Chapter 22 Chapter 21

When Kelly returned to her hotel room, she was still haunted by what had just happened.The experience of being one step away from death is terrifying.The last thing I need right now is for some blonde to fall out of nowhere and have me slaughtered. Kelly collapsed on the couch, trying to regain his composure, and closed his eyes.She tried to meditate, to focus her thoughts on the silent mantra, but it didn't work.She was too terrified.There is an empty, lonely feeling deep inside.Mark, I miss you.People say that with time, my mood will improve.No, my dear.It gets worse every day. There was the sound of food carts rolling in the hallway, and Kelly realized he hadn't eaten all day.She's not hungry, but she knows she has to keep her strength up.

She called room service: "I'd like a shrimp salad and a pot of hot tea, please." "Thank you. It will be in twenty-five to thirty minutes, Mrs. Harris." "Okay." Kelly hung up the phone. As she sat, replaying her meeting with Tanner Kingsley in her head, she felt as if she had been thrown into a chilling nightmare.What is going on? Why did Mark never mention Olga?Is it a business partner?Extramarital affair?Mark, honey, I want you to know that even if you do have an affair, I will forgive you because I love you.I will Always Love You.You taught me how to love.I used to be as cold as ice, but you warmed me up.You have restored my self-esteem and made me feel like a woman.

She thought of Diana.That nosy guy almost killed me.Stay away from her.It's not hard to do.Tomorrow I will go back to Paris and stay with Angel. Her contemplation was interrupted by a knock on the door: "Housekeeping." "Come in." Kelly was about to walk towards the door when he stopped suddenly, puzzled.She had called for food delivery only a few minutes ago.too fast. "Wait a minute," she said aloud. "Yes, ma'am." Kelly picked up the receiver and dialed the room service number. "The food I ordered hasn't arrived yet." "We're doing it, Mrs. Harris. Be there in fifteen or twenty minutes."

Kelly hung up, her heart pounding.She dialed the switchboard number. "There was—someone tried to get into my room." "I'll send a security up, Mrs. Harris." Two minutes later, she heard another knock on the door.Kelly walked nervously behind the door. "Which one?" "security guard." Kelly looked at his watch.too fast. "I'll be right there." She hurried to the phone and called the operator again: "I called security. He—" "He's going upstairs, Mrs. Harris. He'll be there in a minute or two." "What's his name?" Her voice was choked with fear.

"Thomas." Kelly heard low, low muttering in the corridor.She pressed her ear to the door until the sound died away.She stood, filled with inexplicable terror. A minute later, someone knocked on the door. "Who?" "security guard." "Bill?" Kelly asked.She held her breath. "No, Mrs. Harris. It's Thomas." Kelly immediately opened the door and let him in. He looked at her for a while, "What happened?" "There is—someone wants to come in." "Did you see them?" "No. I—I heard them. Can you escort me out to a taxi?"

"Of course, Mrs. Harris." Kelly forced himself to calm down.Too many things happened too fast. Thomas clung to Kelly's side as he stepped into the elevator. When they arrived in the lobby, Kelly looked around but saw nothing suspicious. Kelly and the security went outside, and when they reached the taxi stand, Kelly said, "Thank you. I'm so grateful." "I will make sure everything is in order when you return. The person who tried to enter your room is no longer there." Kelly stepped into a taxi.Glancing out the rear window, he saw two people jump into a parked limousine.

"Where?" the driver asked Kelly. The car pulled up behind the taxi.At the intersection ahead, a policeman is directing traffic. "Straight ahead," Kelly told him. "OK." As they approached the green light, Kelly said hastily, "I want you to slow down, wait until the light turns yellow, and make a quick left." The driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "what?" "Don't drive when the light is green, wait until the light is yellow." She saw the expression on the driver's face. Kelly forced a smile. "I'm making a bet."

"Oh." Crazy passenger, damn it. As the traffic light changed from green to yellow, Kelly said, "Go!" The driver made a sharp left turn when the light turned red.Traffic behind them was stopped by police.The people in the car looked at each other, extremely frustrated. As the cab drove a block, Kelly said, "I forgot something. Gotta get off here." The driver drove to the side of the road, Kelly got out of the car, and handed him some money: "Here." He watched Kelly scurry into a medical building.I wish she could go inside for psychological counseling.

At the corner, the limo turns left as soon as the traffic light turns green.The taxi was two blocks away, and they galloped after it. Five minutes later, Kelly waved to another taxi. At Diana Stevens' apartment, Inspector Greenberg said, "Mrs. Stevens, did you see the man who shot you?" Diana shook her head: "No, it happened so quickly..." "Whoever it is, this is a serious incident. Ballistic experts have dug bullets out of the wall. Forty-five caliber, which can penetrate body armor. You are lucky." He hesitated. "We think that whoever the shooter was Everyone was sent by Tony Altieri."

Diana swallowed.I can rest easy for a while now.Maybe settle a few old accounts. "We're investigating." Diana nodded. Greenberg studied her for a moment. "About that missing briefcase, do you know what's in it?" "I'm not sure. Richard usually takes it to the lab with him in the morning and takes it home at night. I saw some papers once, and they were very technical." Greenberg picked up the wedding ring on the table: "You said your husband never took off the wedding ring?" "Yes, it is." "In the days leading up to your husband's death, was there anything unusual about him, as if he was under some kind of stress, or had something on his mind? Do you remember anything he said or did the night you last saw him? "

It was early morning.They were all lying on the bed, naked. Richard stroked her thigh tenderly. "I'm going to be working late tonight and I won't be home, but give me an hour or two, baby." She touched the place where he liked to be touched, "Little talker." "Mrs. Stevens—" Diana is pushed back to reality: "No. Nothing is different from usual." "I'll take steps to protect you," Greenberg said, "and if—" The doorbell rang. "Are you waiting for someone?" "No." Greenberg nodded: "I'll drive." He went to the door and opened it.Kelly Harris strutted in and brushed past him. Kelly strode straight up to Diana: "We have to talk." Diana looked at her in surprise: "I thought you were leaving for Paris." "I took a roundabout route." Greenberg walked among them. "This is Inspector Earl Greenberg. Kelly Harris." Kelly turned to Greenberg. "Someone tried to break into my hotel room just now, Inspector." "Have you reported the incident to the hotel security?" "Reported. People ran away. The security guard escorted me out." "Do you know who they are?" "have no idea." "When you say someone is trying to break in, you mean they're trying to force the door open?" "No, they—they're just standing outside in the hallway. They're pretending to be housekeeping." "Did you ask them to deliver food?" "called." Diane said: "That's probably your imagination, because of what happened this morning, and—" Kelly snapped at her, "Listen, I'm telling you, I don't want anything to do with this or you. I'm packing up this afternoon and flying back to Paris. You tell your Mafia brothers to stay away from me." point." They watched Kelly turn and leave. "What's going on here?" Greenberg asked. "Her husband was—murdered. He works for the same company that Richard works for, Kingsley International." As soon as Kelly returned to the hotel lobby, he walked to the front desk. "I check out," she said. "Can you book me a seat on the next flight to Paris?" "Of course, Mrs. Harris. Which airline?" "Just get me out of here." Kelly walked across the lobby, into an elevator, and pressed the button for the fourth floor. As the elevator doors began to close, two men pushed the doors open and stepped into the elevator. Kelly took a careful look at the two of them, then quickly withdrew and returned to the lobby.She waited until the elevator doors closed before heading for the stairs and walking upstairs.Never take any chances, Kelly thought. When she reached the stairs on the fourth floor, a burly man blocked her way. "Excuse me," Kelly said.Ready to walk past him. "Shh!" He pointed a suppressed gun at her. Kelly's face paled: "What are you doing—?" "Shut up. I promise you'll get exactly the right number of holes, ma'am. Unless you want one more, don't make a sound. I mean—don't make a sound. You and I go downstairs." The man was smiling, but Kelly took a closer look at him before realizing that a scar on his upper lip had pulled his mouth up into a fixed smile.He had cold eyes she had never seen before. "Let's go." No!I'm not going to die because of that bitch: "Wait a minute. You got it wrong—" She felt the gun plunge into her ribs and wanted to scream. "Didn't I tell you to shut up! Let's go down." One of his hands was gripping Kelly's arm like a pincer, and the gun was hidden behind her back in the other. Kelly struggled to suppress his nervousness. "Please," she said softly, "I'm not the—" He poked her in the back with the muzzle of the gun, and the pain caused was severe.He squeezed her arm so hard that she could feel the blood being squeezed dry. They started going downstairs.Arrived at the lobby.It was packed with people, and when Kelly hesitated to call for help, the man said, "Don't even think about it." They arrived outside the hotel door.A sport utility vehicle was waiting by the sidewalk.Ahead of the two cars, a police officer was issuing a parking ticket. Kelly's captors led her to the back door of the utility vehicle. "Okay," Kelly said angrily, raising his voice, "I'll get in the car, but I have something to tell you. What you want me to do for you will cost you a hundred bucks more. I can't think of anything like that. nausea." The policeman turned to watch. The burly man glared at Kelly. "What the hell are you—?" "If you don't want to pay, then pull it down, you bastard." Kelly walked quickly towards the police.The strong man stared at her back.His mouth was grinning, but his eyes were venomous. Kelly pointed at him. "That pervert harassed me." She glanced over her shoulder and saw the policeman approaching the mob.Kelly stepped into a taxi. The big guy was about to get into the sport utility vehicle when the cop said, "Wait a minute, sir. It's illegal to buy a prostitute in this state." "I don't--" "Show me an ID. What's your name?" "Harry Flint." Flint watched Kelly's taxi speed away.What a bitch!I will kill her.slowly.