Adelaide Upset (33 page)

I didn’t have a thought to
spare on the matter, I was too busy, hurrying to get
Bill/Raulriechmydl in place before Lars or one of his men responded
to Francesca’s call.

Having once worked at the
Crowne, I was familiar with its layout. The demon waited outside
the back entrance while I went in through the lobby. I didn’t spare
a glance at the front desk, walking casually toward the elevators
as if I belonged absolutely. I could hear the young clerk talking
as I passed, probably to Francesca, too occupied to pay me much
mind. So far so good. I swept pass the elevators, rounding the
corner where I quietly waited.

It took longer than I
thought, a few minutes at least, before the elevator dinged open. I
paused for a heartbeat and then leaned over to peer down the hall.
It was the two men from before, Lars’ despicable minions, their
burly backs moving away as they made for the exit.

That was my cue to run
along down the hall, into the building’s bowels, a land of laundry
and cleaning supplies. Shoving through the back door I saw the
demon, he was using Bill’s hands to caress the brick
exterior.

“
Come on,” I said, waving
him inside. “We don’t have much time.”

The service elevators were
large, meant for carts and staff. They were tucked discreetly along
the back of the building, unseen by guests. As we rode to the top
floor, I barely gave getting caught a second thought, knowing the
hotel’s employees were all gone home.

“
Knock and say
‘housekeeping,’” I said, prepping the demon. “They’ll probably tell
you to go away, but explain that the cooling unit is acting up and
you need to make an adjustment to their thermostat.”

He didn’t respond to my
directions, seeming dreamy and lost as he trailed swirls along the
elevator’s smooth, reflective interior.

“And stand close to the door,” I added. If
they looked out the peephole and saw him wearing a hospital gown
and slippers, well, they might be a tad suspicious.

The elevator stopped, and
I could tell the demon enjoyed the gentle sway it gave us. His
emotions only seemed to come through when he was wearing human
skin, otherwise nada.

He followed me out, staying a pace behind as
I rushed along the hall. The main elevator was halfway down, tucked
in a little inlet, the stairs beside it. I stopped there, where I
wouldn’t be seen, hoping Lars’ men didn’t return too soon.

“
Okay,” I said, feeling
nervous. He probably could’ve figured it out for himself, but I
told him, “It’s the last door down on the left.” The demon started
to move, his thin gown swaying open behind him. I cringed,
disgusted for so many reason. “Oh, and try not to kill anybody,” I
whispered at his back.

This was it, the real reason why I needed
the demon’s help. Not only was he capable of sensing the diary, but
he could face Lars too. Frankly, I was too scared to do it. And
above all I didn’t want Lars to know I was in any way involved.

The demon reached the
suite and knocked. I heard Bill’s voice, wordless and indistinct. I
breathlessly waited, watching as the door swung in, the demon
pushing through. There was a commotion, but I couldn’t catch much,
just the sound of something breaking followed by a
shout.

I freaked out then, the
onset of a panic attack at what happened next. Lars exited the
room, dark and dapper in a suit. He was tucking something under his
lapel, and I recognized it instantly. It was Demidov’s diary. He
had the book and he was getting away. And worse, he was coming
right for me!

I had to slow him down, had to give the
demon time to catch up. I shuffled back, turning to jab at the
elevator buttons. I frantically glanced over my shoulder, waiting
and wondering if he would round the corner and see me. But the
elevator flushed open in time. Reaching around to the panel, I
pulled up on the emergency knob and then flung myself out, running
headlong into the stairwell.

I jogged to a stop one
level down, glancing up and over the railing to see if he would
follow. I was betting he wouldn’t trifle with a stuck elevator,
because Lars Hurst was a man of action. He wouldn’t hesitate to
take the stairs.

The door swung open,
thwacking into the wall. Heavy steps, beating like a drum as he
took two stairs at a time. I did too, scared that he would catch
up.
Why had I waited? I should have
been running all along.

I felt his emotions
change, from the uncertainty and alarm, feelings that the demon
created, to anticipation and zeal. He must’ve heard me, and even if
he couldn’t see who I was, he knew that I was prey. The thrill of
the chase was intoxicating, and I couldn’t help but be swept up in
it, even as I ran for what felt like my very life.

I was gasping by the last
level, and my fingers were sweaty as I reached for the door.
Escaping the stairwell I turned toward the lobby, but Lars’ men
were returning, coming straight through the front entrance. I had
no choice but to sprint the other way, going deeper into the
building, taking turns so fast my feet went skidding. I rushed for
the Banquet Hall, seeking cover and hiding inside. Had I lost Lars?
Would he search for me? I knew better than to underestimate the
man, especially since I didn’t
feel
safe.

The room was large and empty, stacks of
chairs pressed to one side, long tables draped in white cloth
pushed to the other. I concealed myself there, hiding under a
table. I tried to ease my breathing, letting it steady out, quiet
and soft.

What the hell was I going to do! I was
stuck, too scared to move, afraid that Lars would find me. And
where was the demon? If I didn’t get Bill’s body back to the
hospital in time I would be charged with aiding and abetting a
murderer’s escape.

The door opened and shut
softly, a whoosh then quiet. I pressed my face to the floor,
peeking out under the cloth. From across the gaping space I saw a
pair of shiny shoes, a nice set to match a nice suit.

It was Lars.

Scooting back I moved away
from the gap, not wanting him to see my hands or knees under the
tablecloth. He walked steadily around the room, pushing the stacked
seats so that they shrieked and wobbled. He
was
looking of me, and he was
getting closer.

I began to crawl, careful
not to brush against the cloth as I moved under the table. I could
hear him, working his way over, coming closer. The table ended, not
far from the room’s corner, and I had no where else to go, nothing
else to hide behind. I nestled down, a ball on the
floor.

He reached my side of the
room, his shoes appearing beside the table some ways down. He
walked the line, his toes getting close.
He knows where I am
, I
thought,
he’s toying with
me
.

Ten feet away, nine, every
step marked my ruin.

Ring
.

He stopped.

Ring
.

His feet moved in place, shifting as he
searched his pockets.

“What?” he demanded.

A pause.

“
I wouldn’t use the word
disturbance.” Another pause. “I couldn’t tell you, but I suspect
Raina Thompson’s story may be true.” Despite my fear, I really
wanted to hear the other side of his conversation. “His pain
threshold, it wasn’t natural. I worked him over and he didn’t even
flinch.”

A demon wouldn’t. They
felt the pain, but lacked a lifetime’s worth of experience. A
person would touch a stove and jerk away, avoiding the burn, but a
demon wouldn’t see the danger, merely enjoy the encounter, finding
the unpleasantness of pain just another sensation to be
savored.

It was comforting to know
Raulriechmydl wasn’t passed out somewhere. What would I do if Lars’
fists brought on a relapse in Bill’s brain trauma?

“
No, we were interrupted
during its examination, but seeing as someone wants it, enough to
challenge me, I’d say that’s authentication enough, wouldn’t
you?”

I watched the shadow of
his legs, moving back and forth as he paced along the tables.
“They’re securing the room.” Another pause. “That’s what I pay you
for.”

He didn’t say anything after that, and I had
to assume the call was over. So what was he doing, just standing
there?

My thoughts betrayed me, as if stirring him
to life. He resumed his walk, only a few feet away and closing in.
He stopped right in front of me, his feet shifting to point in my
direction. I held my breath, just waiting for the inevitable.

The cloth twitched,
bunching as he fisted it. It was being lifted away, the lights
pouring in, and then suddenly it was dropped. The sound of the door
shushing open, it interrupted my exposure. Lars turned quickly, his
feet moving apart to a wider stance.

From across the room I heard Bill’s voice.
“Give me what is mine,” the demon said, and I could feel his
triumph. Like a shout it reached me from a distance, promising that
he would finally get what he was after.

“Come and take it,” Lars said, his calm
unbelievably out of place. He suspected he was speaking with a
demon, so how could he be so relaxed?

Lars moved away, and knowing it was safe to
peek out I inched forward. They met in the middle of the room,
ripping into each other like wolves. Lars moved like a boxer, a
rush of fists and intensity. The demon used his weight more than
anything, hugging into Lars, leaning on him until they both tipped
over. Rolling to the floor, their fight continued, a mess of
grappling limbs.

It was going to go on,
Raulriechmydl never ceasing in his efforts to recover the diary,
and destroying Bill’s body in the process. I had to do something.
Crawling around, I poked my head out from under the table. I
searched for something, anything, and found what I was looking
for.

There was a support beam
in the corner, and conveniently attached to the backside, hidden
from view, was a fire extinguisher. I scrabbled out from under the
table and grabbed it, struggling to pull it from its cradle. It was
heavier than I imagined, and the bright red pain so loud it drew
the eye.

Lars didn’t look though, his back to me as
he struggled to subdue the demon. I rushed up behind him, using
both hands to lift the metal tube high. As if sensing me he turned
at the last minute, giving me a perfect target as his cheek lifted,
raised upright. Clunk. He toppled forward, his massive frame
evening out over Bill’s body as his muscles eased up.

I gave him another slug,
just to make sure he was down for the count. The demon blinked up
at me, creepy and unmoving. I shoved Lars body off him, searching
his jacket until I pulled the book loose. Bill’s fat fingers closed
over it, greedy and tight.

“Come on,” I said, pulling him upright. I
moved quickly, deftly dragging him out of the banquet hall and
toward the back door exit. I half expected someone to stop us, one
of Lars’ men. But nothing happened, we simply got into my car and
left.

Raulriechmydl tore up the
book, page by page as I drove for the hospital. He enjoyed the
task, appreciating each rip. The pieces were dispersed out the
window, which means we littered. Since a large portion of the trip
consisted of bridges, it was easy to imagine the paper floating
down, down, into the water.

Littering had never felt so good.

The relief was substantial, and I knew it
could not possibly be all mine. I didn’t know anything about demon
politics, but I was guessing that Raulriechmydl had just unhooked
himself from some serious trouble.

I just couldn’t believe we did it.

Some of the satisfaction
wore off as we neared our destination. The demon had no choice but
to give up his toy body, as he’d agreed to, according to our deal.
My worry stemmed from actually accomplishing the task. We’d been
gone for fifty minutes; I’d been watching the clock. What if the
officer woke up while we were gone? Or the nurse came by
early?

As it turned out, I
worried for nothing. One nurse did stop me, saying it was too late
for visitors. I pretended to be lost, looking for the ER where I’d
taken my boyfriend, emphasis on the stabbed boyfriend. She gave me
directions which I ignored, hurrying through the halls, the demon
trailing a good distance behind me. I was the lookout, and it
worked. We reached Bill’s room with no one the wiser.

The demon climbed into
bed, constantly twitching and shifting to enjoy the rub of sheets
and blanket. I handcuffed him to the railing before tucking the
keys back into the cop’s front pocket.

“Alright,” I said, watching him from across
the room. “It’s done, now get out.”

He didn’t argue, our deal
holding him bound. The creature oozed upward, seeping from Bill’s
skin. It hovered over him, the shadow now a shape. The demon’s
curving blob of blackness had been replaced by the rough likeness
of a man. It swept to the floor, hovering upright on two wispy
legs. It was an indistinct image of Bill, that same paunchy gut,
hanging distended and round. I couldn’t help but further notice the
anatomy down south. I cringed and turned away.

The creature chuckled, a
scratchy laugh. “Our deal is done, and I have enjoyed this time
together.”