“I may have been a little premature,” she admitted.
She had been convinced that she was no longer a target, but she had failed to factor in her notoriety as the Deranged Bride, not to mention Sebastian’s celebrity status.
The elevator doors opened. Owen got her inside and rezzed the button for the eighth floor. There was some scuffling as reporters fought to get photos, but security personnel arrived to take control of the situation.
Alice breathed a sigh of relief as the doors shut and the cab started upward.
“Thank goodness,” she said. Then it dawned on her that she and Owen were alone in the elevator. “Where’s Sebastian?”
“Last I saw, he was heading in the direction of the UFO display. Don’t worry about him. He can take care of himself.”
“I know, but—”
“The entire staff of the Amber Palace is aware of Sebastian. They’ll keep an eye on him.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
The doors opened on the eighth floor. Alice started reading theCurtainarticle as they walked down the hall.
“ ‘The Hotel of Dreams, a small inn on the coast that featured uniquely scripted escape games, is in charred ruins today due to a fire that consumed most of the premises. There are three known fatalities, including Dunstan Kelbrook, the head of Kelbrook Industries. The two other bodies were identified as Leonard Twitchell, a vice president of the company, and Rose Ash, the proprietor of the inn.’ ”
“So she did manage to kill herself,” Owen remarked.
“You were right. Again. I’ll bet that gets old after a while.”
“Being right?” Owen took out the key card. “You get used to it.”
Alice snorted and continued reading.
“ ‘Initial comments from Special Agent Sierra Mathers of the Federal Bureau of Psi Investigation confirmed that the blaze was of suspicious origin.
“ ‘The fire revealed a shocking discovery—the lair of the notorious serial killer Luxton Yardley, known as the Gamer. Decades ago, Yardley committed at least eight murders before he was apprehended and sent to jail, where he died awaiting trial. Cause of death was determined to be suicide by poison.
“ ‘Readers will recall that the Hotel of Dreams had a troubled history. Ms. Alice Radstone, labeled the Deranged Bride following the death of her first husband at the hotel, escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane. A video that established her innocence was made available online by this newspaper. The FBPI confirmed that Ms. Radstone will likely be cleared of all charges and her para-psych records will be corrected to remove the false diagnosis.
“ ‘Ms. Radstone recently married Mr. Owen March (a Marriage of Convenience) and is currently enjoying her honeymoon at the famed Amber Palace Hotel and Casino. She and the groom are accompanied by a dust bunny who has charmed his way into the hearts of tourists and locals alike…’ ”
Owen got the door of the room open. She walked past him, folded the paper, and tossed it on the table. She looked around.
“It’s over,” she said. “I can go back to my house in the Dark Zone. Back to my friends and clients. I can start living my real life again.”
“It’salmostover,” Owen said. He closed and locked the door. “You still need to deal with those shares in Kelbrook Industries that you inherited.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. I’m going to give them back to the family. They weren’t really intended for me. They were a weapon that Kelbrook’s brother used as a tool of revenge from beyond the grave. Now both men are dead. Those shares are tainted. I don’t want them.”
“I understand.” Owen tossed his jacket over the back of a chair.“Sounds like a plan. Now, could we talk about something more important?”
She turned to face him and gave him a politely inquiring look. “My future?”
“Myfuture. Did you mean it when you said you loved me?”
“Oh, yes. I fell in love with you that first night when you came to my rescue at the hotel, but I told myself my feelings were based on impulse—well, and circumstance. I mean, who doesn’t love a hero? But I assumed it was just a superficial attraction. I’m sure you understand.”
“No, can’t say that I do. Where are you going with this?”
“You soon made it clear that you had your own agenda. You wanted to settle the score with the people who had used you. You made it very clear you didn’t like being used. I decided that the fact that your agenda aligned with mine—I was desperate to avoid being kidnapped—was a coincidence, not romantic fate.”
She paused to make sure Owen was following her logic. He was starting to look dazed. Or maybe transfixed.
