He moved quickly, appearing slightly distorted through the peephole. He had his back toward her as he passed by her room, so Cameron didn’t get the greatest look. She didn’t know what the typical sex fiend looked like, but this particular one was on the taller side and stylish in his jeans, black corduroy blazer, and gray hooded T-shirt. He wore the hood pulled up, which was kind of unusual. As the man crossed the hallway and pushed open the door to the stairwell, something struck her as oddly familiar. But then he disappeared into the stairwell before she could place it.
Cameron pulled away from the door. Something very strange was going on in room 1308 . . . Maybe the man had fled the scene because he’d heard her call Guest Services and was abandoning his partner to deal with the fallout alone. A married man, perhaps? Regardless, the woman in 1308 was going to have some serious ’splaining to do once hotel security arrived. Cameron figured—since she already was awake, that is—that she might as well just sit it out right there at the peephole and catch the final act. Not that she was eavesdropping or anything, but . . . okay, she was eavesdropping.
She didn’t have to wait long. Two men dressed in suits, presumably hotel security, arrived within the next minute and knocked on the door to 1308. Cameron watched through the peephole as the security guards stared expectantly at the door, then shrugged at each other when there was no answer.
“Should we try again?” the shorter security guard asked.
The second guy nodded and knocked on the door. “Hotel security,” he called out.
No response.
“Are you sure this is the right room?” asked the second guy.
The first guy checked the room number, then nodded. “Yep. The person who complained said the noise was coming from room 1308.”
He glanced over at Cameron’s room. She took a step back as if they could see her through the door. She suddenly felt very aware of the fact that she was wearing only her University of Michigan T-shirt and underwear.
There was a pause.
“Well, I don’t hear a thing now,” Cameron heard the first guy say. He banged on the door a third time, louder still. “Security! Open up!”
Still nothing.
Cameron moved back to the door and looked out the peephole once again. She saw the security guards exchange looks of annoyance.
“They’re probably in the shower,” said the shorter guy.
“Probably going at it again,” the other one agreed.
The two men pressed their ears to the door. On her side of the door, Cameron listened for any sound of a shower running in the next room but heard nothing.
The taller security guard sighed. “You know the protocol—we have to go in.” Out of his pocket he pulled what presumably was some sort of master key card. He slid it into the lock and cracked open the door.
“Hello? Hotel security—anyone in here?” he called into the room.
He looked over his shoulder at his partner and shook his head. Nothing. He stepped farther in and gestured for the second guy to follow. Both men disappeared into the room, out of Cameron’s view, and the door slammed shut behind them.
There was a momentary pause, then Cameron heard one of the security men cry out through the adjoining wall.
“Holy shit!”
Her stomach dropped. She knew then that whatever had happened in 1308, it wasn’t good. Uncertain what she should do, she pressed her ear to the wall and listened.
“Try CPR while I call 9-1-1!” one of the men shouted.
Cameron flew off the bed—she knew CPR—and raced to the door. She threw it open just as the shorter security guy was running out of 1308.
Seeing her, he held up his hand, indicating she should stop right where she was. “Ma’am—please get back in your room.”
“But I heard—I thought I could help, I—”
“We’ve got it covered, ma’am. Now please step back into your room.” He rushed off.
Per the security’s guard order, Cameron remained in her doorway. She looked around and saw that other people in the nearby rooms had heard the commotion and were peering into the hallway with mixed expressions of trepidation and curiosity.
After what seemed like forever but what was probably only minutes, the shorter guy returned leading a pair of paramedics pulling a gurney.
As the trio raced past Cameron, she overheard the security guard explaining the situation. “We found her lying there on the bed . . . She was