Chapter 4

4: 4

4

"Clean it up? What do we keep her around for? Let her clean it up!"

Gloria put on a coy, bashful little act.

"There's so much personal stuff in there. It'd be so embarrassing if someone else saw it!"

Only then did Grant let it go, and Gloria pulled me into the room.

The instant the door shut, she dropped to her knees in front of me again.

"I'm so sorry, Miss. I put you through all that. I really deserve to die!"

"Don't worry. Once I've gotten rid of my boyfriend, I'll clean this place spotless, just like it was before."

I looked around the room and felt sick just standing in a place like this.

"I'm not sleeping in this room again. Tonight I'll stay on the third floor. Go and get it ready for me."

Gloria knelt there, wrestling with something for a long moment before she spoke.

"Miss, my boyfriend's still staying here tonight. Would you mind getting the third floor ready yourself?"

Rage shot straight to my head. It left me a little dizzy.

I was about to give her a piece of my mind, but she put on that pitiful, wronged face again.

"Please, Miss, just help me out. I'll never forget your kindness. I'll remember it my whole life!"

I knew she was hinting at the time I saved her life again. I had no choice but to give in.

"Kindness, is it? Your boyfriend has quite a temper, though. When he finds out who you really are, he's going to be furious, isn't he?"

4

"No, he won't!"

Gloria's face filled with a dreamy longing, like a girl deep in the throes of a crush.

"My boyfriend treats me so well. He gives in to me about everything, and he's not like other men. He says he doesn't care whether I have money or not, he'll be good to me either way!"

I sneered inwardly. And people actually fall for lines that only work on fools.

You're passing yourself off as me right now. Of course he doesn't care about money.

"Where are my personal clothes? Find them for me. I'm taking them up to the third floor."

Gloria pulled a suitcase out from under the bed.

"They're all here. I packed them away a while ago. Never let anyone see them."

"You must be tired, Miss. Tonight I'll take my boyfriend out for a while and come back later, so you can rest properly."

I nodded, thinking that at last she'd said something reasonable.

"So this room, do you still need me to clean it?"

Gloria shook her head hard, looking flustered and honored all at once.

"Don't tease me, Miss. If my boyfriend weren't here, I wouldn't let you set foot in that kitchen if my life depended on it!"

As the saying goes, it's hard to hit a smiling face with a raised fist.

Seeing how contrite Gloria was, I wasn't as angry as I'd been a moment ago.

"Get your boyfriend out of here fast. You know my temper. I can't put up with this for long."

Gloria kept promising me, saying she'd have him moved out within three days.

I let it go and just asked, offhand,

"What's your boyfriend's name?"

Gloria answered without a second's thought.

"Grant Chavez. Doesn't it sound nice? Sounds like a real capable man."

"Grant Chavez."

I filed the name away in silence, took my things, and went up to the third floor.

I hoped he'd stop there. Otherwise, I had plenty of ways to make him regret it!

The room on the third floor was clean enough. A change of sheets and a fresh duvet cover, and it was ready to sleep in.

Days of nonstop travel had worn me down. I washed up quickly and dropped off to sleep.

I don't know how long it was before I heard someone knocking on my door.

I rolled over and called out, irritated.

"Who is it? Whatever it is, it can wait until I'm up!"

"I need you. Open the door."

At the sound of Grant's voice I bolted upright, every trace of sleep gone.

I'd assumed the knocking was Gloria. I never expected it to be her boyfriend.

Why come to my door in the middle of the night instead of staying on the second floor?

"I'm already in bed. What do you want with me?"

He wrenched hard at the handle and said in a low voice,

"Gloria's in a bad way. I've been drinking, so you get up and drive her to the hospital, now!"

"In a bad way?"

It gave me a real fright.

She'd been fine earlier that evening. How could she suddenly be in trouble?

A life was on the line and I didn't dare waste a second, so I rushed over and opened the door.

The moment it opened I caught a sharp reek of alcohol, and then his face, wearing the look of a man whose scheme had paid off.

"Heh heh. Fell for it, just like I thought."

He yanked the door wide, and in the next second he lunged at me.