Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Embarrassed, she turned the thing off and dumped it in the trashcan. That would never touch her again. The cop’s expression didn’t change. He just stood in the doorway, monitoring her and the apartment.
Rolling her suitcase over the ton of things tossed to the floor, Celeste picked up her bag, catching sight of Hades. Thank goodness she’d taken her stuffie. They could have torn her apart. Not letting herself think about that horrific thought, she forced herself to think. What else did she need?
Celeste dashed into the bathroom. She grabbed a cosmetic bag and filled it with the small amount of makeup she owned—basically lip gloss and mascara—and the birth control pills she used to control her heavy periods. Finalizing her packing, she added a handful of emergency tampons and over-the-counter pain relievers.
Making one last stop in her kitchen, Celeste scooped up her black cat cookie jar in the crook of her arm. When she rejoined the police officer, she thanked him for staying with her as she gathered her things.
“Just doing my job, miss. Is your car close?”
“I’ll call a rideshare to take me to my sister’s.”
“Stay in the lighted lobby and triple-check the license plate. Call if you have any concerns,” he recommended, looking worried as he handed her a card with his name and contact information.
In a few minutes, her door was closed and locked as securely as possible until the apartment manager could make repairs. She rode down in the elevator with the police officer and pulled out her phone to order transportation as soon as she reached the lobby.
She didn’t have any siblings, and her parents had both passed, but she hadn’t wanted the officer to think she had nowhere to go. She did have friends here in New Zealand. Not close ones, but a few she kept in touch with sporadically. Molly Smith was the closest friend, but Celeste wouldn’t call her either. She didn’t want to endanger her.
Searching her brain and her phone, she came up with two hotels next door to each other. Plugging one address into the rideshare app, she waited for the designated car to arrive. Looking in every direction, she walked out far enough to see the license plate. As soon as she verified the car and driver, she stowed her things in the backseat beside her, and the driver pulled into traffic.
Nervous now, Celeste watched behind her and noticed a car pulling out from a nearby parking spot. After two turns, she was convinced it was following her. As they drove under the streetlights, she memorized the make and color of the car and even got the first two letters on the license plate. Quickly, she turned off her phone.
When they arrived at her destination, Celeste darted into the hotel, acting like she knew what she was doing, and immediately turned down the hallway leading to the side exit. Her heart thudded inside her chest as she dashed across the darkened gap between the two buildings.
Thank goodness the other hotel’s side door was open. She headed to the front desk to book a room overlooking the front entrance. They didn’t want to allow her to check in without a credit card or identification. Celeste explained about the break-in and invented the robbery of her wallet. She flashed the police officer’s card as proof while offering cash and a cash deposit.
As soon as she let herself into the darkened hotel room, Celeste set her things beside the door and locked it securely. She carefully made her way through the room lit only by the light coming from the cracked bathroom door, then peeked out the window and spotted the same car that had been following her parked below on the street. Quickly, she closed the curtains before turning on the light in the bathroom. Sliding down the wall, she wrapped her arms around her knees and curled into a ball, trying to stop herself from shaking.
What the hell was happening? Twenty-four hours ago, her life had been monotonous and boring. Now, her supervisor had fired her and accused Celeste of falsifying, or at least bungling, data. Then someone had broken into her apartment and now followed her. She needed to put some distance between herself and the lab. They were the only people who could be involved.
Feeling shattered, Celeste crawled toward her belongings, drew the cookie jar toward her, and leaned against the wall for support. She took the top off and dropped the dozen cookies into the trash before pulling out the plastic bag concealed at the bottom with a deep sigh of relief. Thanking her mother’s distrust of banks that had resulted in Celeste always wanting to have cash on hand, she would have money to live on for a while.
After forcing herself to her feet, she showered and rescued Hades from her bag. Then, leaving the light on in the bathroom, she got into bed and crashed into sleep. Her mind escaped from reality, unable to process anything else.