Lethal Habit - Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-two
At 3:30 in the afternoon, Nadine arrived at the Hotel disguised as an elderly woman. She registered as Sylvia Jameson. She knew Erik was on the seventh floor, and asked for a room on that floor as it was her lucky number. There was one available, just three doors from Erik’s. She rigged up a camera that could view any activity from the hallway. The next morning, she saw a maid making her rounds to clean the rooms. Erik had left earlier. As the maid was about to enter Erik’s room, Nadine grabbed her from behind and injected her in the neck with Amidate. Keeping the door propped open, she placed the comatose woman into a nearby utility closet. She entered Erik’s room and planted a listening device on the baseboard underneath his bed. The maid woke up an hour later with no idea how she got in the closet. Nadine learned that Erik had contacted an escort service for a high class call girl to meet him in his room that night.
She intercepted the girl in the hotel lobby and explained that Mr. Lustenberg had made other plans and apologized. To satisfy the woman, she paid her $500 for the inconvenience, instructing her not to tell her escort service; they had already been paid so no one would be the wiser. Nadine removed her disguise went up to Erik’s room and knocked.
Erik, expecting the call girl opened the door, and without looking at her, turned around to face the bed.
“What took you so long?” he asked in an irritating tone of voice.
Nadine said, “Sorry, I had some personal things to attend to.”
Just then Erik recognized the voice and turned around to see Nadine. The look of shock was priceless.
“Wasn’t quite what you expected?” she said.
“Look, there’s been some kind of misunderstanding, I’m sure we can work things out.”
She laughed.
“Classic Erik. I’m afraid there’s nothing you and I can work out.”
“You stupid bitch, do you really think you can threaten me? I own more people than you have Facebook friends. Now, get the fuck out of here before you live to regret it.”
“That’s the best you can do. Erik, I’m really disappointed. I thought you’d have a little more of a creative response, but as you know, I’ve been mistaken before. The main one was ever falling for your line of bullshit.
Erik began to get a worried look on his face. He had no idea what she was talking about, but on one level, sensed that she was dead serious. He picked up the phone to dial security, but Nadine kicked him hard on his shin as he screamed in pain.
“Kind of don’t like the abuse when it’s directed to you Erik. You seem to be at a loss for words, and you’ve always been such a good conversationalist.”
You could see the wheels of Erik’s brain turning, trying to figure out a way out of this dilemma.
“I’m afraid you’ve reached the end of the line Mr. Lustenberg. The train has arrived, and we’ve just about reached your ultimate destination.”
She pushed him on the bed and jumped on top of him; then touched a pressure point on his neck which made him black out.
She pulled out a rope from her purse and attached one end to an iron curtain rod above the window. She made a noose and attached it around his neck. Using all her strength, she lifted him on a chair and kept his body erect. As he came to, he glared at her.
“Any final thoughts?”
As he was fighting for his life, she kicked the chair from under him and watched his final writhing before he hung there, very dead.
She left the room, leaving the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door and went unnoticed as she exited the hotel and blended in with the crowd and then disappeared into the night.