“Yes, police? I need officers at the Hearthstone Hotel immediately,” Darren spoke into the phone, glaring furiously at Evelyn. “I have an aggressive, unhinged vagrant trespassing behind the reception desk. She is threatening my staff and trying to steal our financial data. Yes, she’s refusing to leave.”
He hung up, a sickening, desperate smile returning to his face.
“Corporate might fire me tomorrow,” Darren sneered, leaning closer to Evelyn’s face. “But tonight? Tonight, you’re leaving this hotel in handcuffs. I’ll have you locked up in a freezing holding cell before Marcus Vance even makes it to this city.”
Maya stepped in front of Evelyn, her hands raised defensively. “Don’t do this, Mr. Vale! I’ll tell the police the truth! I’ll tell them she’s the owner!”
Darren laughed bitterly. “Who are they going to believe, Maya? The General Manager in a tailored suit, or a crying low-level clerk defending a crazy woman in muddy boots?”
Evelyn gently placed a hand on Maya’s shoulder, pulling the brave young girl back.
The automatic glass doors slid open, letting in a bitter blast of winter air. Three police officers marched into the lobby, snow dusting their dark uniforms.
“Officers! Over here!” Darren shouted, waving them over with authoritative urgency. He quickly smoothed down his suit, putting on his best performance of a distressed but professional manager.
The two younger officers approached the desk, their hands resting cautiously near their belts.
“What’s the situation, sir?” the first officer asked, eyeing Evelyn, who was still sitting calmly at the computer terminal behind the desk.
“This woman came in off the street, demanding free shelter,” Darren lied smoothly, his voice dripping with fake sympathy. “When I politely declined, she became violent. She shoved her way behind my desk and is now trying to access our guests' private credit card information. I need her arrested for corporate espionage, trespassing, and assault.”
Trent vigorously nodded along. “It’s true! She attacked me!”
The officer frowned, turning to Evelyn. “Ma’am, I’m gonna need you to step away from the keyboard and come out from behind the desk. Now.”
Evelyn didn’t move. She kept her hands resting on her lap.
Maya was trembling, tears brimming in her eyes. She opened her mouth to defend Evelyn, but a sharp, threatening glare from Darren paralyzed her.
“Ma’am, this is your last warning,” the second officer said, pulling a pair of metal handcuffs from his belt. The heavy clink of the cuffs echoed in the tense lobby.
Darren crossed his arms, smirking triumphantly. He had won. He would get her locked up, wipe the servers overnight, and disappear before corporate could touch him.
But then, the third officer—an older man with silver hair and captain's bars on his collar—stepped out from the shadows near the entrance. He had paused to wipe the snow off his boots, but now he was walking toward the desk.
Captain Harris took one look at the woman sitting in the chair.
His eyes went wide.
“Stand down, officers,” Captain Harris snapped sharply, his voice echoing like a gunshot.
The two young officers froze, looking back at their superior in confusion. “Captain? The manager says she’s—”
“I don’t care what the manager says!” Harris barked.
He shoved past the younger cops and walked directly up to the reception desk. He looked at Evelyn, took off his police cap, and offered a deep, respectful nod.
“Mrs. Mercer,” Captain Harris said, his voice completely devoid of the authority he usually carried, replaced instead with profound respect. “I didn’t know you were back in the city. Is everything alright here?”
Darren’s triumphant smirk vanished. His jaw unhinged. “Captain... wait. You know this woman?”
Captain Harris turned to Darren, his eyes narrowing with disgust.