Linda Disappearance

The next morning, Alex returned to the O'Connor home to check on Linda. She was not there. He felt a growing unease. The nanny had already gotten Emily ready for school, but she was visibly worried as well."I can't reach her," the nanny said, her voice tinged with concern. "She said she'd be back by morning."Alex reassured her as best he could, "I'll find her. Don't worry."

 Storming back to the Royal Hotel, Alex's mind was a chaotic blur of fear and urgency. The images from the previous night replayed in his head like a relentless nightmare: Linda's anxious face, the sinister men, his own transformation into a beast. He was consumed by worry for Linda, but equally terrified of what the hotel's CCTV footage might reveal. If anyone saw what he had become, his life—and possibly the lives of those he cared about—would be in jeopardy.

 He stepped into the lobby, his eyes scanning the area nervously. Every camera mounted on the walls seemed to be watching him, recording every anxious twitch, every hesitant step. His breath quickened, and he felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple. For a moment, he stood frozen, heart pounding, the enormity of his predicament almost paralyzing him.

 "Damn it, Alex, he thought, get a grip. It's a life at stake here."

 With a resolute shake of his head, he forced himself forward, striding up to the reception desk. The receptionist looked up with a polite, practiced smile that faltered as she saw the intensity in his eyes.

 "Good morning, sir. How can I help you?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly.

 "I need to see the CCTV footage from last night," Alex said, his voice low and urgent. "It's a matter of life and death."

 The receptionist blinked, taken aback. "I'm sorry, sir, but we have strict policies about guest privacy. I can't—""This is not about privacy, it's about saving someone's life!" Alex snapped, his frustration bubbling over. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Please, I need to speak to your manager. Now."

 Sensing the desperation in his tone, the receptionist nodded quickly and picked up the phone, speaking in hushed tones. A few tense minutes later, the manager appeared, her expression a mix of concern and authority.

 "What's going on here?" she asked, her eyes flicking between Alex and the receptionist.

 "Ma'am, I'm an ex-military officer," Alex began, pulling out his ID and showing it to her. "A friend of mine is in serious trouble. She was here last night, and I need to see the CCTV footage to track her down. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't absolutely necessary."

 The manager studied his ID, then looked into his eyes, seeing the urgency and sincerity there. "Come with me," she said finally, leading him through a door behind the reception desk and into a small, dimly lit security office.

 Inside, a wall of monitors displayed various parts of the hotel. The security officer on duty looked up in surprise as they entered. "We need to review the footage from last night," the manager said briskly. "Focus on the lobby and the parking lot between 8 PM and 9 PM."

 Alex stood behind them, his nerves on edge as the officer rewound the footage and began playing it back. His eyes were glued to the screen, watching intently. There, at 8:15 PM, was Linda, entering the hotel and heading toward the elevators. His heart pounded as he followed her movements on the screen.

 "Zoom in on that," Alex instructed, his voice tight with anxiety. The officer complied, and they saw Linda getting off the elevator and heading to room 607. She knocked on the door, and a man let her in.

 "Fast forward," Alex said, barely breathing. Twenty minutes later, Linda emerged from the room, clutching a small piece of paper. She looked around nervously before heading towards the parking lot. They watched as she disappeared from view, then suddenly the footage cut to static.

 "What happened?" Alex demanded, his heart sinking. "Why did it cut out?"

 The security officer frowned, rewinding and playing it again. "Looks like the camera feed was tampered with," he said. "Someone didn't want this part recorded."

 Alex felt a wave of dread wash over him. "Can you see anything else? Any other angles?"

 The officer shook his head. "This is the best view we had of the parking lot. The other cameras didn't catch her."

 Alex ran a hand through his hair, frustration and fear battling for dominance. "I need to find her," he said, more to himself than to anyone else. "Thank you," he added, turning abruptly and leaving the office.

 As he exited the hotel, he replayed the events in his mind. Linda had walked out of that room with something important. He had to find out what it was, and why someone wanted it kept secret. His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, overwhelming sense of urgency. He needed to get to the O'Connor home to check on Linda's daughter, Emily, and their nanny. If someone was after Linda, they could be in danger too.

 Revving his bike, Alex sped through the streets, his mind racing. When he arrived, he rang the doorbell repeatedly until the nanny opened the door, Emily peeking from behind her.

 Before Alex could respond, Emily jumped into his arms. "Uncle Alex!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up.The nanny relaxed slightly. "Please, come in," she said, stepping aside.

 "Is she back?" No sir, the nanny answered.

 As Alex was making his inquiries, the doorbell rang again. The nanny opened it to find two police officers standing there, their faces solemn.

 "Good morning, officers. How can I help you?" the nanny asked, her voice tinged with anxiety.

 "We're looking for the family of Linda O'Connor," one of the officers said gently, his eyes flicking to Alex and Emily.

 "I'm her nanny," she replied, her voice trembling. "And this is her daughter, Emily."

 Alex felt a cold knot form in his stomach as he stepped forward. "I'm a family friend. What's this about?"

 The officer took a deep breath, his expression grim. "I'm afraid we have some bad news. Linda O'Connor was found dead in a canal early this morning. It appears she was attacked."

 Emily, who had been clinging to Alex, looked up with wide eyes. "What do you mean, attacked? Where's my mommy?" she asked, her voice quivering with fear.

 The nanny gasped, covering her mouth with her hand as tears welled up in her eyes. Alex felt a surge of shock and anger. "What happened? How did she end up there?" he demanded, his voice shaking.

 "We're still investigating," the officer said softly. "We need to ask you all some questions."

 "Emily, sweetheart, why don't you go play in your room for a bit?" the nanny suggested, her voice breaking. "Uncle Alex and I need to talk to these nice officers."

 Emily nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "Okay," she whispered, before running off to her room.

 As soon as she was out of earshot, Alex turned back to the officers. "Tell us everything you know," he said, his voice low and urgent.

 The officers exchanged a glance before one of them spoke. "Linda was found by a jogger this morning. There were signs of a struggle, and it looks like she was pushed into the canal. We found this on her." He handed over a small, crumpled piece of paper. Alex recognized it immediately as the strip Linda had taken from the hotel room.

 "What was she doing last night? Who was she meeting?" Alex asked, his mind racing.

 "We don't have those details yet," the officer replied. "But we need to find out who she was meeting and why. Any information you can provide will help."

 Alex felt a wave of guilt and rage. He should have been there to protect her. "She was meeting someone at the Royal Hotel. Room 607. That's all I know," he said, his voice tight.

 The officers nodded, jotting down the information. "Thank you. We'll look into it. In the meantime, please stay available. We may need to speak with you again."

 As the officers left, Alex felt a crushing sense of responsibility. He had to find out what had happened to Linda and ensure Emily's safety. The nanny looked at him with tear-streaked eyes. "What are we going to do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

 "We're going to get to the bottom of this," Alex said firmly. "I promise, we'll find out who did this to Linda. And we'll make sure Emily is safe."

 His mind flashed back to the night before, to the sinister conversation he had overheard in the hotel. Someone didn't want the truth to come out, and Linda had paid the price. He couldn't let her death be in vain.

 Alex made his way back to his bike, his thoughts racing. He needed to find out what was on that piece of paper Linda had taken from the hotel. As he revved the engine, he glanced back at the O'Connor home. Emily's innocent face and the nanny's tearful eyes fueled his determination. He would uncover the truth, no matter what it took.