MISSION & SECOND LOVE

CHAPTER 6 – The Receptionist, Suspect No. 1

I

The female receptionist at the old and cheap hotel, who happened to be one of the secret agents’ assigned by Senior Inspector Abas to the hotel, reported everything that she heard and saw during her conversation with their male receptionist.

The investigators then put the said male receptionist as suspect number one, who needs to be investigated and followed.

And the female receptionist tried to usually speak with him.

One night, one of the male housekeeping attendants, heard someone weeping at the male restroom when he passed by. The restroom is too dark as there are no open lights therein. Being fearful of ghosts the housekeeping attendant runs going downstairs from the third floor to the ground floor. He almost stripped and was about to fall down the stairs. Good thing he was able to hold firmly at the stair’s handrail.

The housekeeping attendant was breathing so hard when he reached the ground floor and he is perspiring tremendously.

“What happened to you,” asked the female receptionist/secret agent.

Still breathing heavily, the housekeeping attendant replied, “I was on the third floor and … and when I passed by the male restroom, I heard someone crying inside but the lights are all off. It was too dark there. I got so afraid. I guess there is a ghost there.”

The female receptionist/secret agent decided to ask the guard to accompany her to check on the third-floor men’s comfort room. “Guard can you come with me please and you too, please come with us, let us check inside the male comfort room. Let us open the lights there and check who is crying inside,” she said referring to the housekeeping attendant to join them too.

One of the guards nodded and accompanied the female receptionist/secret agent and the housekeeping attendant. When they reached the third floor immediately, the guard opened the entrance light of the comfort room. They tried to be silent and listened carefully. The female receptionist and the guard entered the male comfort room while the housekeeping attendant remained outside.

While the guard and the female receptionist are inside the comfort room, the housekeeping attendant jumps when a hand pats his shoulder and he heard a voice. “What are you doing here?”

“Ahhh, no! no!” the housekeeping attendant run shouting.

The female receptionist and the guards immediately run outside of the comfort room and there they saw a bellboy with furrowed forehead looking at the running and afraid housekeeping attendant.

“What happened?” the guard asked the bellboy.

The bellboy shrugs his shoulders still with a furrowed forehead. “I don’t know, I saw him here so I asked him what he is doing here. I was surprised that he just ran like that as if  he saw a ghost.”

The guard laughed out loud but the female receptionist/secret agent keenly looked at the bellboy. She noticed that the bellboy seemed like he just washed his face, as he is looking fresh with a bit of droplet of water in his hair besides his ears.

II

The receptionist with sharp eyes asked the bellboy. “Did you just wash your face?”

“Ahh yes, at the ground floor’s men’s comfort room. I just want to feel fresh after a long hour of duty before I log out and go,” the bellboy replied instantaneously.

“I see.” The female receptionist seemed to convince by the bellboy’s explanation.

The bellboy excused himself but before finally turning his back, he glanced at the lady receptionist with a wicked smile.

Upon returning to their post at the reception area, the female receptionist and the guard were still chatting and guessing that there might really have a ghost on the third floor.

“So you think that the man weeping at the men’s comfort room at the third floor is a ghost?” the male receptionist asked the female receptionist, who in reply just simply nodded.

“You really think so? I don’t believe in ghosts. I believe more that there are humans pretending to be ghosts to snatch someone else wife or husband.” The male receptionist said again then laughed out loud thereafter to the surprise of the female receptionist and the guard on duty.

With narrowed eyes, the female receptionist shot the man with an inquisitive look. “So you do not believe that the man weeping in that dark male comfort room is a ghost?”

“No. I don’t think so. Either those who heard that weeps were having some mental disturbance or are just trying to frighten themselves or were on drugs.” The male receptionist laughed out loud again. “You know, there is no such thing as a ghost. Ghosts are just created by our minds as fed to us by horror movies or suspense thriller novelists,” he further added.

“I see, alright I got your point.” The female receptionist smiled and tried to continue her work.

“You must not be afraid of ghosts; you must be afraid of slut women who will try to ghost your husband.” The male receptionist whispered near the female receptionist’s ear, to the surprise of the latter.

“You are joking, right? You are hilarious.” The female receptionist said with the hope of keeping the annoyance she felt for the man.

The male receptionist shook his head. “I am not lying my dear. Don’t be surprised with what I whispered in your little ear; be surprised if what I said will happen to you. If that time came, tell me. I know what to do to help you.” He further said while grinning widely.

“Don’t you ever dare think that my husband will cheat on me; he is a good husband and father to our two children.” The female receptionist tried to calm herself, although she is already getting pissed off. This man is feeding her so much negativity that she would not want to listen to him. If only, she is not on assignment, she will really walk out from this creepy hotel and go back to her home, where her children are waiting for her.

The male receptionist however laughed out loud again mocking her. “Wanna bet? Just call my name and I will be there when your husband betrayed you because a slut woman seduced him.”

The female receptionist who is now so pissed-off tried to still remain calm, but in her mind, something is running already. This male receptionist beside her might be the serial killer they are looking for considering the way he hates women who betrayed their husbands.