When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie)

Back at the hotel, the more I thought about today's events, the more they seemed off.

Even if Marilyn was looking for terminally ill patients, why did she need to know who I was?

Or was this whole thing orchestrated by her from the start? Was my dad's accident an inspiration for her macabre scheme? Choosing hospital patients with no hope left to do her bidding?

And then there was the peculiar janitor today, always seeming to dodge me.

Yet, he carefully removed a piece of plastic stuck to my clothes and patted me down after.

Such a casual gesture, but who does that if they're not familiar with you?

Then, his burned hand and his last name - could it be?

Suddenly, it hit me why she was named Geneva; it was after Galen Brown's wife's last name.

Geneva, a name that brought joy, just like how Geneva had once explained the meaning behind her name.

Could it be that this man was Galen Brown himself?

The thought of possibly having encountered Galen Brown had me rushing to confront him at the hospital. Why hadn't he left the country, and why hadn't he sought me out? What was he still doing in Ironvale? Question after question whirled in my head, driving me insane with the need for answers.

I had barely opened my door when Clyde walked in, looking somewhat exhausted.

"Where have you been? Weren't you at the hospital today?"

I quickly shared my suspicion about possibly running into Galen Brown.

He looked at me, skeptical, "Are you sure? Hospitals are pretty strict about who they hire, they check everything."

"But what if someone's selling fake identities? And a janitor might not be scrutinized as much as medical staff, right?"NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

I had thought about it; the reason Galen Brown had evaded discovery could be because he was hiding in plain sight.

If he was still around, keeping an

averyone, he could intervene if threatened Geneva aete

provide evidence to the police.

"We need to go back to the hospital. What if he disappears?"

I was so close to the truth, I couldn't wait.

But Clyde stopped me. "You said Marilyn knows you, and so does Galen. It's not wise for you to go. Your frequent appearances could spook them. I'll have someone else check it out."

I realized I was being too impatient and sat down, albeit reluctantly.

But the next day brought disappointing news; the janitor had taken leave.

"He told the hospital something

came up

back home and neededet

four days off. Since he never asked for leave before, they allowed i

"Here's his ID and everything checked out. It's not Galen Brown," he showed me the photo of a stranger.

Lisa arrived at the hotel while we were at a loss for what to do next.

"What's up? Missed me? Or why not move back?"

Her laughter broke the tension before she shared the reason for her visit.

"Geneva wanted to check out the arcade, so I took her today."

"She told me she received a package earlier this year with her old clothes in it. She thinks it was from her dad."

"I also suspect Galen Brown isn't dead, and he might still be in the country."

Clyde and I exchanged a glance, neither of us speaking a word.

If he was still around, then perhaps that old man was indeed Galen Brown.