Part 3

The next day, Hauswirth awoke early, to the chirp of a cricket and the bright sunlight shining through her window. She groaned, and rolled over to close her eyes. The clock on the DVD player said that it was 5:50 a.m. One of her favorite shows was about to start. She stretched slowly, and lazily headed to the bathroom.

She had just finished her ablutions, and was about to turn on the television, when she heard the creaking of the door. Her eyes flew open, and she saw a strange figure standing in the doorway. It was one of the maids at the hotel. She wore a pale pink uniform with a lace head scarf, and her skin was deathly white.

"Room service, ma'am?" She asked politely.

"What... Are you from room service?" Hauswirth asked.

"Yes, ma'am. The hotel asked me to bring you these." The maid held out a tray with a breakfast tray, and a newspaper. The tray also contained a note.

"Thank you." Hauswirth said, and she took the tray to the bedside table. Then she opened the paper to read the note. It was short, and sweet, and signed "Yours Truly, The Boogeyman."

Hauswirth looked up from the paper to face the doorway. "Oh, that's very funny." She said, and laughed. "Very funny."

The maid did not find the comment funny, and looked chagrined. "I'll leave you be." With that she silently departed the room.

Hauswirth stared at the newspaper. She had it, and she didn't have it. Her eyes widened as she slowly read the article. It was a review of her life, and how she had been a very famous person. She had played a key role in a movie that was a box office hit. The article went on to say that there would be more movies about her life, and that she would play a lead role in a TV series. It said that her career had started at a very young age. It was very early to start, and she wasn't sure that she even wanted to be an actor, but the paper said that if she stuck with it, and persevered, then she could expect great things.

Hauswirth sat on her bed and smiled. She would be famous. She would have an entourage, and lots of people would want to be her friend. She would have money, power, and influence. She wouldn't have to worry about anything ever again.

She opened her door and slipped into the hallway. She quickly opened a door that she had not opened before, and found herself in the hotel's laundry room. It was empty, and clean. She closed the door, and looked around. There was a stack of clean towels on a shelf, and a large washer/dryer on a stand. There was a door next to the washer/dryer that opened to stairs that led down into a dark basement.

"I've seen enough horror movies to know that a random dark basement usually doesn't end well. Yeah, I'm not going..." She said to herself, and then a figure stepped in front of her. He was a maintenance man, and he was carrying a mop and bucket.

"I just wanted to clean up this place." He said, "I'm sorry if I startled you."

Hauswirth looked at him. "Oh, that's quite alright." She said, "I was just daydreaming."

"About what?" He asked.

"I don't want to tell you." She said, "It's a secret."

"Well, you couldn't have picked a better time to be keeping it." He said, "I was just getting ready to leave, and the lights went off." He chuckled, "I guess I should be used to it by now, but it still gives me a fright every time."

"Well, I'm sorry that you're going through such hell." She said, "I'm sure that you'll get through it. I've been through it, and I made it out okay."

"You really think so?" He asked.

"Yeh, I think so." Hauswirth said, "Now, I've got to get myself to the breakfast room, so I can have my newspaper and get this over with."

"Wait." The maintenance man stood in her way. "Miss, you dropped this." He held out the newspaper. Hauswirth looked down, and saw that she had dropped the paper while she was dreaming. "Thank you." Said Hauswirth. She took it from him, and headed to the door. "You did a good job cleaning up the place." Said Hauswirth. She then left the laundry room, and then headed towards the elevators.

The hotel was dark, and quiet. In the lobby, there were a few scattered chairs, and a counter with a small hotel desk and a newsstand. The hotel had small decorative trees planted along the walkway; bright red roses were planted along the stones.

Hauswirth walked over to the newsstand. The papers were all in French, and she couldn't read them. The magazines were similar. She walked back to the front desk, and asked for a paper in English. The hotel attendant handed her the _New York Times_, and she returned to the newsstand to leaf through it.

"Hauswirth?" A voice whispered.

"Yes?" She said, without turning around.

"Your name is Hauswirth, right?"

"Yes." She replied, "What is it that you want?"

"The name's Oscar."

"I don't talk to strangers."

"I'm not looking to get into a conversation. I'm here for some information."

"What kind of information?"

"You were at Peter's theater last night, correct?"

"Yes." She replied.

"Oh. Well, I suppose, but I don't know if I want to talk to you."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm quite frightened, and I think that talking to you would put me in more danger."

"I understand." Oscar leaned down on the other side of the newsstand. "I'm not here to scare you."

Hauswirth looked at him. He had a dark complexion and very thick black hair, and he was dressed in black jeans and a black suit with a brown trenchcoat over it. His eyes were the bluest that Hauswirth had ever seen. They were so unusual that they made Hauswirth want to look away, as if she were doing him a favour by acknowledging him. He was tall and muscular. The man looked like an Italian.

"Your name is very unusual." Oscar smirked.

"What is?" Questioned Shelley.

"Hauswirth. It is a German name, and in the original language it means the abode of evil."

"Oh."

"You see, I was thinking. Hauswirth is a very rare name. It's not too common in Germany, but it's even rarer in France, and Switzerland."

"So?"

"So, nothing. It's just rare. I was thinking, and you being a German name, and it meaning evil, I was just wondering if you might be the evil one. The power of suggestion is a fascinating thing."

Hauswirth frowned. "No. That's not my name."

"But it might be. Consider the evidence."

"What evidence?" The frown was deepening.

"Well, your name is Hauswirth. The evidence is that you are here to find the Blood-Clutch for your show, and also host the town's movie marathon, isn't it?."

"That's not a very good argument."

Oscar sighed, "Listen, Hauswirth... This town currently has 3 missing teens; we had no idea where they went, and then suddenly footage appears, and they're dead. Please, I'm asking you, I'm begging you. If you have any information at all, please tell me."

"I can't," She said.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not from here, I'm an outsider; I've only been in town for a day."

Oscar sat back. "I see." He stood up, and then reached down to assist Hauswirth up.

Hauswirth looked up at him, and said, "Why are you doing this to me?"

Oscar sat back down. "I'm not. You're doing this to yourself. I'm merely observing. Please, can you help me?"

Hauswirth sighed, and said, "I'll think about it."

Oscar smirked. "I knew you'd see the light." He stood up, and said, "Here's my phone number. Call me if you find anything... Interesting." He then walked away.

Hauswirth stood there, and considered Oscar's words. She had no idea what he was talking about, of course. It was just a name, nothing more. She thought about what she should do. She could ignore Oscar, and go back to her room. He couldn't hurt her. Or, she could go to the police. Decisions, decisions.

Later, Hauswirth picked up the phone, and dialed Oscar's number. When he answered, Hauswirth said, "I believe you were speaking to me earlier."

"I was. Now, where were we?" He asked.

"I'm considering your offer." She replied.

"Consider this." He said.

Hauswirth frowned. "What?"

"You're going to the police. You need to understand something. I have people watching your room." Oscar said calmly, "You might be able to get away, but I'll be watching you, just in case."

"What... Are you... Are you going to kill me?"

"Jesus Christ! No! It's for security reasons; we have reason to believe that your appearance in town is the reason the killings are happening. We need to monitor you, in case anything that could lead us to the killer happens." Oscar explained.

"But I haven't done anything!" Hauswirth exclaimed, a little frantically.

"Nothing, but still. We need to be cautious."

"No, we can't put security in my room. That's a violation of..."

"You're getting a bodyguard. Don't worry, he'll be invisible." Oscar then hung up.

Hauswirth was a little shaken by that conversation. She'd never been a target before. She wasn't sure if she should be relieved or not. She went back to her room, and lay down on the bed.