long, and increased the tempo of my rhythm. We screamed in unison when it was over. I was past caring if there was anyone listening outside.
She leaned against me and panted. ‘That was nice.’
I tried to catch my breath. ‘For me…too.’
We quickly adjusted our clothes and stepped out of the stall. There was an old lady standing there, a shocked expression on her face. I smiled at her and said, ‘Have a nice evening, ma’am.’ Then we bolted out into the corridor. The woman gave me a brief wave and walked away rapidly. I stood there for several moments, reflecting on what had just happened. It was probably the best sex I’d ever had in my life, but I didn’t even know her name.
My thoughts were interrupted by one of the hotel staff, a short girl in a beige uniform, who had walked up to me. ‘Sir, there’s a message for you.’
I opened the folded piece of paper. It said, ‘We need to talk. Walk down the lane outside the hotel and wait near the second turn. ’
I was surprised. No one except Neel and Sara knew I was at the Marriott that evening. Was I being followed? I wondered if the woman I just had sex with was connected to this in any way. Maybe it hadn’t been as casual a pickup as I had thought.
‘Who gave this to you?’
The girl turned towards the reception. ‘A gentleman came up to the front desk, handed me the note and pointed you out to me.’
‘What did he look like?’
She thought for a moment. ‘He was quite big, I noticed. I didn’t see his face clearly because he was wearing a hat. But he’s just walked out. Maybe you can still catch up with him.’
I dashed for the hotel entrance. A party of guests was getting off a luxury tour bus and sauntering into the hotel when I reached the porch. I pushed my way past them into the driveway, ignoring the exclamations and expletives. I sprinted towards the gate and into the dark, narrow lane outside.
I went past the few cars parked along the wall of the hotel property. Behind me, a pair of headlights pulled out of the gate. It was the tour bus returning. The bright beams lit up the entire length of the lane and I spotted a tall silhouette just before it disappeared around a corner fifty metres ahead.
I started running again. My chest was already heaving with the exertion, and I wished I hadn’t drunk so many beers. I put on a burst of speed and turned into the street he had gone into. It was dimly lit. I looked in all directions but there was no sign of him—it was as if he had vanished into thin air. Unaccountably, I felt a chill run down my spine.
I waited for a few more minutes. As my breathing returned to normal and the adrenaline stopped flowing, I thought about the man who had sent me the message and then not showed up. I began to feel pretty foolish. What had I been thinking? It was obviously a case of mistaken identity, ironically from both sides. I started to trudge back to the hotel.
It happened without warning.
There was a terrific blow on the back of my head, and I sank to my knees. Someone kicked me hard on the side, and I felt myself being thrown on the warm, rough asphalt. I covered my head with my hands as the beating began. There was no chance of fighting back. Through the mist of pain, I counted three pairs of feet in heavy shoes. As I wavered in and out of consciousness, I realised that I was being battered to death.
Suddenly they stopped. I heard an urgent voice and the sounds of a scuffle. There was a scream of pain from one of the men. Then a siren sounded in the distance and I sensed the approach of a vehicle. At that moment, I passed out for good.
My last thought was that the voice had sounded very familiar.
18
Sara
I was thinking that my phone couldn’t have rung at a worse time but when I heard what the caller had to say, all other thoughts vanished from my mind.
‘Is that…Miss Sara?’ The voice was hesitant.
‘Yes, it is…’
‘I’m with the Panjim police, ma’am. Do you know someone
She leaned against me and panted. ‘That was nice.’
I tried to catch my breath. ‘For me…too.’
We quickly adjusted our clothes and stepped out of the stall. There was an old lady standing there, a shocked expression on her face. I smiled at her and said, ‘Have a nice evening, ma’am.’ Then we bolted out into the corridor. The woman gave me a brief wave and walked away rapidly. I stood there for several moments, reflecting on what had just happened. It was probably the best sex I’d ever had in my life, but I didn’t even know her name.
My thoughts were interrupted by one of the hotel staff, a short girl in a beige uniform, who had walked up to me. ‘Sir, there’s a message for you.’
I opened the folded piece of paper. It said, ‘We need to talk. Walk down the lane outside the hotel and wait near the second turn. ’
I was surprised. No one except Neel and Sara knew I was at the Marriott that evening. Was I being followed? I wondered if the woman I just had sex with was connected to this in any way. Maybe it hadn’t been as casual a pickup as I had thought.
‘Who gave this to you?’
The girl turned towards the reception. ‘A gentleman came up to the front desk, handed me the note and pointed you out to me.’
‘What did he look like?’
She thought for a moment. ‘He was quite big, I noticed. I didn’t see his face clearly because he was wearing a hat. But he’s just walked out. Maybe you can still catch up with him.’
I dashed for the hotel entrance. A party of guests was getting off a luxury tour bus and sauntering into the hotel when I reached the porch. I pushed my way past them into the driveway, ignoring the exclamations and expletives. I sprinted towards the gate and into the dark, narrow lane outside.
I went past the few cars parked along the wall of the hotel property. Behind me, a pair of headlights pulled out of the gate. It was the tour bus returning. The bright beams lit up the entire length of the lane and I spotted a tall silhouette just before it disappeared around a corner fifty metres ahead.
I started running again. My chest was already heaving with the exertion, and I wished I hadn’t drunk so many beers. I put on a burst of speed and turned into the street he had gone into. It was dimly lit. I looked in all directions but there was no sign of him—it was as if he had vanished into thin air. Unaccountably, I felt a chill run down my spine.
I waited for a few more minutes. As my breathing returned to normal and the adrenaline stopped flowing, I thought about the man who had sent me the message and then not showed up. I began to feel pretty foolish. What had I been thinking? It was obviously a case of mistaken identity, ironically from both sides. I started to trudge back to the hotel.
It happened without warning.
There was a terrific blow on the back of my head, and I sank to my knees. Someone kicked me hard on the side, and I felt myself being thrown on the warm, rough asphalt. I covered my head with my hands as the beating began. There was no chance of fighting back. Through the mist of pain, I counted three pairs of feet in heavy shoes. As I wavered in and out of consciousness, I realised that I was being battered to death.
Suddenly they stopped. I heard an urgent voice and the sounds of a scuffle. There was a scream of pain from one of the men. Then a siren sounded in the distance and I sensed the approach of a vehicle. At that moment, I passed out for good.
My last thought was that the voice had sounded very familiar.
18
Sara
I was thinking that my phone couldn’t have rung at a worse time but when I heard what the caller had to say, all other thoughts vanished from my mind.
‘Is that…Miss Sara?’ The voice was hesitant.
‘Yes, it is…’
‘I’m with the Panjim police, ma’am. Do you know someone
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