"Giulia--she-she's missing. I think my papa took her." Bella's words hung in the air, and an impermeable silence engulfed us. They carried a pressure with them, suffocating us, trapping us in a box. It was as if my mind was switched off by an incomprehensible force, and only the shell of its former self remained. I couldn't understand her words. The lines repeated itself over and over again in my head, yet I couldn't make sense of it.
Bella's confession was like the opening of the Pandora box. The wall of composure she had crumpled with her words and a sob broke out from her mouth. The estranged sound snapped me out of my reverie, and I went back to patting her back. My finger caught in the flimsy material of her cloth, and I realized that she was still in her nightclothes. Brandon noticed it too, because the next moment he came back with our blanket, handing it to me. Without a word, I took it, wrapping it snugly around her. Warmth seemed to calm her down as her sobs turned shallow and her breathing evened.
Again, as if Brandon and I were tuned together, he passed me a bottle of water before my lips formed the words. As she drank the water, I dreaded the moment I would have to ask her to explain what happened. Without knowing the details, there was nothing I could do to help her.
The instant she was calm, her body stiffened, and I dropped my arm from around her shoulder. Brandon was leaning against the side table, and our eyes met. I got his message and gathered my courage to talk to Bella. I asked, "Can you speak now?"
It was a simple question, she just had to answer in yes or no. But it was a reminder of her current weakness, and I knew she had too much pride to admit either. I changed the topic before it got uncomfortable for her.
"Bella, where's Giulia?" That felt the right way to start the conversation, and with utmost patience, I waited for her to answer it.
"It happened last night." She covered her face with her hands, and the blanket slipped down from her shoulders at the movement. I secured it once more, and she acknowledged the help. "She went to the clinic room for her scheduled check-up."
"And...?"
"I told her I'll make her dinner, and to take her time coming back." Bella shimmied out of the blanket and took out her phone. With a few clicks, she opened the call log. "I was in the kitchen, and I didn't hear the phone ring."
My eyebrows went up when I saw the missed calls from Giulia. One after the another. "Did you call her back?"
Bella nodded.
"Did she pick up the phone?" I asked, already expecting a no.
Bella nodded once again. Brandon- who had been silent this whole time- straightened up and addressed her. "What did she say?"
"Meeting with friends." Bella shrugged.
"What friends?" he asked, pacing in front of us.
"That's the problem. I don't know what friends," her voice was small, and it looked like she regretted not prying further. "I wasn't thinking and hung up soon after."
"Then she didn't come back?" I asked.
"She didn't, and her phone is switched off too."
There were three consecutive knocks on the door, and the three of us jumped at the unexpected noise. Bella cowered and grabbed Brandon's hand when he moved towards the door.
"What?" he whispered, understanding the urgency and the way her eyes frantically moved from the door and back. The look sent a shot of fear in the pit of my stomach, and I at once feared whatever was behind the closed doors.
"Do you remember how I said my dad took her?" she whispered, dropping her hand when she confirmed that Brandon is not running to open the door anymore.
I nodded. "Of course." There was another knock, followed by the ringing of the doorbell. Bella stood up, unable to take it anymore.
"Why would he take her? I don't get it. He couldn't have found out...?" I trailed off, standing up as well. The situation was a mess in my head, and the constant knocking was increasing the pressure and the franticness.
"Who is it outside?" Brandon asked, as an ominous aura settled over us.
Bella stared at the front door. As if looking at it hard enough will enable her to look through. With a sigh she explained, "I went out to search for Giulia an hour ago. Just outside the clinic, I saw one of my papa's men. That could only mean one thing, right?
"He is still in Singapore and somehow found out about us. And then kidnapped Giulia."
It was bewildering to say the least, to hear Bella talking about terms like kidnapping so easily. But it wasn't time for me to ponder, as the knock on the door turned insistent, forcing us to take action. I frowned when I thought I heard a faint female voice.
"Bella are you sure it's them?" I asked, sure I had heard someone speak. It couldn't be...
"Bella," Brandon interrupted before she could speak, "Did he see you? Your father's men?"
She shook her head. "I took the elevator and ran here as fast as I could." She trembled; probably the reminder of what could have happened if she hadn't.
"Then how do you know they're the one's outside?"
She shrugged. "Just an intuition?"
"That won't do. Brandon let's check." I took his hand. "Bella go to the bathroom and hide."
"But why is she hiding? They won't even touch her." Brandon nudged me, speaking in a low voice, so only I could hear.
"Right," I said after consideration, "but better safe than sorry."
In three steps, we were at the door. It was silent from the other end, and inside, I wished that whoever it had been was gone. Brandon took the lead and looked through the peephole. I waited for the verdict in tense silence, but he snorted when he pulled back. He slapped a hand on his forehead, his expression flitting between amusement and annoyance.
"Who is it?" I mouthed, confused by his demeanor. Instead of telling me, he did a show of his hands, asking me to see for myself.
Giving him a side look, I did as he asked and looked through the fish eye lens. The image of the short physique of Sarah standing behind the door greeted me. She was biting her nails, and looking left and right every two seconds. I saw her hesitate, deciding between going back and waiting.
Before she could do either, I pulled back and opened the door.
A relieved Sarah engulfed me in a hug. I could smell the trace of alcohol on her, along with the sickeningly sweet smell of vanilla scented perfume. As a thought struck me, I pulled back from her at once. My hands still on her shoulder, I asked, "Don't tell me that Leonard is missing as well?"
"Leo?" Her brows furrowed at the mention of her boyfriend and partner, and then pointed to the room two doors down. "He's passed out in our room. I thought something happened to you."
I sighed when I heard that. So, it wasn't a mass abduction of partners or anything. But then it also meant that it had specifically to do with Bella and Giulia.
"Wait a minute. As well? Who's missing? Brandon?" Sarah, though intoxicated, had not missed my words. And her domineering stature rendered me speechless. Brandon had gone inside during this time, leaving me alone. There was no one around to help, and thinking more the better, I pulled her in.
"You can't call your father, can you?" We entered to see Brandon and Bella engaged in a whispered conversation.
Bella shook her head. "This is still a hypothesis."
"Police?" Brandon suggested. Sarah gasped, but no one paid heed.
"I don't want to attract attention."
That was a dead end then, I thought, immediately getting the crux of their conversation.
"Maybe we can search the hotel? Those men wouldn't know us. I can call Francis to help us too. Sarah's already here." I suggested, energized by this idea. I took a step towards the phone, but Bella caught my hand.
For a moment, I thought she would say no to this idea too. Then she said, "I knew I could trust you. Thank you."
I felt my face grow hot as I blushed. But before I could go ahead with it, Sarah intervened.
"Whoa. What's happening?" She stared between the two of us. The consistent light tapping of her foot indicated she was curious, yet was trying to hold it in.
There was no way around it. "Giulia's missing, Sarah," I said bluntly.
"What?" Her voice carried more shock than we had expected. "But she was with us a few hours ago!"
It was our turn to be shocked. Her words made the insides of my stomach do flip flops. The three of us were on our feet in a blink, crowding over her. Bella looked like she could breathe again. On the other hand, I was worried that she would get her hopes up, and then be devastated even more.
"This is not the time to joke, Sarah. Were you really with her?"
Sarah pouted. "I may have had a drink or two, Ty. But I know this is not the time to crack a joke."
She took her phone out from the back pocket of her jeans. Checking the time, she said, "Shouldn't she be here though? She left with Kate long time ago."
At the mention of Kate, my face twisted into a scorn.
"Why were you all with Kate?" Brandon took the initiative and asked. The growing animosity between us wasn't exactly a secret. Therefore this out of blue night out with such an odd combination was nothing but suspicious.
"It's nothing like that. You know how Kate got eliminated today," Sarah said. I didn't know that. I had only bothered to hear that Francis was safe. No need to tell her that. "Giulia said she will buy her a complementary drink. Everyone tagged along."
"Where did you go?"
"There's a bar across the road."
Brandon nodded at me. I opened the wardrobe, and pulled out jeans, and a cardigan. I pulled my hair into a bun, using the hair band on my wrist to tie it securely. Brandon was busy tying his shoelaces, making do with his cotton trousers and not changing. I ran to the bathroom with my clothes, changing into them.
When I came out, Sarah was shaking her head. She yawned, so I supposed that she would pass out soon from the exertion. Brandon gave Bella instructions and told her to keep her phone with her.
Then both of us approached the door.
"Stop guys! Why can't you hear me?" Sarah whined, and we frowned, confused by her random outburst.
"Didn't hear what, Sarah?" I asked.
"What I was saying for the past five minutes!" she mumbled, the words half eaten, and half in baby talk.
"You weren't saying anything." I emphasized, taking her hand and directing her to the bed. With a push, she plopped down.
"I wasn't?" She tilted her head. The effects of alcohol must be clogging her mind because she blinked vigorously and shook her head. "Oh."
"But what were you trying to say?"
There was a pause before she continued, "The rest of us left the bar half an hour ago. Giulia is not there."
I turned to Brandon, mouthing him, "What to do?"
He shrugged, nodding towards Sarah.
"Are you sure?"
Sarah nodded. "I definitely saw her leave, and she didn't come back."
I bit my lip. The hair on my face were suddenly irritating, and I blew them away from my face. With the information before, Brandon and I had something to do. A purpose. But if Sarah was right, then the first place to look was already a dead end.
"Can't we check the CCTV?" Bella's voice intervened my thoughts.
"CCTV?" Brandon walked back into the center of the room. "The bar's...?"
Bella shook her head. "The hotel's camera footage. We'll know if they came back or not." She nodded as if this was the action plan she should have taken from the starting.
"And whether to look outside or inside," I added, nodding my head as well. Bella threw the blanket away, stalking over to my closet.
"Better hope its inside." Brandon finished, both our heads turning as Bella took out the first thing that caught her hands, out of the closet. Not giving them a second glance.
"Turn." Her order had a binding effect, and we turned on our heels in an instant.
Twenty seconds maximum. That's all Bella took to stuff herself in one of my oversized t-shirt and shorts. Her long legs were the objects of envy, and she made my mere cotton fabrics turn into something out of a runaway. The nightclothes she had previously worn thrown aside, and with a flip of hair, she was ready. "Let's go."
It was laughable that the three of us thought watching the CCTV footage would be easy. For the record, it wasn't. Not if you were staying in a reputable five star hotel with enough security guards to make you dizzy.
"This is not working." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. Bella and Brandon, on the other hand, were unfazed by the constant climbing up and down of the stairs and between the floors. We were avoiding the elevator, so no one could spot Bella. But in my head, all the efforts seemed futile.
My legs groaned in pain, and I glared at the two of them. It was understandable for Brandon; he was a swimmer with stamina. But I don't know where Bella's energy came from. She didn't have muscles and had a frail body upon it incapable of that much stamina. Was it desperation that motivated her?
In my case, sheer desperation for a place to sit had me grasping at straws, and I begged both of them to stop. Between breaths, I said, "We can't search the whole freaking hotel."
"There's no option," Brandon said, looping his arm under my armpit and dragging me away from my half-crouched position against the wall. "They won't let us see the CCTV footage, and Bella can't risk attention."
"Wait, wait." I pulled my hand out of his grab. I thought hard, there had to be a way out of this.
Both of them stopped, giving me space and time. Bella was sweating, a very unfamiliar sight, and I think she was a bit relieved about the rest.
"Brandon, if you were in place of the receptionist, would you let three foreign kids watch the CCTV footage?" He made a face, about to dissuade my attempt at the interrogation, but Bella cut in.
"I won't," she breathed.
"See? You won't. But if we were to tell a 'sob story'." I quoted the words with my hand. "Directly to the security person, maybe he would let us see it."
Bella and Brandon looked at each other. I watched the exchange between them. With a sigh, I slumped my shoulders.
The idea hadn't been that bad in my head...
I flinched when a pair of hands ruffled my hair. "What...?" I trailed off as Bella and Brandon pulled their hands back, a smile on their faces.
"It's true, I guess."
"What is?" I retorted back at Brandon.
"Choose a lazy person to do the difficult job, and she'll find an easy way to do it."
Both of them laughed, and I stood there with my mouth open. I couldn't even decide if that was a compliment or an insult. Fuming, I stomped away from them, giving them a good shove with my shoulder on the way. It didn't exactly work out because I was a midget compared to the two of them.
Clutching my right shoulder, because Brandon's abs were no joke, I listened to their laughing episode. "I am not lazy, okay?!" I shouted back.
"Oh, really?" Brandon mocked.
"Yes. Th-this is just my energy saving mode!" I huffed, crossing my arms and twisting in the other direction.
My answer must have been very funny because the two of them went an octave higher with their laughter. Not bothering with them anymore, I opened the fire exit and took the stairs downstairs. A minute later, I heard the sounds of footsteps behind me which assured me that they were following me.
The reception area was littered with a handful of people; understandable considering it was still in the wee hours of the morning. I walked to the counter, the receptionist waiting for me as if I was her good old customer. This time I had purposely gone to a different one than before, mostly to avoid suspicion and embarrassment.
I still don't know where half my courage came from.
She was a good-looking lady, a native Singaporean, with kind and easygoing eyes. The perfect look required for her job. "How may I help you?"
"Can I have a map of the hotel? I want to look around," I said. It was funny how evident my American accent sounded whenever I spoke to someone non-American.
"Sure, ma'am." She bent down to take a leaflet out and handed me one.
"Isn't there an extensive one?" I asked, browsing over the brief description of this pamphlet. She frowned, not expecting that, though her smile remained pasted on her face. "I am an archeology major, and we were doing a project on Asian architecture. This hotel looks really well made. Do you know the architect? Or maybe--"
"Here." She gave me a thick copy of folded paper, and I took it with a smile.
"Thank you," I said, not bothering to look back as I made my way out of the reception area.
Too much information always made the next person uncomfortable. More so if they had no knowledge about the topic. Worked every single time, I thought.
Bella and Brandon watched me from afar, and I wiggled the piece of paper in front of them as I neared them. He clapped my back in proud manner, and took the map from me, opening it immediately.
It wasn't hard to locate the security rooms, and feeling much like children up for mischief, we made our way to one of the room. Apparently, there were three, and being the wiser, we took the smallest one. After losing the round of verbal argument, and at Bella's pitiful look, the conclusion was that I would be the one to convince the guard to let us see the footage.
Sitting in a secluded corner, we stared at the signboard looming over our head.
Security room.
The words written in clean, bold letters, contrasted on a white background. A peek inside through the small glass gap on the door informed me that there were two guards inside.
Before I could grab the handle and open the door, someone pulled it open from inside. The three of us side stepped just in time to avoid collision. A stout man walked out, yawning. Excuses and words were on the tip of my tongue, ready to speak if he questioned us, but he went away without a curious glance at us. I shrugged, grabbing the door before it closed, and slipped inside.
The other security guard was leaning back on his armchair, his feet up on the desk. I cleared my throat, but there was no response. Walking silently to the table, I knocked on the wooden surface, clearing my throat again.
"Excuse me?" I croaked out.
My voice had the desired outcome, and he jumped up from his chair as if he had heard a ghost. His cap fell, and he scrambled to pick it up and wear it again.
"Yes?" He looked back and forth between me, and Bella and Brandon behind me.
I could see his nervousness from the way his Adam's apple moved when he gulped. He was in the defense mode. I could guess that by the way he was holding his stick in front of him.
"Hello. I am Tyler." I extended my hand. He didn't shake it. Mustering up my inner actor, I put on a fake sob.
"Miss?" he asked, concerned. "You're not allowed in here." He took a step forward to show me the way out, but I held my place.
"Actually, I dropped my pet's photo." I sniffed.
"Huh?"
"My pet's photo." I emphasized. "I miss him so much. My poor Einstein. He's all alone back home and I miss him so much. And it was the only photo I had!" I sobbed harder, it was more noise than actual sobs and Bella put her hands around my shoulder.
I covered my face with my hands, hunching my shoulders and shaking violently. Through the small gap between my fingers, I saw the flustered security guard scratching his head. Brandon took this opportunity and tried to make a bargain with him.
"My friend's been crying all night. Can you help us find out where she dropped that photo?"
He hesitated, and I sobbed harder.
Even Bella pitched in. "Please help us or she'll cry herself sick."
"Uh..."
"We just need to watch the CCTV footage. Please?" Brandon pleaded.
"Just the footage? Okay... I'll help you." He agreed in the end.
"Thank you," I said, wiping my face, and the nonexistent tears. "I think I dropped it around the main gate around two or three a.m. today."
I took a seat next to him. He logged in into his account and then searched through the files. Bella held my right hand, concentrating on the video. He zoomed in on the main gate, fast-forwarding through the hour-long gap.
"Just a sec!" I said, noticing two slim figures entering the hotel. He paused, further zooming in.
On my right, Bella took a deep breath and squeezed my hand.
"You're not here, Miss," the guard deduced.
"Haha, you're right. I must have got the timing wrong. Maybe it was my room...?" I trailed off. While I told him my room number, and he opened the video file, Brandon and Bella were on their feet.
Between two and three a.m. today, Giulia and Kate had entered the hotel together. That much was evident from the video clip. The small information was like a lifeline to us. If both of them were back where were they hiding? Or did they leave?
My feet tingled to search for her, and I could see the same flurry in Bella. But we couldn't run out without being suspicious.
"Here it is," the security guard played the footage of the camera on our floor. It gave a fisheye view to the whole hallway. But it didn't hold my interest as my mind still reeled the whole episode in my mind.
One thing was sure. Kate had nothing to do with this, and it had most probably everything to do with Alard.
"Pause!" Brandon shouted, and I jumped up startled. So did the security guard, who glared at him. "Can you rewind? I think I saw the photo."
"Really?" I drawled out, confused at what Brandon was doing. There wasn't any pet, or the photo. The time on the screen showed that it was the footage of the day before yesterday when we had dinner with Alard. What could be there at that time?
He grudgingly hit rewind, and the video slowly moved backward. He hit pause, and my eyes went wide at the image on the computer screen.
Kate. Freaking Kate, coming out of our room!
And here I thought she had nothing to do with this.
*****
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