Broken Glass (13 page)

“Hi, Ethan,” I said, my elbows plunked on the counter, as I waited for him to give me the key to the suite. I expected him to ask after “Mr. Glass” as they always did, but he stared at me, his face unsmiling, his stance brisk.

“May I help you?”

“Hi Ethan,” I said, ignoring his rudeness, “I need the key please. I’m pooped!”

“I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to let you up there, Miss Cole.”

Miss Cole
? What the hell was going on? “Ethan! My stuff is up there. I need a shower, something to eat. You know Daniel wanted me to be here. He told you to give me anything I needed. And right now, I need a shower!”

“Just one moment.”

“Thank you,” I said, still stunned by his suddenly cold behavior. But he didn’t give me the room key. He bent down, picked up a suitcase and wheeled it out from behind the desk. My suitcase!

“Your things have been packed, Miss.”

“Miss? My name is Janie! What the heck is this? Why are you suddenly not letting me into Daniel’s apartment?”

“Just following orders. I’m sorry, this is out of my control.”

“Whose orders?”

“My boss.”

“Your boss?”

“The person who owns this hotel.”

At first: confusion. Then: delight. I got it now! The reason Daniel hadn’t been in his room in the hospital was that he had recovered! And he’d spoken to Ethan. But why didn’t Daniel want me to stay? Maybe he was planning a surprise for me.

“You’ve spoken to Daniel? Like, recently?” I asked.

“No, I believe he’s still ill, isn’t he? Still in the hospital?”

This was surreal. “You said just now, ‘your boss’.”

“Mrs. Glass.”

“His
mom
is here? She arrived from Geneva already?”

“No, not his mother.”

“But you just said ‘Mrs. Glass’.”

“Yes, Mrs. Glass. The wife of Daniel Glass.”

“But his wife died last year.”

“I wouldn’t know about his late wife, miss, I’ve only been working for Mr. Glass for four months.”

Blood was pounding in my ears. I felt faint. Weak. I hadn’t eaten properly, not taken my iron pills or had a proper hot meal in days, and whatever drug I’d been injected with was making me feel hung over and dizzy. My hands and legs were trembling; I could hardly stand. I leaned against the desk for fear of falling.

“What’s his wife’s name?” I croaked out, somehow knowing what the dreaded answer would be before Ethan even opened his mouth.

“Her first name is Kristin. I believe her name before she married was Jürgen.”

TO BE CONTINUED . . .

The final part of this trilogy,
Hearts of Glass
, will be released in April/May.

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