In The Company of Deceit

Chapter 21 - Unravelling

When the fighting started again Kate turned to flee and almost fell over Belinda's abandoned luggage.

Belinda leaned against her door, trembling and listening nervously. She heard nothing and relaxed, checking the room, her heart pounding almost audibly. She slowed her breathing and counted to ten, nodding her head and looking again about the room, quickly freezing when she couldn't see her luggage piece.

She looked at the door and realized with alarm she had left it in the hall. Grabbing the room key, she pulled on a pair of dark glasses, opened the door and hurried back down the hall. Her bag was standing outside Mickey's room where she had left it, and she almost cried with relief as she clutched the handle in her gloved hand. Events were overtaking her, and she felt the pressure of fear and discovery.

There was no way she was hanging around for another police investigation and risking being found out. Muriel would be well cared for at the hospital; she wouldn't be coming out anyway, and she didn't really need a mother. As she paused by Mickey's room, she heard the men wrestling on the floor, and her breath caught when she heard Mickey shouting that the man he was fighting would get the same as his pal Edwin.

Something happened to Edwin? Mickey knew Edwin? She checked the hall and stepped closer to the door, listening to the struggle. The man with the gun was threatening to blow Mickey's brains out and that he would never get a dime of Braddock's money. Braddock was the boss of the casino they had robbed! Belinda felt her chest cramp; if this man knew, he could be after her as well.

She set her bag against the wall and eased the door open, the fight continued with grunting and groaning and the two men struggled to their feet, crashing into the wall. The gun flew out of Ralph's hand and landed in the doorway. Belinda looked down at it and her mind raced through a scenario that could solve her problem for good.

She picked it up in her gloved hand and closed the door as she stepped into the room.

******

"What's going on?" Virginia called from the bed as she watched Benjamin's bare bottom jiggle from the room and head for the door.

"I'm sure I heard fighting next door."

"You can't go out like that." She shouted, jumping out of the bed and following him.

He stopped. "You're right." He ran back and grabbed a pair of pants and stumbled into them as he raced back to the door. "Wait here."

Virginia looked at him with a wry expression. "Duh, okay."

Benjamin stepped out of the door and jumped right back.

"What is it?" Virginia hissed.

"Belinda is out there in the hall, with her luggage."

"So, she always has that with her?"

He opened the door and looked again in time to see her bend down and pick up a gun from the doorway. He jumped back again.

"Now what?"

"She's got a gun!"

"Belinda?"

"Yes. Stay here." He left the room and crept down to Mickey's door, pressing himself flat against the wall and cocking his head to hear what was happening. Belinda was telling somebody to shut up; he heard at least two men's voices, then his mouth hung open as he heard bits of the story about the casino and Edwin Del Darrigo.

There was another argument followed by a dull crack. And a few seconds later, another gunshot! He looked down at the piece of luggage and for reasons unknown, he grabbed it and hurried back to his room.