“It’s there.” He points to a dodgy-looking hotel on the right.
The four of us all frown as we peer out the window at the uninviting premises.
“This is where she’s staying?” I frown.
“Looks like it.” Max sighs as he gets out of the car. We tentatively follow and Adrian grabs my hand in a reassuring gesture. A car of two more guards pulls up behind us and I turn and give t
hem a soft smile. Max’s phone rings.
“Yes,” he answers.
My eyes flick to the car behind us and I see the driver on the phone. He’s ringing to check what the hell we are doing. What are we frigging doing?
“Yes, into the hotel on the right, level 4, room 62,” he replies into the phone as his eyes flick to the car with the person in it who is on the phone.
As we approach the door Adrian takes out a tissue to open it so he doesn’t have to touch the handle and I shake my head at him.
“You’re such a princess,” I scoff, and the guards snicker.
“I can see the germs from here—it’s like a lab experiment,” he whispers.
We walk into the unattended foyer and the elevator isn’t working so we walk over to the stairs at the side of the foyer.
“I don’t like this,” Max whispers to the other guard. “This could be a trap.”
I screw up my face. “Oh for Pete’s sake, this is Margaret you wimps! Stop watching too many horror films.” I shake my head in disgust at my three yellow companions. “You boys are snobs,” I whisper.
Adrian smiles broadly. “Oh and you’re so gangster.”
I giggle. “Well somebody around here has to be,” I whisper.
Max shakes his head at me and puts his hand on his gun under his jacket and I roll my eyes. Now I’ve seen it all. We continue up the darkened stairs until we get to the fourth floor and find the room we are after, and I frown at Adrian.
“This is weird,” he whispers.
I nod. “I know, right.” And I knock gently on the door.
“Come in,” Margaret’s sad voice calls.Adrian and I exchange looks and frown. Shit, she’s really here. I was hoping I had the address wrong. Max steps in front of me and opens the door and nods at Margaret.
“I just need to check the room, Ma’am,” he says sternly.
She drops her head and nods.
Oh my god, my heart drops. I have never seen her like this. She is in a tracksuit with no makeup. Her hair is undone and she is deathly pale. She sits alone and broken on the small single bed.
“Is there a bathroom?” Max asks.
“No,” she answers quietly and Adrian drops his head in pity. Fuck.
This is the first time I have seen Margaret, the real Margaret, without the façade of money and her expensive outfits. I feel nothing but pity. What a sad lonely woman she is.
We wait in silence as Max checks under the bed and in the small wardrobe and then he nods, seemingly satisfied.
“Can you give us a minute please, Adrian?” I ask.
“Sure.” He nods. “I will be just outside.” He walks over to Margaret and kisses her gently on the cheek, sensing her fragility.
I drop to the bed next her and pull her into an embrace. “Margaret,” I whisper.