Shire Bottom Chronicles

Chapter Fourteen

It was Friday afternoon, and Rose couldn't be happier. Her weekend had officially begun, and she was free to relax. Things were going decent at the hotel; Analiese had agreed to work the weekend shift after Rose bribed her with homemade cheesecake. Rose settled in on the couch and opened the new book she'd purchased from Peter Piper Booksellers. The apartment was quiet, perfect for catching up on reading. Cat was always gone by the time Rose woke up, so she hadn't seen much of her lately. But they had a furry houseguest, Rory's dog Chelsea.

Rose thought the Maltipoo was adorable, but she wondered why Rory had left her with Cat. She had been here since Wednesday, apparently. When Rose had asked about it, Cat just told her that something was going on and she was dog-sitting Chelsea until Matt and Rory came home. Rose was starting to get worried because she knew both Matt and Rory dealt with health issues. She'd called Rory several times, but the younger girl never picked up.

She turned to the next page in her book, escaping into the world of Stephen King's The Outsider. It was kind of funny, reading a horror novel when she'd been plagued by nightmares for the past month. Rose was so immersed in the story that the shrill ringing of her cellphone made her nearly jump out of her skin.

Rose glanced at the name on the screen. "Hello?" She asked, relieved that it was Rory calling and not Allie with another one of her dumb theories. Come to think of it, she hadn't heard from Allie in a while.

"Rose, can you meet me at Crimson Inc.?" Rory whispered. Her voice was so low Rose strained to understand her. It almost sounded like she had been crying.

"Yeah, I'll be right over," Rose said automatically. She tried to think of logical reasons Rory would be at Crimson Inc. in the middle of the day. The few details Cat had given her were vague. Maybe Rory had gone with Matt on an important work trip, and they just got back. "I've been trying to reach you all week. Are you okay?"

"I'll explain when you get here," Rory insisted. "I better go...see you in a few minutes."

Before Rose could ask more questions, the line went dead. She quickly grabbed her purse and left the apartment. Driving through the streets of town, she watched the people going about their everyday routines. Kids and dogs playing at the park, enjoying their last moments of summer fun before school started, shoppers browsing the stores, and families towing their boats out to the lake. It was very peaceful living in a small town.

The bustling scene of town faded as she drove out of the city limits, navigating the winding, tree-lined road toward Crimson Inc. She had only been to the factory once when she came with Rory to pick up Matt after his car broke down last winter. She stopped at the gate and rolled down her window. The guard leered at her. "ID?"

Rose fumbled in her purse for her ID and handed it to the intimidating guard. Rory had told her before that this guy was a real asshole. He looked at the card, then scrutinized her face before recognition dawned in his eyes. He opened the gates and waved her through. Rose drove into the guest parking lot. The place was completely dead. Only a few cars sat near the front entrance. She saw Pamela Witherspoon's silver Lexus and Cat's red Jaguar Convertible.

Rose pulled into a space beside Cat's vehicle and went inside the lobby. The secretary at the front desk was munching on a king-sized chocolate bar. She barely looked up when Rose walked past her. "Rose!" Rory exclaimed. She jumped up from her chair, relief washing over her pale features. "I'm so glad you came."

"We better hope Bane doesn't find out you called her," Cat insisted. Her voice startled Rose, who hadn't noticed her sitting in the corner. She stood up and motioned for the two girls to follow her. Cat ushered them through a door into a small lounge with a table and chairs, television, and coffee machine. "This is for the participants if they don't want to sit in the lobby. We can talk in here."