“Likewise, Darling. It feels like Nightingale won’t ever let us leave.” She waggles her fingers and widens her eyes, voice echoey like Elvira on a late-night special.
Smiling a little, I straighten the new clue ready to solve it, when a series of bangs come from outside the room; the front door slams closed. Voices rise, both deep and high.
Shivering and wet, Willow and Mavis stand there like drowned rats; the wooden door opening again so Cardinal can slip in. His dark clothes are soaked to his muscular body. I’ve seen him in running gear most mornings, but seeing how the material sticks to each sculpted ab makes my throat dry. Willow’s expression could burn a small village to the ground, but it’s Mavis’s tears and fear that permeates the air and scares me. We halt as we near them, the scent of wet air assaulting my nose, and I look at him as he stalks forwards to our small group.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
Wearing his usual scowl, Cardinal opens his mouth to speak, but Mavis’ high-pitched voice pierces the air.
“Someone’s slashed all the tires and smashed some of the car windows.”
The blood moving around my body slows to a near stop, feeling like stabs of ice. “What?” I stutter, eyes pinballing.
“Most of the cars are completely wrecked, or at least damaged enough that we’re not going to be able to drive out of here.” He confirms, his eyes falling down onto Willow’s shaking shoulders. Looking around us, he walks over to the coat rack by the front door and grabs a garment at random. Returning, he drapes it around her, running his hand through his soaked hair. “I just walked down the drive to the gate, and it’s locked—bolted.”
“Bolted? Like padlocked or just closed?” Lily stands beside me with her arms crossed.
“Like fucking five padlocks and someone’s welded the keyhole, as well as the gate’s actual latch too.”
I shake my head, unable to comprehend what he’s saying, whilst shouting erupts from upstairs, and heavy feet move down the staircase to our right.
“Phoenix, please stop and listen to me!” Merle shouts, a blonde mess of hair coming down the stairs first and then his large frame following as he grabs at his boyfriend's shoulders. “Please let me explain!”
Unworried about the sudden audience, he whirls around on him, holding a long strip of paper and thrusts it into his chest. “You said I was the one who ruined our relationship, but you’ve been fucking your clients this entire time.” He cries, a sob being crushed between a groan as he turns away from him. Our eyes meet, and I take a step in his direction, every instinct in my body telling me to curl around him and protect.
“It’s not like that. It was just one client!” He pleads, hands out in front of him like Phin is a wild animal that’s loose from his cage.
“So that makes it better? You weren’t fucking all your clients, just the one? Over and over—but I’m the one who ruined our relationship?”
“Baby, please, let’s just go upstairs and talk.”
“I’m not your fucking baby! This,” he points at the piece of paper, “says it’s been going on for years. So what’s the truth? Was it years ago, or are you lying to me?” He spits, whilst the sound of footsteps running down the stairs hits us again.
Wren appears and he pushes past Merle, Detective Starling emerges from the kitchen. Grabbing Phin’s arms, he sees our group by the front door and hauls him towards us. My hands reach again for my best friend and suddenly I have my arms around him, crushing him to me and looking over his shoulder. He’s cold to touch and shaking, but a warm hand that I assume is Wren’s wraps around my waist.
“What is going on?” Starling demands, pushing Merle’s shoulder and holding him against the wall. He squirms to get to Phoenix, saying his name repeatedly whilst my best friend continues to cry into my shoulder. I’m at least a foot shorter than him.
“We found more of the secrets, like you wanted.” Wren nearly spits, his warmth leaving my waist as he points. “You’re fucking pathetic. How dare you treat him like that when you’ve been cheating on him.”
Jesus Christ.
Phin sobs more into me and I look around, thinking we should maybe take him to the lounge, which is just off the lobby, so he can have some privacy.
Starling raises a brow and his moustache moves. “Anything else?”
I look at Mavis, Lil beating me to the twisted punchline. “Mavis has been enjoying some—not so committed acts herself.”
She begins to shake, and fresh tears spill from her round eyes, body retreating backwards, and her drenched boots squeak on the floor.
Cardinal steps in front of both the girls by the door. “Someone’s slashed everyone’s tires and smashed some of the car windows. The hotel’s gates are also padlocked shut.” He looks at Merle. “Did you lock them?”
Stunned, he briefly stills, before trying to barge his hand off his body. “What—no? Why would we lock the gates?”
“Everyone calm down!” Detective Starling’s voice rises, wrenched sobs bleeding into the silence that follows.
Boots squeaked against tile, and Willow steps forward, cold mask in place, but her hands are trembling. “I don’t care if you have to call the fire department. I'm not staying here—you can’tkeep us here.”
“Now, Darling, don’t you think you should dry off first?” Lily chimes.
