Page 95 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
Every surface of the bathroom is covered with a range of different size photos. Most are of a heavily pregnant female with strawberry blonde hair. In multiple images, she has her eyes gouged out and trails of blood streaming down her legs. Moving deeper into the room, I spot a handful of photos of a blond gentleman who appears to be in his early twenties.
Adjusting my eyes to the flicking fluorescent light, air traps in my throat. The gentleman in the photo is Isaac’s brother, Nick. Although I’ve never met him, I can recognize him from the numerous photos Isaac has of him on his living room mantel.
Megan isn’t after Isaac. She wants Nick?
Yanking my phone out of my pocket, I collect digital evidence in case these documents get destroyed before the investigation team arrives. Some photos have ‘I hate her’ and ‘She must die’ scribbled over the female’s face and torso.
Once I’ve taken numerous pictures of the incriminating evidence, I walk back into the main room. My heart stops beating, closely followed by my steps. Megan is walking into the main entryway, her gaze focused on a magazine in her hand. Her grin makes the contents of my stomach lurch into my throat. I pace backward, praying she can’t hear my ragged breaths.
My nostrils flare as my lungs struggle to fill with air. The burn of their fight warms my chest. Darting my eyes around the room, I realize the only safe place to hide is behind the shower curtain. As noiseless as possible, I move into the bathtub and plaster my back on the sparkling white tiles.
Closing my eyes, I try to calm my nervous breaths. The hiss of my panicked pants echo around the outdated, but spotlessly clean bathroom. Not long later, Megan walks into the room. The smell of bleach intensifies, plunging the room into a muggy, uncomfortable heat.
“I’m waiting for you, my love. We’ll be together soon. You just have to be patient. Wait for me.”
I adjust my position so I can get a better view of Megan. She has a torn-out magazine page in one hand and a roll of duct tape in another. She rips off a large section of duct tape and sticks a paparazzi photo of Nick and his bandmates onto the wall solely dedicated to pictures of Nick and cardboard hearts.
Megan’s fidgety movements halt as her manic eyes dart around the bathroom. I plaster my back on the tiles and keep my body void of any movements. I don’t even breathe as I’m afraid she may hear my inhalations of air.
After several terrifying seconds, Megan darts out of the bathroom as quickly as she arrived. I wheeze in a shaky breath, and my burning lungs relish the fresh air even being riddled with toxic bleach.
Another twenty minutes pass before Megan leaves again. I rush out of the hotel room as fast as my quivering legs can take me. My eyes widen when I cross paths with Megan in the corridor of the hotel. She’s carrying a full ice bucket in her hand. A sigh spills from my lips when I realize how close I came to having my escape foiled. Dangling on the front of the ice machine located next to Megan’s room is an out-of-order sign with the instruction to use the ice machine one floor above. If that ice machine were working, Megan would have busted me exiting her room.
By the time I park Brandon’s car outside of my office, my erratic heart is still pounding out of control. Although I’m relieved Megan isn’t targeting Isaac, I’m beyond panicked at what Isaac’s reaction will be when he finds out Megan is threatening his brother. The whole drive back to the office, my mind replayed Isaac’s statement from months ago.“What about for someone you love? You wouldn’t get your hands a little dirty for someone you love?”
Isaac undoubtedly loves his brother, and deep down in my heart, I know he’d do anything in his power to protect him. Anything at all.
Brandon’s eyes lift to mine the instant I walk back into the office. He gulps before he rushes toward me.
“I should have never let you go alone.” He pulls me into his arms and squeezes me tight.
It’s lucky I went alone as there was no way Brandon and I would have both fit in that shower!
“Did anyone notice I was gone?”
My eyes dash around the office. Surprisingly, the usually bustling space is relatively quiet for the late hour.
“No, they’ve been too busy with the local cops versus FBI turf saga that happens in every town we go to.” Brandon’s voice gains a hint of arrogance. “A local detective arrived on the scene not long after you left. Alex is worried he’s going to quote ‘piss all over his investigation’ unquote.”
My heart swells, pleased Isaac sought legal help to deal with Megan.
Over the next three hours, Brandon helps me compile the longest and most tedious report I’ve ever filed. We both want to ensure we have dotted every ‘i’ and crossed every ‘t,’ so the report doesn’t have any chance of being dismissed. Once the report is perfect, we head to Alex’s office to share our findings.
“Are you ready?”
After a quick breath to calm my nerves, I briskly nod.
Alex’s head lifts from some reports when he hears Brandon’s curt taps on the glass door. Brandon gestures for me to go first when Alex permits us to enter his office. Once we gain Alex’s full attention, Brandon hands him the extensively-noted documents along with several printouts of the photos I took in Megan’s bathroom. The more Alex’s eyes wander over the report, the closer his eyebrows become.
“How did you get these photos and information?” Alex’s tone is surprised.
“I followed Megan to a Motel Six on the outskirts of town.”
I wait to be reprimanded for going out in the field unassigned. Astonishingly, no negative remarks leave Alex’s mouth.
“I’m very impressed with the caliber of this report.” Alex’s shocked eyes dart between Brandon and me. “First thing in the morning, I’ll have two special agents assigned to Megan.”
“Really?” I interrupt in surprise.
