Going back to the inn down the street, I walked into the lobby and heard the receptionist say, “Stop, someone’s here.”

When I fully opened the door, I expected to see someone else in the lobby, but there was no one. Only the receptionist at the desk, she smiled at me and waved.

“Good evening, sir. How are you?” the receptionist asked. She looked a lot like Regina, except she was taller and just a little bit older.

“I’m good. Thank you. How are you? Is everything all right?”

“Of course. Do you need help with anything?”

“No, I already have a room. Sorry, you weren’t in the middle of a call or anything, were you? I don’t mean to take up your time.”

“No, not at all.” Her eyes were wide, and she had a broad smile. I got the sense that she was hiding something from me. “What’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Edward Wright. Are you sure I’m not interrupting anything? I could have sworn I heard someone talking when I walked in.”

“Nope. It’s just me.” She let out a laugh. “So wait, are you the special guest?”

“What do you mean by that?” I took a step closer to the counter.

“Regina, my younger sister who was working here earlier today, told me that there was someone from the FBI staying with us, and I think she said it was Edward.”

I smiled. “Yes, that would be me.”

“Oh my God! I feel so cool right now talking to an FBI agent. This is so wild. What’s it like? I bet you have some crazy stories, huh?”

I chuckled. “Nothing too crazy. It’s probably a lot more boring than you’d expect. It’s not all that glamorous and action-packed like the TV shows or movies make it out to be.”

“I also half expected you to have no personality and talk like a robot, but you seem pretty personable.”

Her smile was infectious. I couldn’t help my lips from curling up. “The FBI likes people who can communicate, I guess. So what’s your name? Do you usually work evenings?”

She nodded. “I do. My name is Elizabeth.”

“I bet you see some interesting characters that come in during the night shift?” I said.

“This is actually a recent change for me. Blech. I used to do the day shift, which I much prefer, but since I’m older and have more experience, my parents wanted me to work nights now. Which is dumb because my mom or dad used to do it but now, since Regina is old enough to work here and is no longer in school, I have to be here. But, no, I don’t really see too many people, to be honest.”

“That must be nice then, a relaxing shift free of any stress?”

Elizabeth took a deep inhale and let out a sigh. “Yeah, that part is nice, but it’s tough when all of your friends want to hang out while you’re at work.”

“Where do you and your friends like to hang out?”

“Why you wanna bust them for something?”

I chuckled. “No, I’m just curious.”

“I’m teasin’ ya anyway. We mostly go to The Painted Goose. But sometimes we go out of town whenever we don’t want to see everyone we know, ya know? It’s a small town, and people can be annoying sometimes.”

“Yeah, I understand the desire to explore other areas.” I dreaded the idea of having to comb through other small-town nightlife scenes to see if the victims may have gone somewhere else after all. But then, their cars all were left here.

Elizabeth tilted her head. “Do you actually have any interest in going to bars? Or is it all part of the investigation? Aren’t FBI supposed to be super straight-laced and void of any fun?”

I laughed. “I can still go out and have a life outside of this. And yes, I do enjoy frequenting bars. But it’s part of the investigation and also immersing myself in the environment. And then, deep down, I actually enjoy sitting in a dive bar, alone with my thoughts.”

Elizabeth smirked. “How old are you? It always seems like the FBI was such an adult job. Like I’d guess you were 45, but based on how you’re dressed and lack of wrinkles, I’d say you were twenty-five.”

I laughed again. “I’m actually thirty. But you say that the place to go is The Painted Goose?”

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“I think so. There’s also Big Henry’s if you’re into being miserable.”

“I actually just came from there.”

“Horrible, wasn’t it?”

“It wasn’t so bad.”

“You didn’t stay until close. Couldn’t have been that much fun.”

“The Painted Goose is that much better, huh?”

“Of course. It’s the only tolerable place around, if I’m being honest.”

“Have you ever been to Club Novus?”

Elizabeth pursed her brow. “No. Even if I did get an invite, I probably wouldn’t go. The idea of a nightclub in this town is stupid. Besides, dance clubs blow.”

“You never got an invite? But you live here? Shouldn’t you be allowed to come and go as you please?”

“Yeah, I don’t know. They’re very selective about who they let in. It’s bizarre. Am I salty about it? Maybe. And maybe that’s why I hate the idea of nightclubs. But my friend got an invite once, I think, but she never went.”

“So local people can get invites?”

Elizabeth shrugged. “I don’t know, man. I think it’s just my friend group.”

“What’s your friend’s name that got an invite?”

“Annabelle. You’re not going to talk to her or anything, are you?”

“Uh, I don’t know. Should I?”

“I just ask because I think she would freak out if an FBI agent talked to her. Also, she hates cops.”

“But I’m not really a cop.”

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at me. “Yeah, but you really are, though. I guess you’re just a fancy cop.”

I snickered. “Fair. Well, if you don’t mind asking her how she got an invite, I’d really appreciate that.”

“Trying to go nightclubbing?”

“I suppose.”

“I’ll ask her for you. I’ll see what she says.”

“Thanks. I really do appreciate that. I have one more question, and then I’ll let you get back to it. But, what would happen do you think if I tried to go into Club Novus right now? Would they turn me away?”

“Yes, they would say something, ‘this is for club members only.’ And then the big buff bouncer dude wouldn’t let you in.”

“I see. Well, thank you for all the information you’ve given me. Have a good night, Elizabeth. It was a pleasure chatting with you.”

“Anytime, Edward. Sleep tight.” She waved as I went up to the elevator, pressed the button, and stepped inside.

As soon as the door closed, I could’ve sworn I heard Elizabeth angrily whisper, “Shut up!” to someone or something.

It made my skin tingle.

I should’ve asked her about the man who followed me.

Perhaps it was best I didn’t. I checked my phone and saw that I had a message from Martha: I think I know who that is. He’s harmless. Just an odd bird. I’ll tell you about him tomorrow. Don’t worry. Call it an early night.

Huh, strange, I thought. I slid my phone back in my pocket and went into my room. As I got ready for bed, I checked the window and looked out onto the town. I couldn’t believe how colorful it was at nighttime. There was a mix of neon from Big Henry’s, Buckwheat’s, and even Club Novus in the back and the orange glow from all the street lamps. There was hardly any activity. One car drove south through the strip. A couple of people walked into their vehicles at Big Henry’s. Buckwheat’s also had a few cars in their lot. I imagined they’d have a little bit of a bar rush soon once the watering holes stopped serving. I decided to stay up and watch to see what would happen when places closed. Once the lights switched off, a few people got in their cars at Big Henry’s and drove outside the town. I saw a handful of people from The Painted Goose walk to Buckwheat’s.

While nothing appeared out of the ordinary, there was one thing I found strange. Looking out the window with my binoculars, not a single car left the lot at Club Novus. It was still packed after 2 a.m.

I waited another half hour before going to bed to see if there was any movement. There was none. The lot was still full.

I lay down on my bed, and it took me a while to fall asleep. I kept thinking about the man who followed me, and what if he came into the lobby and caused trouble? What if someone broke into my room?

Eventually, I would fall asleep after tossing and turning for a couple of hours. The bed, though, was quite comfortable.

As I lay there sleeping, I did wake up at one point to the sounds of footsteps and two people giggling. My heart rattled as I sat up in my bed and listened carefully. The footsteps and laughter sounded approached my room. If I had to guess, there were two people. One male and one female based on the tones. Goosebumps popped up all over my body as I heard them stop and fumble with their belongings. Someone shoved a key into a lock, and I thought it was my door, but it was the door across the hallway. I jumped out of bed and ran up to the peephole, but I was too late. The couple had already gone inside their room.

I took a deep breath, trying to get my heart rate to settle back down.

No need to be frightened, Eddie. Other people are staying in the room across from you. That’s perfectly normal. Now it’s time to crawl back into bed.

I trudged back to the mattress and plopped back down. Surprisingly, I fell asleep rather quickly.

***

As I was lying in bed, I felt a drop of a slimy liquid on my forehead. I wiped off the goo and opened my eyes, instantly becoming paralyzed.

A woman’s head with entirely white eyes floated above me and grinned. With a close look at her curly hair, I noticed it was scaly and shifting around in place. There were a couple of slithers and hisses that came from her hair. Her mouth was cracked open as saliva kept oozing down on my head. I tried to run and scream, but I had no control of my body. A serpent-like tongue dangled out of her mouth and fell down like a spider sliding down a web. The tongue went in my mouth and wrapped around my own tongue, gripping it like a snake. The pain was so sharp I screamed and woke up.

My heart was racing. I was in the middle of a cold sweat. Did I really just yell?

I was sitting up in my bed, and I took a deep breath. It was early morning. The sun had just come in through the window, rising from the east with a gentle glow. Scanning my room, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Everything was quiet. I got off the mattress and looked out the window to see a thin layer of fog hover over the ground on the street of Wilton, Indiana. The sun gave the world a blue and orange coating. I opened up my window and listened to a few birds chirping merrily. I got lost in the moment, gazing out into the town. Nothing unusual was happening. Just as quiet and empty as it was late last night.

It’s not like me to remember my dreams or have such a vivid one. I can’t remember the last time I had a nightmare.

I could have sat by the window and stared out onto the town for the rest of the morning, but I knew it would be best to start my day. I messaged Martha to meet me at Buckwheat’s diner whenever she was ready.