Chaos in my Wake: A Gripping Psychological Thriller by A.V. Shener

Author:A.V. Shener [Shener, A.V.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-10-04T16:00:00+00:00

Part Three

A Little Life

17

“I run a respectable business. I hope that’s clear.”

“Yes, sir.” It wasn’t, but I was too exhausted to care.

“All right. You’re paying for three nights?”

“Yes. And can I please have a room with a window to the parking lot and a back door?”

“The rooms don’t have back doors.”

“Oh. Just the window, then.”

The manager eyed me like he was considering telling me to take a hike. I couldn’t blame him for being suspicious since I’d shown up in the middle of the night wearing sports clothes, asked to pay in cash, and had a nasty bruise on the side of my face. I probably wouldn’t have rented myself a room.

“One last thing,” the guy said from across the messy front desk. He seemed to be in his fifties, overweight with a round, tanned face that was as smooth as his bald head. Small and faded scars decorated the back of his hands. A cigarette pack peeked from the breast pocket of his worn-out army coat. I noticed a silver star framed on the wall. “I take the privacy of my guests seriously, but I don’t take lightly to them bringing in their…clients.”

“Um, okay. I don’t have any clients.”

He sighed and tapped impatiently on the counter with his thick fingers. “I’m talking about guys coming here and paying for your time.”

“My time? Oh no-no, I’m not…I’m not doing that kind of stuff.”

He stared at me as if he had a scanner for rent boys, then finally nodded. “All right. Had some issues with these sorts of things in the past. Thought to make it clear.”

“It’s okay. Do you serve breakfast?”

“Sure do. I’ll also send someone to sponge your back.”

I chuckled. “I’ll take that as a no.”

“Where’s your luggage?”

“What? Oh, I travel light.”

“You mean empty handed.”

I kept my mouth shut.

He rolled his eyes, then finally walked me to my room on the ground floor. I’d be able to see the parking lot and the road from the room’s big window, although I’d have no means of escape other than the front door.

It was freezing outside, and I tried hard to stand still without shaking too badly. It had taken me more than a three-hour bus drive to find myself in this small and deserted motel. The sign I’d passed on the side of the road said, “Welcome to Grafton! Home of 819 happy Vermonters.”

I’d changed two buses on my way here. The last bus had driven past interstate 91, and then I was no longer in my home state.

The man said, “This room has a bathtub. If you prefer—”

“A bathtub is wicked. Thank you.”

Still hesitant, he handed me the key. “I won’t be having anyone come looking for you, will I?”

“For me? No. No one.” Unless Jeff’s influence ran deeper than I thought. I asked, “Do you have stores around here?”

He pointed to the south although all I saw was darkness. “About a twenty-minute walk down the road you’ll find a small shopping center. My brother runs the burger joint next to the main entrance.

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