Chapter 47 Ch. 29.2
The drive to Riverbend Inn took her out of the downtown bustle and into the city’s more neglected veins. Roads grew bumpier, and streetlamps became fewer. Neon signs flickered half-alive, liquor stores and pawnshops clustering together.
Riverbend announced itself with a cracked signboard, its neon letters showing only half the name: RIVE—ND INN. The “B” and “E” are missing, and even the n at the end was tilted. A faded banner drooped from the front porch advertising “Free Cable,” as if that was still something to brag about.
She laughed quietly to herself as she noticed, then parked across the street, killing the engine, and sat for a moment. Cheap hotels always had the same smell of cleaning supplies with lavender and cigarettes, but as she entered the lobby, she realized Riverbend was different in smell.
The lobby was dim and smelled strongly of bleach, failing to mask something worse. A plastic plant leaned drunkenly in one corner and its leaves were coated in dust. Behind the counter, a woman in her forties sat scrolling her phone. Her bleached hair was scraped into a messy bun, and a Styrofoam cup of coffee perched precariously by her elbow.
“Afternoon,” Ivanna said, flashing a polite smile as she approached. “I’m with NEON 24. I wanted to ask you about the staff member who was found here—dead. Around midnight if I remember correctly?
The receptionist blinked, lifted her head, and squinted at Ivanna. “Excuse me?”
"Oh?" Ivanna asked, surprised the woman seemed confused. "You don't work the night shift?"
"Oh, I do... My shift is supposed to start in an hour and end at four the next morning. I came in early today to assist a coworker who went into labor."
“Congratulations to her. I'm here about the cleaner,” Ivanna pressed gently. “There was a body discovered in one of your rooms. Drained of blood.”
The woman’s forehead creased. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Nobody’s been found here.”
"You were here last night?"
"Of course I was."
Ivanna cocked her head. The woman sounded genuinely baffled. “Ma’am, I’ve read the incident reports. This happened very recently."
The receptionist shook her head. “No, seriously, I think you’ve got the wrong place. We haven’t had anything like that here. Nobody’s said a word to me about it.”
Ivanna frowned. She studied the woman’s face, the defensive wrinkle between her brows. If she was lying, she was doing a damn good job of sounding clueless.
“Are you sure? Because the report names Riverbend Inn specifically," she lied. Her cop friend, Marcus, had no reason to lie to her.
“I’m sure,” the receptionist said, sounding almost offended. “Nothing like that has happened here. I’d know.”
Before Ivanna could push further, a door behind the counter opened, and a man stepped out—a heavyset guy in a rumpled dress shirt with sweat darkening the collar. The brass nametag read Manager.
“What’s going on here?” he asked.
The receptionist gestured at Ivanna. “She’s saying somebody was found dead here. Like, one of our cleaners.”
The manager’s expression changed as he looked at Ivanna. “You’re from the paper or the police?”
“NEON 24” Ivanna confirmed.
"Goodbye, we're only talking to the police.”
"Hear me out," she said hastily. “I'm just trying to get the facts. A staff member of yours was found drained of blood. That’s what the police are saying.”
The manager sighed, rubbed a hand down his face. “Yeah. I know about it. But the police are handling it. We’ve been told not to discuss details. You're not the first one who's been here. I am not discussing any single thing."
“Can you at least confirm who found her? Was it one of your staff? It's really sad and I'd like to forget about my job for a minute... This is another case of femicide... It's... Depressing to think about. About two months ago, my mother died bleeding out."
“She didn't bleed out," the manager said, swallowing hard. "Someone drained her of blood... I don't know... a syringe maybe..."
"Who was she again?"
"Our cleaning lady. She’d been with us for years. Good woman.” His jaw tightened. “We’re all… shocked.”
"Yeah... It's... Was there any sign of struggle?" She questioned. "Was she tied up? Gagged? She would have screamed if someone had kept taking her blood out with a syringe," Ivanna said. "And probably had a... Heart attack? I don't know... Something that happens medically..."
"Yeah, beats me. Beats everyone."
“Do you know which guest was staying in that room at the time?” Ivanna asked.
“That’s the thing.” He shook his head. “We haven’t had a guest in that room for weeks. Three weeks, to be exact.”
Ivanna blinked. “Wait. The body was discovered... How does that add up?”
The manager spread his hands. “That’s what we told the cops. Nobody’s been checked into that room for weeks. And I mean... We do routine cleans..."
“Can I see your records?” Ivanna asked carefully.
The manager’s eyes narrowed. “Our guest records are private. And like I said, the police have already been through everything.”
Ivanna lifted her palms in a placating gesture. “I get it. But here’s the thing—you and I both know sometimes these cases get swept under the rug. The police will move on. Your cleaner deserves justice, and the press might be the only way to keep her from being forgotten.”
The man studied her for a long moment, his mouth a thin line. The receptionist shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting between them and looking more confused than ever.
Ivanna softened her tone. “I’m not asking you to break the law. Just to cooperate. Help me understand what really happened here.”
The manager blew out a breath, running a hand over his thinning hair. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. But this is dangerous territory. I don’t want my hotel dragged through headlines, you understand?”
“I understand,” Ivanna said quietly. “But your staff member’s already going to be in the headlines. Better the truth than gossip.”
For a moment, there was silence, broken only by the hum of a vending machine in the corner. Finally, the manager muttered, “I’ll think about it. Come back tomorrow.”
Ivanna offered a faint smile. “That’s all I ask.” She slid a business card across the counter. “In case you change your mind sooner.”
The receptionist picked it up gingerly, like it might bite. The manager pocketed it with a grunt.
"Um... You guys have cameras... Right?"
"Yeah... Handed the footage to the police already."
"That's the only copy?"
"Yes."