• Chapter Three: Mysteries Left and Right
    Elena walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. It was someone she did not recognize, but they looked harmless enough. She opened the door a tad hesitantly to see a short woman of about sixty years old smiling at her. “Ma’am, are you the woman my grandson ran into in the hall a few minutes ago?” The old woman said with a graceful yet powerful tone. Elena nodded. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry.” The woman instantly frowned. “My grandson has no manners, I am sure of it! I’ll make sure he’s not in your way again.” The woman apologized while shaking Elena’s hand. Elena shrugged. “It’s no big deal; he was playing.” Elena tried to spare the kid some trouble. The woman smiled and let out a small laugh. “Young lady you are very nice indeed. If you need anything, I’ll be in room 210. I’m staying for about another month, so come by any time.” The old woman offered. Before Elena could answer, the woman was back down the hall and inside her room.
    Elena shut the door and shook her head. “Silly old woman,” She mumbled as she walked back over to her things. Her phone began its vibrations in her bag again. “Damnit, Russo, can’t you wait?” Elena sighed as she fished her phone from her bag. She flipped it open. “Yes, Russo?” She groaned as she sat on the bed. “Elena, did you get my text?” the man on the other end asked. “Yes, sir, I did. Why are you so sure he’s here in this s**t hole?” Elena asked her boss dully. “I just know he’s there, Elena. He has a special connection with that place.” “Whatever, Russo, I think you’re going insane.” Elena admitted as she lay on the bed. Russo laughed. “Nice, kid, real nice, see you soon, kiddo. Be careful, okay?” He made her promise. “Alright, Russo, I’ll be careful.” She assured before she hung up. She sighed as she rolled over to see an envelope slipped under her door. That’s odd no one knew what room she was in except the old lady and the boy…right? Elena got up and picked up the envelope by the edge. She opened it and saw a letter written with cut out letters. “How original,” Elena rolled her eyes. She began to read the letter. “Elena, stop your search now. You’re never going to find him.” Elena sighed. Who was it from? She looked on the envelope and the only thing written on it was Elena. Wait a minute…Her name was written. “Maybe I can get people to write things for me and compare.” Elena thought to herself as she tucked the envelope into her pocket. She left her room to go snoop about the hotel. There had to be someone to talk to and investigate.
    As Elena made her way to the café out in the back of the hotel, she saw a young woman sitting at a table all in her lonesome sipping coffee and jabbing on the phone. At a table farther from the young woman was a very old man sitting silently with an old lady across from him. There was a fence that surrounded the café area that had fake vines fed through the fence and decorative flowers hung from the patio cover over the café.
    The woman that was sitting alone finally got off her phone and surveyed the area. She saw Elena and smiled with all of her teeth showing. She motioned to the adjacent chair for Elena to sit. She thought it was odd, but sat down anyways. “Hello!” the woman said eagerly to Elena. “Uhm, hi,” Elena said, more than a tad confused. “What, you don’t remember me?” the woman asked with a frown. Elena tried to smile in sympathy. “I’m sorry, but I don’t.” Elena was incredibly lost. “Oh, well fine, then, I guess our friendship back then doesn’t matter now does it?!” The woman said harshly. Elena was taken aback. “What’s your name?” Elena asked. “Bella, Bella Lanchester, don’t you remember?” The woman pleaded. Elena shook her head. “You were here last year for Christ’s sake! You were on vacation from work as was I. I came back this year hoping to see you again!” Bella explained. Elena was very confused. “Lady, this is the first time I’ve ever been to this s**t hole!” Elena explained. Bella sighed. “No, it was you. Your name is spelt like this, correct?” Bella asked as she spelt Elena’s name onto a napkin. Elena saw how elegantly Bella wrote. “Yes, that is, but I wasn’t here last year, or ever until now!” Elena said, closely examining the napkin. Bella sighed and turned her head to find the waiter. Elena took this as her chance now to take the napkin and hide it in her jacket for a closer look later.
    “Fine, if you don’t wanna talk to me you might as well leave.” Bella exclaimed harshly. Elena didn’t wait for her to say it twice. Elena got up and retreated down to the lobby as quickly as she could. Unfortunately, she wasn’t paying attention and bumped into someone along the way.
    It was the mysterious man from before. “My, Elena, aren’t we observant.” The man said cockily smiling at Elena. Elena’s heart froze in its tracks. Even his voice was familiar. God, why couldn’t she place him? “How do you know my name?” Elena asked coldly. “Why act so rudely, Elle?” The man said disregarding her question. Elena had to think. Who did she know that called her Elle…uhg there were so many. “Look, sir, I don’t know who you are.” “Then get to know me.” The man taunted as he pushed his sunglasses higher on the bridge of his nose. Elena tried her hardest not be intoxicated by his cologne. “Look, I don’t care to…” “Just come get a drink with me tonight. I’ll be at the bar all night.” He explained and left before Elena could respond.
    Why was this man so intoxicating? Why was he so mysterious and cocky? Why was Elena so…obsessed with who he was? Who was the woman at the café? What the hell was going on in this hotel?