“What do you mean I’m not supposed to be here, Eshanya? I asked you to come to get to the bottom of this. To figure out what happened to my Kaavi. And now I’m told that my son-in-law is missing too? What’s the meaning of this?”

I had been backing away—hoping to make it to the stairwell next to the elevator we had used, but I stopped in my tracks.

So Spencer was missing also? Had he managed to attack the guard and slip out? Or had someone else attacked him?

“What on earth is going on?”

It was Mrs. Fonseka this time.

“Fiona, where the hell have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you. I was just about to come in search of you when . . .”

“What has happened to Spencer?” Mrs. Fonseka wasn’t about to be distracted.

“Nihal, Fiona, listen, we are trying to put things together, but you aren’t making it any easier by being here. And it appears that the guests are not safe in their rooms either.”

“So you think Spencer was attacked?”

“That certainly is a possibility, but we have no way of making sure with the guests all spread out like this.”

She turned away and punched something into her phone.

“Hello, Mr. Ferdinand.” I recognized the name of the manager who searched my room this morning. “We need to move all the guests over to the main ballroom now. Please inform your security. Yes. This needs to happen right away.” She paused for a moment.

“I don’t care if the ballroom hasn’t been arranged, Mr. Ferdinand. They need to be moved now.”

When I grow up, that’s exactly the kind of woman I want to be. One who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to get it. I just wished we were both on the same side.

“Ahuna, nedha? Okkoma guest-la tika vahaama ballroom ekata geniyanna. Kaale nasthi karanna epa, ahuna neh?” Did you hear me? Escort all the guests to the ballroom immediately. Don’t waste any time, understand?

And then her eyes fell on me.

“What are you doing here?”

“I—” I tried. But she had bigger things to deal with right then. Like a missing groom to match her missing bride.

“Just get her to the ballroom with everyone else.” She waved me away. “You also, Nihal. I’m sorry, but it’s for your own good. There might be someone dangerous on the loose in the hotel, and I need to make sure you’re safe.”

Mr. and Mrs. Fonseka both nodded and allowed themselves to be led, along with me, back downstairs and to the main ballroom.

There were already a few guests making their way there. All of them whispering, suspicious.

“What’s going on?” they whispered.

“I heard she’s dead.”

“I thought she’d killed herself.”

“I knew it: she has run away.”

And still, in the middle of all that—

“I love your shoes, aney.”

“Haven’t seen you in so long. My, you’ve lost weight.”