For the next hour, Rain lost herself in the mindless drudgery of her work, trying to ignore the nagging voice in her head that kept whispering ‘what if’. She was so focused on her task at hand, she didn’t hear the soft click of the bathroom door opening behind her.
‘Rain?’
The sound of Lauren’s voice made Rain jump, the stack of towels she’d been folding tumbling to the floor in a fluffy heap. She spun around to find Lauren standing in the doorway, an amused look on her face.
‘Did you get my message?’
Rain swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. ‘Um, yes.’
‘And?’
‘I . . . didn’t have time. I’ve been busy working.’
‘I can see,’ Lauren said, glancing at the room behind her. ‘You’ve done a great job.’
‘Thanks,’ Rain said. ‘Glad it’s got the boss’s approval.’
Lauren opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a word out, a blood-curdling scream ripped through the air. They both froze, eyes wide with shock, before sprinting out into the hallway.
A woman stood in the doorway of the room down the corridor, her face ashen, as she pointed at something inside. Lauren reached her first, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder.
‘Are you all right? What’s happened?’
The woman could only shake her head, a choked sob escaping her throat. Rain peered over Lauren’s shoulder into the room and felt her stomach lurch.
A man lay crumpled on the floor, his skin a sickly grey, his eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling. He wasn’t moving. Wasn’t breathing.
‘Oh my god,’ Rain whispered, bile rising in her throat. ‘Is he . . .?’
But Lauren was already in motion, dropping to her knees beside the man and pressing her fingers to his neck, searching for a pulse. When she found none, she turned to Rain, her expression grim.
‘Call an ambulance. Now!’
Rain stepped out into the corridor, fumbling for her phone with shaking hands, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might explode in her chest. She gave the operator as much information as she could, relaying the man’s condition and their location while Lauren started chest compressions, her face set in lines of fierce determination.
‘The ambulance is on its way.’
It wasn’t until Rain hung up that the pieces suddenly clicked into place with sickening clarity. The room, the man on the floor, the frantic woman sobbing in the doorway . . . This was the same room Alex had been standing outside earlier. The same room where she’d handed over a mysterious package in exchange for cash.
Rain felt like she was going to be sick. If what she suspected was true, if Alex had sold this man the drugs that had caused his overdose . . .
Finally, after what seemed a lifetime, the sound of pounding footsteps filled the corridor, the paramedics arriving in a flurry of activity. Rain pressed herself back against the wall, watching in stunned silence as they loaded the man onto a stretcher and rushed him out, the woman trailing behind, her face a mask of anguish.
Lauren emerged seconds later, her face etched with exhaustion but a glimmer of relief in her eyes. ‘He’s unconscious, but he’s breathing.’
Rain exhaled a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. Thank you, God.
Her gaze remained fixed on the floor, a tumult of emotions swirling within her – anger, regret, and self-reproach tangled together like a knot she couldn’t undo. Why hadn’t she spoken up when she had seen Alex’s shady dealings earlier? Why hadn’t she told Lauren or reported her to someone, anyone?
Just then, a woman came rushing down the corridor.
‘Lauren! Oh my god, are you okay? What happened?’
The newcomer pulled Lauren into a hug, and Rain realised that she was Lauren’s sister. The resemblance was uncanny.
‘I’m fine, Syd,’ Lauren assured her, but her voice shook slightly. ‘One of the guests . . . he collapsed. The paramedics think he OD’d. His poor wife found him. It’s their anniversary . . . She only popped out to buy an outfit and came back to find him on the floor.’
‘I’d better get back to work,’ Rain said, her voice barely audible as she turned away and retreated into the hotel room she’d been cleaning.
As she picked up her discarded towels, Rain knew she couldn’t stay silent. Not anymore. Lauren needed to know the truth about what was happening in her hotel.
Rain took out her phone and composed a text message to Lauren.
I finish work at eight. I’ll meet you then.
Chapter Seventeen
The serene atmosphere of Sydney’s flat offered a welcome break from the intense moments Lauren had just experienced. Sydney retrieved two bottles of water from the fridge, offering one to Lauren as she joined her.
‘I dread to think what would have happened to that poor man if you hadn’t been there,’ Sydney said, taking a sip.
‘Tell me about it. I don’t think his wife will ever get over the shock. It must have been terrifying for her to find him like that.’
Oliver walked into the room, casually tossing his keys onto the kitchen counter.
‘Hey, gorgeous,’ he greeted Sydney with a quick kiss on the lips. As he drew back, he studied her face, ‘What’s up? Did something happen?’
Lauren sighed. ‘One of the guests OD’d.’
