“I was hoping you could help me with something.”
“Of course, sir. What is it?” he said, his eyes gleaming with sincerity.
“Well, I’m trying to track down a friend of Sydney’s, but we are having trouble finding her room.”
“I’m sorry sir; we have a strict policy—”
“So I’ve heard. Listen.” Alex then pulled out what looked like a rolled-up hundred-dollar bill and passed it over to the white-gloved butler. “I will make it worth your while. Her name is Alice Mitchell. You give us her room number and no one has to know.”
“I see,” said Maxwell as he pocketed the bill. “I’ll make you an even better deal, Mr. Birch. If you and your lovely girlfriend will show up for the couple’s massage I have booked for you, I will meet you with the information afterward.” He looked back and forth between them and lowered his voice. “You see, it makes me look good to my boss if my guests are having a good time.”
“Maxwell, you have a deal. We’ll see you later.”
Maxwell gave them a curt nod and then turned and walked away.
“Nicely done,” said Sydney, smiling at Alex. “But getting a massage is the last thing I need right now.”
Alex shrugged. “You never know. You might think better when you’re relaxed.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” she replied.
Eighteen
Sydney
The intoxicating smells of eucalyptus and lavender washed over Sydney as she lay silently on a soft white massage table in a large rectangular room dimly lit with candles and covered in rose petals. Two female massage therapists had pushed, pulled, and kneaded the knots in her back as she lay facing Alex on the table. She could feel a little bit of drool puddle at the corner of her mouth as she felt the tension leave her body. Maybe Maxwell had been right about his suggestion of a massage, as it felt long overdue.
Of course, a few moments earlier, she hadn’t quite felt so relaxed when she and Alex had arrived wearing white cotton robes and were instructed to undress and get comfortable. Alex had behaved as a gentleman, looking away while she disrobed and slid quickly under her sheet. There were two glasses of champagne waiting for them, along with freshly cut strawberries. After Sydney had donned her robe, she had taken a long drink of her champagne, hoping it would help take the edge off.
As the masseuse prodded her with skilled hands, she let her thoughts wander to any memories she had of Alice. She met Alice shortly after she and Jack had begun dating. Sydney had come to the DoubleDownCasino.com office in downtown Chicago to surprise him for lunch.
Of course, she had picked the worst day. It was pouring rain, the L train had broken down, and she had to walk three blocks without an umbrella to reach his office. By the time she got there, she was soaked through, her hair rivaling the look of a wet rat. Determined to keep going, she stopped into the lobby restroom and managed to put herself back together. By the time she reached the front desk of the office, she was freshly powdered, combed, and perfumed.
Her newfound gumption was quickly dashed when she met the eyes of Alice Mitchell. A plump woman in her fifties, Alice wore her hair swept up in a tight bun. It was so tight, just looking at it gave Sydney a headache. She wore minimal makeup and kept her blue eyes hidden behind a pair of thick brown glasses. She straightened as Sydney walked into the room and put a forced smile on her face.
“Hello. How may I help you?”
Sydney felt nervous, like she was being reprimanded by her third grade teacher.
“Hi. I am here to meet Jack Evans?”
Alice peered at her. “I see. Do you have an appointment with Mr. Evans?”
“Well, no,” she said, fumbling with the hem of her sweater. “I was going to surprise him.”
Alice raised an eyebrow at her, rubbing her fingers around a small key that hung around her neck. Sydney stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do next. She thought about sending him a quick text or perhaps returning to the main floor to call him from the lobby. As she ran through a list of ideas, a tall figure passed through the glass hallway behind Alice’s front entry desk.
A few seconds later, Jack burst through the door. He rushed to her side, picking her up and swinging her around like they hadn’t seen each other in years. She saw Alice, out of the corner of her eye, lean down and quickly shut and lock a filing cabinet drawer next to her desk.
“Sydney!” he said as a wide smile broke across his face. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to surprise you,” she said giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Alice stood like a statue behind the desk, staring at the both of them.
“Oh, I’m sorry Alice. Have you met Sydney?”
“Briefly,” she responded, mustering up a pleasant enough smile.
“Sydney, this is Alice. She is an old friend and our secretary here at the office.”
Alice seemed to glow under his gaze, giving him a much warmer smile in return. Sydney learned later on that Alice was much more than a secretary. She had known the twins since they were teenagers and had stuck with them since then, filling the role of a second mother to them.
After that day, Alice had always made an effort to be pleasant with her when she came to visit the office, but it felt forced. She sensed that Alice was possessive of the twins and wondered if she was jealous of her close relationship with Jack. The key she wore around her neck was always present. Sydney thought it a bit old-school but didn’t give it much thought after that.
But now it seemed relevant. Lizzy, in the brief conversations they’d had since she started working at Ethan’s office, had mentioned the key several times. She asked Sydney if she thought it was odd they way Alice always kept her desk drawer locked and actually wore the key around her neck. Lizzy had even suggested she might take the key one night and finally find out what she kept hidden in her desk.
Maybe she found out Alice’s secret, Sydney thought as the masseuse gently laid the towel over her back. The soft instrumental music continued to play throughout the room. Sydney felt sleepy and had to force herself to open her eyes again. It was her newfound determination to speak with Alice that woke her up.
As her eyes began to flutter open, she realized she was still facing Alex, who lay still on the table across from her. They both must have fallen asleep during the massage, exhausted from the day before.
As her eyes began to focus, she realized there was a figure leaning over him. She noticed that the masseur, however, was not wearing the traditional white uniform. He was wearing all black. As her brain tried to place his odd appearance, her eyes caught a beam of light reflect off an object in the man’s hand. He was holding a large syringe, pointing it directly at Alex’s neck.
As a bolt of adrenaline seized her heart, she opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. It was like a nightmare where you couldn’t speak.
Alex! she tried to say and failed.
A moment later, she found her voice. As loud as she could muster, she screamed, “Alex! Wake up!”
The man in black looked up at her, startled. Alex’s eyes burst open, and he immediately jumped up from the table, knocking the man off balance. The silver syringe clattered to the ground. Sydney laid frozen for a moment, watching the two of them struggle. She jumped up and grabbed her robe, quickly pulling it on. The man in black lunged for the door. Alex, dressed only in his underwear, caught the man by the back of his neck.