Chapter 9

No Way To Say I Love You

C onfident Tammy had my back and, with Winter assuming the role of leech, I enjoyed the remaining haunted locations—although the story of unspeakable horrors committed at the LaLaurie Mansion was so disturbing I worried I'd have nightmares about it for the next decade or more. At least it had taken my mind off my minor worries.

Back at the voodoo shop, the other tourists peeled off for their next activity, and we said goodnight to the sapphic book fan club of three. Tammy had also apologized to Teresa and invited her to come back to the Windsor Court tomorrow. She said she'd think about it. Demi and Nan said they wouldn't miss it and planned to attend every class geared toward readers. The dirty blonde with no name merely shrugged.

"That was awesome!" Elaine exclaimed. Her aspect was half amazed and half exhausted. My legs were tired, and I was in good shape. I could only imagine how she felt given the physical challenges she had to contend with. At that moment, I admired her more than ever. She endured much more in the name of research than I ever had. Still, a glow of satisfaction lit her moist, flushed face.

She doesn't need to walk to the hotel with the pain she must be in.

"I found it fascinating if not more than a little upsetting," Beth added. "I don't understand the human species. No matter how much we evolve, we still have such a long way to go."

"My imagination was peaked by the story of the coffin girls," Tammy commented. "And I'm feeling a little inspired by Jean Lafitte's tale. Maybe a historical fiction action-adventure featuring a woman pirate. I know the captive falling for the pirate who kidnapped her is a little cliché, but I could conceive of a more original plotline."

"Does everyone want to sit and have a drink before we walk back to the hotel?" Winter suggested.

"Please!" I answered.

We sauntered into the closest bar and plopped into metal chairs in need of being washed, or at least wiped down. Everyone continued to discuss the chilling accounts while I took a moment to observe my company of extraordinarily authentic women. None seemed the least bit concerned over their appearances or even what anyone else thought of them. I envied that. I had improved, though, and no longer got upset or distressed when a reader left a negative review. There's always going to be someone who doesn't like a book or an author's style. Why should I care what random people think? But my fellow authors at the conference? That was different. I wanted them to like me, to see me as worthy of belonging, to accept me into the fold. I suppose that's what Tammy, Beth, Elaine, and Winter had already done.

When our drinks arrived, I pulled out my phone and opened an app. As I typed, Tammy asked, "What are you doing?"

"Getting us an Uber WAV," I said. "There's no reason for us to walk all the way back to the hotel after all the other walking we've done. Here, I'm chatting with a WAV driver now."

"Aspen, you don't have to do that," Beth protested. "We'll pay half."

"No, it's alright. I have an Uber account and I didn't have to pay for the hotel, so …" I stopped talking. I hadn't mentioned presenters got a free ride and suddenly thought they might not think it was fair. "There, all booked," I announced. "He'll be here in thirty minutes. The app shows me the driver's location and counts down the minutes until he reaches the curb."

"That's handy," Winter commented. She was only two sips into her hurricane and already looked loopy. I knew I was safe from intoxication with my daiquiri and could keep a sharp eye out for threats.

Elaine laid a hand on my arm and peered sincerely at me. "Thank you, Aspen, for so many things." She brushed a kiss on my cheek before returning to the discussion of ghostly landmarks and tales of terror.

I said goodnight to sleepy, buzzed Winter, who was inebriated enough to hug me and whisper, "Aspens are trees, really pretty trees." Then I bid goodnight to glowing, inspired Elaine, who could hold her liquor but not hug me with her arms full of purchases. Tammy, Beth, and I exited the elevator onto our floor and waved as the doors closed.

"That was fun," Beth commented as we started down the hall. "I get why Tammy has invested so much time in helping you, Aspen. You're good people. I just hope …" Her voice trailed off as we neared my door. A box lay on the floor in front of it.

"I'll check it out," Tammy declared and trotted forward before I could respond.

"I didn't order anything." The gnarled knife of anxiety twisted in my gut. I had a bad feeling about this.

Tammy bent over and carefully picked up the box. It was long and narrow like what flowers come in. My dark mood lifted, and hope rang through me. Maybe they were from an admirer. R.B. or Selina perhaps? No, probably Demi. She was sweet, but I wasn't interested in her or Nan. Now, those fabulous, desirable women who get all the accolades were another matter, and they had invited me out tonight.

As Beth and I approached, Tammy ordered, "Wait." She sniffed the package, tested its weight, and shook it. Gingerly, she untied the ribbon and lifted the lid.

I didn't wait. I padded over and peeked inside. A terrifying chill splintered through my senses, and I shuddered in disbelief. Sucking in a gasp, I leaned one hand on the doorframe and reached for the box with the other.

"No," Tammy barked. "I'll do it."

The box was packed with black roses wrapped in black tissue paper. While I tried to steady myself and breathe, Tammy plucked out a card.

"It says, ‘Later,' and is signed SL69." Her features hardened with fury as she passed me the card.

I stared at it in disbelief. "It's just a sick prank," I said, straining every muscle so I didn't shake like a leaf in the wind.

"It's a threat," Tammy barked.

I felt it too, deep down in my marrow. It was grim and sinister and, for the first time since SapphicLover69 wrote her initial, twisted message, I was truly frightened—terrified even. I leaned heavier on the doorframe, my head spinning with all the gruesome tales of vampires and murder, and chasing Teresa, who turned out to be harmless. I thought about the lurking fan who hung around acting miffed and bored. What was that about? Trying to clear the clutter, I shook my head, which only made it pound worse. This couldn't be happening.

Beth rolled up beside me and took the box from Tammy. "We have to report this."

"I don't know," I said in a breathy tone, void of strength. I slid my keycard into the slot and went inside, leaving the door open for them to follow. Needing to sit down before my knees gave way, I lunged for the nearest chair.

"Of course, we have to report it!" Tammy bellowed. She shut the door, flicked on the light, and turned the lock. Her expression darkened as she surveyed the suite, stepping deeper inside. "I don't remember your room being this messy."

Focused on reaching a seat, I hadn't even noticed. Alarms blared in my head as I glanced around at the shambles, unable to respond because of the humongous lump blocking my throat. My leftover books lay strewn around haphazardly with their covers ripped and pages torn out. The expensive clothes I had carefully hung in the closet were in heaps, and I hated to think they had been ruined too. The cleaning staff had surely made the bed, yet the covers were yanked askew, and the pillows had been sliced open with stuffing spilling out of them. On the mirror, a word scrawled in red lipstick—SOON.

My whole body shook, and I feared I'd be sick. "How did she get into my room?" I wailed.

"I don't know," Tammy growled as she conducted a quick search. "But she's gone now."

"Why leave the roses outside if she'd already broken in?" Beth asked.

"Could be a dozen reasons," Tammy answered while she picked up my clothes, inspecting each item. "The shock value, or maybe they were left by a delivery man long after she'd broken in. Maybe she has money and hired a criminal to mess up the room so she could establish an alibi elsewhere. Beth, I'm going to report this to Catherine. We don't know if Aspen is the only author being targeted or if others could be in danger. You call the police. They can dust this place and the box for fingerprints. Maybe whoever broke in left skin cells or hairs behind."

Swirling in a fog, I felt like I was inside a thriller story straight from the imagination of James Patterson, Stephen King, or Selina Fowlerton. No. It couldn't be her. OK, so she could dream up and pull off something like this. If it was her, the cops would find no evidence because she had written enough realistic crime fiction to be an expert like Jessica Fletcher. Besides, Selina had no motive to attack me—except we were up for the same award. No, that's silly. She's an established star with dozens of awards. I'm barely a blip on her radar.

"Thank heavens!" Beth exhaled as she returned through the nook from the bathroom. "Your gorgeous, black formal wasn't touched." The news allowed me a smidgen of relief. It was my favorite.

"Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the blouse and slacks you wore this morning at the book fair," Tammy sighed. She plopped wearily into the chair beside mine. "Shredded like the pillows. Catherine will be down in a minute. She's planning to inform hotel security."

"And the police department is sending over a detective and a crime scene tech," Beth added. "They said with this being a high-profile conference, they didn't want to take chances. Apparently, there has been trouble with a certain anti-gay hate group recently. I told them we thought this was a personal attack, but they aren't convinced."

"Oh, it's personal, all right," I said, now that my voice was steady enough to speak.

The knock hammering relentlessly at the door didn't sound like one the polished, professional Catherine Beech would use. "Aspen, are you in there?" cried Winter's frantic voice.

"I'll get it," Tammy offered. Two long strides landed her at the entrance, and she admitted Winter, who looked as frightened as I felt.

"I was getting ice from the machine and overheard Ms. Beech talking to hotel security. She mentioned your room number, and…" Her eyes widened as she spotted the torn books and disheveled bedding. "Oh, my God, what happened?" She threw her hands to her face and rubbed her fingers through her brunette bob as her mouth gaped. The shock must have sobered her up because Winter snapped to high alert.

Worried she might faint, I pushed myself up and hurried over to comfort her, gently grasping her elbow for support. "Someone broke into my room," I said as calmly as possible.

"And you didn't call me?" She peered at me with grievous disappointment. Stepping back, she flicked her gaze to Tammy, Beth, and then to the floor. "I guess you didn't need my help."

Oh, please! "Winter, that's not it at all," I said. "Tammy and Beth were here, and you'd gone up to your floor, where you would be safe. I didn't even want to call Catherine at first, but they insisted. I haven't had time to think, and I don't want you mixed up in something that could hurt you. This woman is a psycho, and she's at the conference. She may have even seen us together. I can't have her going after anyone else." All that was true. I was fond of Winter; I also hadn't thought about telling her or anyone else. Trying to process what had happened consumed all my attention.

"Wait," she said, raising her gaze to meet mine. "You mean this wasn't a random break-in? You think it was—"

"We know it was," Tammy concluded, and Beth held up the box of black roses. "SapphicLover69 striking with a vengeance."

"Oh, my God!" Winter gripped my hands fiercely. "I'm not letting you out of my sight until I board my plane Monday morning. This woman is not going to hurt you, Aspen."

I was touched and a little amused by Winter's declaration, since I couldn't picture her warding off anyone who may try to attack me. She'd get hurt, and I didn't want that. The nymph was crushing on me hard, and it was so precious; she was precious. Warmth and devotion flowed through her touch on my skin, the determination of her grip, like a snapping turtle who refused to release a stick. For an instant, she distracted me from the headaches and now the danger that my stalker presented. It would be so easy to get lost in her big, compassionate eyes. Her glasses had almost made the slide to the end of her nose, yet she wouldn't let go of my hands.

I wiggled one free and pushed them up for her, extending my fingers to smooth a strand of hair from her face. Before I could utter a word of consent or protest, another rap sounded at the door. The moment broken, I retrieved my hands and stepped back. "That will be Ms. Beech and hotel security. The police will be here in a minute, and we could be at this all night. I need you to go upstairs and get some sleep."

When Winter opened her mouth to protest, I pressed a finger to her lips. A buzz of intimacy shot through me, teasing my finger as it rested precariously on the entrance to her mouth. I sensed her reaction—slight as it was—and felt her tantalizing breath brush my skin. I shouldn't be feeling any of this. Winter was too young for me and not my type. Still, nothing is more irresistible than a woman who's infatuated with you. Oh, if I wasn't in the middle of a crisis!

"One of us should be alert," I wisely proposed, "to watch out for danger tomorrow. Will you do this for me?" I honestly didn't want her anywhere near a crazy woman with a blade. She might try to defend me out of a noble sense of chivalry, and I couldn't allow her to get hurt because of it.

A myriad of expressions crossed her face before at last she swallowed and nodded.

"Aspen, this is terrible!" exclaimed the unflappable Catherine Beech as she gazed around the room. Two men in security guard uniforms stepped in behind her. I'd never imagined anything could faze her, but, when her expression iced and her stormy eyes flashed with fury, I knew having her conference defiled assuredly had.

Gritting her teeth, she seethed, "I want who did this caught and fed to the lions." I thought her glare would ignite the black roses into a burst of flames.

Tammy took Winter by the elbow. "Go try to get some sleep. I've got Aspen covered. She and I both really appreciate you looking out for her, but she's right. One of us needs a good night's sleep to be watchful tomorrow."

She nodded, we bade her goodnight, and Tammy closed the door behind her. I wondered if I'd have the chance to shut one eye before morning; then I wondered, if I did, would I be able to sleep at all with the weight of uncertainty burdening my mind?