Maya got dressed. She couldn't remember putting on pajamas. She called the front desk.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Chen," Ricardo's voice was as smooth as ever. "I trust you slept well?"
"Ricardo, I need to ask you something. Did you send champagne to my room last night?"
A pause. "Champagne, ma'am?"
"There was a bottle in my room when I got back from dinner. With a note saying it was from management."
"I'm afraid I don't have a record of any champagne delivery to your suite. Would you like me to investigate?"
Maya's hands were shaking again. "Yes. Please."
"Of course. Is there anything else I can assist you with?"
"Have there been any... incidents at the resort? Any problems with other guests?"
Another pause, longer this time. "Ms. Chen, perhaps you'd be more comfortable discussing any concerns in person? I could meet you in the lobby in ten minutes."
"I'll be right down."
Maya hung up and grabbed her purse, her mind racing. As she waited for the elevator, she tried Alexandre's room number 7B, right next to hers. No answer.
The elevator opened to reveal not Ricardo, but a man she didn't recognize. Tall, broad-shouldered. He was wearing a security uniform that looked more military than hospitality.
"Ms. Chen? I'm Marcus Webb, head of security. Ricardo asked me to speak with you."
"Where's Ricardo?"
"He's dealing with a situation. Please, let's talk in my office."
Maya's blood turned to ice. "Wait. Ricardo just told me he'd meet me in the lobby in ten minutes. That was literally five minutes ago."
Marcus's jaw tightened. "Ricardo gave instructions for your safety before he became... unavailable. The situation changed fast."
"Unavailable how?" Maya's voice was getting higher. "I just talked to him on the phone!"
"Ms. Chen, please. Let's discuss this privately."
Maya took a step back. "No. I want to see Ricardo. Now."
"That's not possible."
"Why not?"
Marcus moved closer, and Maya noticed his hand resting on something at his belt. Not a radio. Something that looked suspiciously like a weapon. "Ms. Chen, I need you to come with me. For your own safety."
"My safety?" Maya laughed, but it came out strangled. "You just told me Ricardo sent you, but now he's unavailable five minutes later? What kind of situation makes someone unavailable that fast?"
"The kind where people get hurt when they ask too many questions."
Maya's heart stopped. "Are you threatening me?"
"I'm trying to protect you. But if you keep making noise, I can't guarantee your safety."
A cold certainty crept up her spine. Whoever had answered her call hadn't just been passing along a message. Someone had been impersonating Ricardo. Maybe watching her every move, already a step ahead.
Maya's mind raced. The phone call with Ricardo had been normal, professional. But now this man was claiming Ricardo had sent him. At the same time suggesting Ricardo was in some kind of danger.
"I want to call the police," she said.
"We are the police, Ms. Chen. Resort security works closely with local law enforcement."
"Then show me your badge."
Marcus reached into his jacket and produced a badge. But she had no idea how it should look like in this country. It meant nothing.
Maya's instincts screamed at her to run. Where could she go? She was on an island, miles from anywhere. She has no idea what had happened to her or why she felt like she'd been drugged.
Marcus led her through a door marked "Staff Only" into a hallway. It does't looked like the resort's polished facade. Concrete walls, fluorescent lighting and the smell of industrial cleaning products.
"What kind of situation is Ricardo dealing with?" Maya asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
"There was an incident last night. Several guests reported feeling unwell. We're investigating."
"What kind of incident?"
Marcus stopped in front of a door marked "Security" and turned to face her. "Ms. Chen, I need you to remain calm. There was a break-in last night. Several rooms were burglarized, and some guests were... injured."
Maya's legs felt like water. "Injured how?"
"We're still investigating. But I need to ask. Do you remember anything unusual about last night? Anything at all?"
"I remember having dinner with another guest. Alexandre Dubois. Is he okay?"
Marcus's expression didn't change, but Maya caught something in his eyes. "Mr. Dubois is fine. He's actually been asking about you."
"He has?"
"He's in the conference room. Would you like to see him?"
Maya nodded, not trusting her voice. Marcus led her down another hallway to a room with no windows. There was a door that looked like it belonged in a bank vault.
Alexandre was sitting at a metal table, his head in his hands. When he looked up, Maya saw that he looked as terrible as she felt. His hair was disheveled, his shirt wrinkled, and his eyes were bloodshot.
"Maya," he said, standing up so quickly he swayed. "Thank God. Are you all right?"
"I don't know," she said honestly. "I can't remember anything after midnight."
"Neither can I." He reached for her hand, and she let him take it. " Walking you back to your room is the last thing I remember. Then I woke up this afternoon in my suite, and everything was..."
"What?"
"Wrong. Everything was wrong. My suitcase had been searched. My laptop was missing. There was blood on my shirt."
Maya stared at him. "Blood?"
"Not mine. At least, I don't think so. Maya, I think something very bad happened here last night."
Marcus cleared his throat. "If I may, we've been able to piece together some of what occurred. There was a coordinated attack on the resort around 2 AM. It looks like professional thieves. They targeted specific guests. Used some kind of sedative to incapacitate them and made off with valuables."
"Specific guests?" Maya asked.
"Wealthy individuals. People who might be carrying significant amounts of cash or jewelry."
Alexandre's hand tightened on hers. "How many people were hurt?"
Marcus hesitated. "Three guests were killed. Five others were injured. You two were... fortunate."
"Fortunate?" Maya's voice cracked. "How is any of this fortunate?"