Chapter 82

"She comes here every month?" William's brow creased into a deep frown, his face contorting as if he'd tasted something foul. "Yeah, that's common for small motels like ours near the university. Most of our guests are young couples. It's really nothing unusual," the receptionist explained. "Thank you." William left the motel abruptly. He sat in his car for several moments, filled with a suffocating sense of unease. He rolled down the windows, desperate for some fresh air. After a few moments to compose himself, he called Joyce. "Hey, Mom. Something's come up. I won't be able to make it to dinner." … The bathroom's temperature seemed to plummet. Tiffany shivered, wrapping a damp towel tightly around herself and huddling in the corner furthest from the air vents. However, the cold gnawed at her. Her phone rang sporadically, then fell silent, only to ring again and again. After a while, Tiffany wasn't sure if the ringtone was real. Maybe it had never rung at all, and it was just