Chapter 49 Ch. 30.2
“Just an empty room,” she said smoothly. “You’re right. Nothing left.”
He eyed her like he didn’t believe her, but then his phone buzzed. Muttering, he stepped into the hall to answer it.
Ivanna lingered one beat longer, eyes sweeping the room but there was nothing else that was interesting so she slipped past the manager while he argued quietly in Spanish on the phone, and made her way out without another word.
The drive back was quiet, her fingers restless on the wheel. She fished her phone from her bag at a red light, scrolling through her TikTok absentmindedly until a video caught her eye.
It was from one of the local races that were quite recent.
She scrolled again and rolled her eyes as another video of reporters crowding Ethan showed. Her social media feed had been bringing a lot of videos about him since she has been obsessed with finding out anything about him.
By the third video, the light had turned green and she almost shut out her phone but then the video caught her attention.
Ethan getting a bag from his coach and laughing at something his coach was saying while pulling out a water bottle from his training bag. And hanging from it was the exact same key holder.
Same worn leather, same faint silver lettering: E.L.M.
Ivanna’s mouth went dry. The key holder in her coat pocket suddenly felt so heavy.
What the hell was Ethan Moreau doing connected to a crime scene in a cheap hotel three towns over?
Her mind spun as a half-formed rumor threading its way through memory. The girl drained of blood, the corruption of footage, Ethan's impossible speed and the rumours of he being a vampire...
Did he lose control of himself and kill that lady?
The honks of several cars behind her reminded her to accelerate but her hands were too shaky. She found a place to park her car in a nearby cafe and put her head on on the steering wheel, the word vampire replaying in her head over and over again.
If Ethan had been in that hotel room…
But how wasn't there any record of him visiting there?
She swallowed hard and then raised her head as her phone buzzed. Dylan’s name lit up the screen with a message: Dinner, babe? Don't forget.
Ivanna exhaled shakily, forcing herself to focus. She typed a quick On my way before another thought struck her.
Those blank moments. The stretches of time where she lost track, the lapses that had sent her to a psychiatris. What if she forgot this very crucial piece of information.
She couldn't afford to take any chances so she yanked open her notes app and began typing furiously into her phone.
Ethan was cleared of drugs meaning vampire rumours found either be false or real. Boss says to drop the Ethan Moreau case and gave a new one about a cleaning staff drained of blood.
Footage is corrupted, no guest in the room for three weeks, but Ethan Moreau key holder I saw on a TikTok video was found in the room.
The TikTok video was from last week, so it means he didn't lose the key holder until recently.
Cases are probably connected and draining her of blood confirms the suspicion around vampire rumours.
She hit save, then locked her phone before she could spiral further.
Dinner first.
When she arrived at their favorite restaurant she was at least thirty minutes late and Dylan was already waiting. He stood up the moment he saw her and a very familiar crooked grin spreading across his face. Before she could sit down, he kissed her temple, then her lip softly.
"I've missed you so much baby."
"I have too," she said with a tired and resigned smile feeling warmth in her chest. It wasn't a lie, she really did miss Dylan.
They met two years ago, when she went clubbing with her friends. Then, work was less time consuming for her.
She had seen him from across the room, telling off a man for inappropriately touching one of the strippers and making her feel unsafe and she has been captivated. She wasn't sure what possessed her to approach him and offer to buy him a drink, but she was glad she did even though he turned her down and bought one for her instead.
She spent her time admiring his pale skin, long hair that was let down, light hazel eyes and a very muscular build.
He was nine years older than her, but the lines blurred pretty fast. They hooked up, and she thought... It was the end.
Until she stumbled into him in a cafe.
"You look tired,” he murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.
Ivanna smiled faintly. “It’s been a crazy day.”
“Tell me about it," he said with a soft and encouraging smile.
She shook her head, lowering into the chair. “It’s work. I don’t want to bore you.”
For a moment, he just looked at her — really looked at her. Then he smiled, soft and a little sad. “I miss when you used to rant to me about every detail, Ivanna. Even the boring ones."
She fiddled with her napkin before letting out a breath. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
"I always want to hear you talk love. You know that."
That was all it took for her to start rambling on.
She started unloading all the strange things at the hotel... The receptionist forgetting what happened, the manager’s demeanor, her theories about Riverbend’s connection to Ethan Moreau.
Dylan didn’t interrupt. He leaned forward, eyes bright, a grin tugging at his lips. “That’s insane. Like, actually insane. I don’t believe it for a second, but God, I love how your brain works.”
Ivanna laughed weakly, shaking her head. “You sound like my editor. Only the nice version."
“Oh yeah? What’d he say about all this?"
"I haven't told him anything at all, but... A few days ago, when there was the whole thing about this Ethan runner guy... He was like, if I can prove what’s really behind Ethan’s speed before others, the drugs, vampire rumours— I’ll finally get my own podcast.”
Dylan’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. But he dismissed the Ethan case because of this case.” She reached into her bag, fingers brushing the cool metal. She pulled out the key holder, setting it gently on the table like it was fragile glass.
“If I can prove the two are linked, using this… then I will get my own podcast.”