. Behind the Motel

"It was my husband." She said in a low tone. But didn't continue further.

"I'm sorry." Louis said. As much as she wanted to know what had happened, she did have some  manners. And she was a complete stranger. Why would Stephanie share something this personal and this sad to another stranger?

"It's okay. It's been a year." She said bitterly. A layer of moisture covered her hazel eyes.

"I'm sorry, I should get going. You see, I couldn't sleep for two long days." She said while wiping a tear which had just formed and was dripping by her eyelids. Then she hurried outside, careful not to walk on the outline drawn by the cops where Mr Kingsley had died.

"Well, she's weird." Arthur said and moved to the closet.

Louis was still thinking about last night's mishaps. How could one night present her with so much misfortune she couldn't understand. Perhaps, it was a bad idea coming down to Wisconsin, as Arthur had previously told her.

She also couldn't get Stephanie's words out of her mind. She said her husband was killed here a year ago. Then why did she come here? And how did he die?

Louis had dealt with many problems in her life. Every case she worked on seemed more challenging than every other. But she never faced something like this earlier. A healthy man dropping dead at her door, the incident with the portrait and now Stephanie's claim. It was too much for her mind to wrap around. But while Arthur was busy in his attempts to pack up stuff and leave Wisconsin as soon as possible, Louis' mind was already revolving around the incidents and all possible ways she could get information from. Then she could finally understand what was going on. And all her mind could right now only focus at Stephanie Müller.

Arthur ducked in and pulled out a stack of Louis's clothes.

"What are you doing?" Louis asked suddenly snapping out of her reverie. It was Arthur's rough handling with clothes that made her train of thoughts come to an abrupt halt.

"Packing stuff. Shouldn't we leave now, once the Sheriff announces you're not guilty?" Arthur asked.

"Well, I haven't thought about leaving." Louis said.

"Miss, there was a murder here. And just outside your room." Arthur sounded grave.

Before Louis could answer, her phone started buzzing. She hurried to the side table and pressed the answet key expecting it was the Sherrif calling her to pronounce her free to go. But unfortunately it was Dan, her boss.

"Ms Adams, you all right?  We just heard what happened. Wait, I'll be there soon." He said.

Crap. Louis said to herself.

"No, Dan, there's no need. I'm absolutely fine. Don't waste your time coming down here." She insisted.

"Louis, I'm afraid I've to. It's a question about your security. Fame can also bring enemies, Miss Louis." He said.

Unitl now, Louis never thought about that possibility. She never considered herself to be the famous celebrated lawyer Louis Adams from the grand Court of Burkingham. She considered herself just as Ms Louis as Arthur addressed her, with no disrespect neither extreme honour.

And this made her forget about the vision various politicians, millionaires saw her with. She was a rescuer, but in opposite hands, she was great trouble. Louis remembered calling off various cases before escaping to Wisconsin. To those millionaires, it could only mean she was supporting the other side which indeed could get her in big trouble.

Was someone sent to kill her and maybe, since Mr Kingsley was just at her room, he ended up killing him and ruining the mission? If that was the case, she should be miles away from Wisconsin. In her long experience, it wasn't that stories about famous lawyers disappearing when rejecting a particular case were unheard of.