The Ambrasio Hotel

There weren’t two ways to go about it. Sophie had to make a decision. 

She had arrived in town yesterday afternoon. She was on her way to a scientific convention, when her car had decided to give up. It was an old red car, gifted to her by her dad. He had used it for years as a detective, and she had kept driving it despite all its rumbling and fits of nerves. It was almost a human being at this point. But she couldn’t stop herself from giving it another chance each time. She was so attached to her little red queen, especially since her father had passed away two years ago.

The engine had started to act up a few miles back. Whether it was the gearbox or something else, she couldn't tell. The car had broken down right after passing the town sign. She had tried desperately to restart it a few times, without success. “You better wake up tomorrow” she had muttered, casting a furious glance at the car as she walked past it with her luggage.

The country road led her straight to the town center. She saw an old, square building with a flag hanging above the door. The engraving beneath it was almost completely worn away, but she guessed it was the town hall. The church bells rang half past four. “I hope there’s still someone inside,” she thought as she walked towards the entrance. 

A person greeted her behind a counter. The place was rather dark but the air was fresh, a relief during these hot summer days. “Coming to stay at the Ambrasio Hotel ?” the person asked. Sophie was startled, she didn’t expect such a straightforward question.

“Maybe, I don’t know yet,” she replied, “My car broke down near the town sign. I wasn’t planning on stopping here. Is there a mechanic that can look into it today?”

“Oh, I see! I see!” the odd fellow kept repeating. “We have the best car mechanic in the country here!” proclaimed the short man, with all the hubris of a small-towner cut off from the rest of the world. “His name is Ygor. His garage is on the street adjacent to the church, you can’t miss it.” The man picked up the phone and placed a call immediately. She thanked him and left, rolling her suitcase behind her.

She soon reached the garage, a ruined warehouse contiguous to a tiny home-shelter. Noise came out of the warehouse, so she decided to walk straight in, her rolling luggage growling louder and louder. It must have been what tipped him off, as a stocky man in blue overalls was already coming towards her.

“How do you do?” he asked with a smile, his mustache all excited at the sight of her.

“Well… Hi,” she baffled, “My car broke down near the town sign, and I have to…”

“My, my, don’t worry, ma’am,” he interrupted her. “I’ll fix it for you in no time!” His confidence, however, did not reassure Sophie.

“That’s very kind. I have to be on my way tomorrow, do you think…”

“Tomorrow uh ?” he interrupted her again, “Well I’ll see what I can do, but first I have to inspect it. Now which sign did you leave your car at?”

“The one towards the town hall, I suppose,” said Sophie. After noticing a few crease marks appear on the man’s forehead, she added where she was coming from.

“Ah! The one near the old tree! It’s almost time for me to close, but since you have to leave tomorrow, I’ll start working on it tonight after closing. You can come tomorrow morning first thing, but I…” he kept saying when suddenly someone yelled.

“Hey boss! Mr Ambroise is here to pick up his car!” It was one of the mechanics, holding the door of the contiguous home opened. This meant her mechanic was the garage owner.

“Excuse me” said the owner, while walking towards the door. Sophie decided to follow shortly after. 

“... Yes… Yes… Everything in order”, she caught the owner saying, followed by “On the house.”

Mr. Ambroise was a rather tall man, looking quite well for his age. As she walked in, an awkward silence followed. His eyes were fixed on her, and no words were spoken, as if time had frozen.

“Huh… Her car broke,” said the owner to put an end to the silence, “I’ll have it fixed by tomorrow.”

“Do you know where to sleep tonight?” he asked, without even introducing himself nor asking for Sophie’s name. She couldn’t help but notice the straightforwardness of the people in this small town.

“I… hum, the nice fellow at the town hall told me there was a good Hotel here. Ambrasio, I think. I guess I will go there for the night…”

“Ah, the Ambrasio,” exclaimed the tall man. “It’s a fine place, but I hear they don’t have any more rooms available,” he continued, “they’re doing some renovations this summer.”

“I see,” said Sophie. She felt a little fear growing inside her. Her stomach pinched her belly. “I will still want to go to see, just in case.”

“Ma’am there’s really no point in wasting your time,” interjected the mechanic, “Mr Ambroise is the owner of the Hotel Ambrasio.” 

“I can host you for the night,” said the rich man, “It’s no trouble at all. In fact, it would be my pleasure.” While Sophie agreed, she felt as if she had just sold her soul.

***

Mr Ambroise’s car was very old, yet very luxurious. The kind of cars you usually see in the movies. For a moment, she felt like an actress. 

The sun was now painting the sky in warm orange and the clouds in lavender blue. Soon the houses were behind them, and the car was speeding amongst the fields. They slowed down and turned right, on a road leading to a disproportionate mansion.

“This is my family house, the Ambroise estate,” he said, in a calm voice. It was only when they parked in front that she realized how gigantic the building was, with its columns and ten-feet windows.

A man came dressed in a suit and took her luggage. He did not look surprised to see her. “Which room?” he simply asked, as if out of habit. 

“The one,” Mr Ambroise strangely replied. “She’s here only for one night, I want her to have the best possible stay.” 

“Very well,” acquiesced the man, “dinner is ready and will be served at seven in the second dining room,” he continued, and off he went, pulling her luggage behind him.

Sophie was curious about his family history and the place. When asked, he was very evasive. He explained that his family had lost a great deal during the wars and that there was once a vineyard on the estate that he used to enjoy in his youth. He was the last heir. After dinner, he proposed to accompany her to her room.

“I don’t want to tire you more than I have already,” gracefully declined Sophie. 

“Alright, up the stairs, go to your right. When you reach the end of the corridor, it will be the door to your left. Joseph will wake you up before breakfast tomorrow, after which I can drive you to the garage to check on your car.”

***

The bedroom was splendid and almost circular. She went straight to the bathroom and took a shower. Everything was clean and layed out for her. Wrapped in two towels, she reached for her luggage. She bent to unlock it, but the towel wrapped around her hair fell on the floor. While picking it up, she noticed a paper under the bed. She took it. It was a plane ticket, supposed to depart last month, for a person named Felicia Pearsons.

“A previous guest,” she thought, while a creepy feeling grew inside her. She thought of calling Joseph to inform him, but refrained from doing so. Instead she locked the door and kept the key in the lock, just in case. That didn’t make her sleep better that night.

Sophie was already dressed when Joseph knocked on the door the next morning. At breakfast, she decided best not to mention the plane ticket. Perhaps this Felicia was a close relative. It wasn’t her business after all.

As promised, Mr Ambroise drove her to the garage just before the opening. The air was still fresh at that time of the day, and the birds chirping from every corner. The owner greeted them with a wide smile.

“Ah you’re back! I know what the problem is ma’am. It’s your engine. You see, two injectors have stopped working. That’s why your car dances the Cossack when you try to turn it on.”

He told her he didn’t have the spare parts for this model, but had already ordered them last night. “It can be ready early tomorrow if I get the parts before closing tonight, but not today”.

“Could you inform me if you haven’t? I can still reach on time if I leave tomorrow morning, but otherwise I won’t be able to attend the convention.”

“Will do,” he replied, this time staring at Mr Ambroise, expecting him to add something.

“I could drive you there,” started the rich man, “Unfortunately I have matters to attend to at the Hotel, matters that cannot be delayed,” he added, his piercing gaze pointed at the mechanic.

“I understand. I guess I’ll have a tour of the surroundings to pass time. Anyplace you would recommend?”

“You should start with the Mabrosie Café, it’s on the main street,” replied the garage owner. Sophie had forgotten that these places usually have a ‘main street’ that concentrates all the life and businesses. She thanked them and agreed to come back to the garage at closing time, after which Mr Ambroise would drive her back for what she hoped would be her last night here.

Despite the summer vacation, many residents were going about their daily life. A few kids were playing with the pigeons near the fountain. People were giving her the look, the kind of look that makes you uneasy. “They must know I am a stranger,” she thought. When the aroma of fresh coffee reached her nostrils, she knew she had reached her destination. 

***

A few men were seated on the terrace, sipping coffee and smoking cigarettes while reading the newspaper. She sat at one of the tables far from them. Not that she didn’t want to mingle, but Sophie didn’t smoke, and she couldn’t stand the smell of it. A bald man resembling a bear clad in a white apron came to her.

“Hello Miss! First time I see you ‘round, ya?” It was more a remark than a question, “What can I serve you?”

“Good morning,” she replied, forcing a smile, “a cappuccino would be great.” 

“Sure! Do you want the newspaper with it? It’s only one extra.”

Sophie nodded and thanked him. He was already on his way. The drink came crowned with a cloud of milk, filtering the vapors of coffee from underneath it. She took a sip and started reading the newspaper. Suddenly, her heart stopped. She didn’t catch it immediately, but here it was. The name on the plane ticket she had found, Felicia Pearsons. She had gone missing for a month.

Then, the most horrendous thought crossed her mind. It couldn’t be. Mr Ambroise had been so nice to her. Or had he? Had he been nice to Felicia too? She couldn’t wrap her mind around it. She didn’t want to believe it. Maybe she could ask him? Something had stopped her from calling Joseph last night, maybe her instinct was right? Her dad had always told her to trust her guts. She felt the terrace giving up under her feet, her chair steadily floating as in zero gravity.

“Poor girl, what a shame what happened to her,” she heard someone say over her shoulder. It was the waiter, but he didn’t seem very upset about it. 

“Oh that, yes, tragic. I hope they find her,” she replied.

“We’ll see, we’ll see,” concluded the man while walking back inside, with a confidence that sent a chill down her spine.

She left as casually as possible, trying not to raise any suspicions. She felt like an animal in a zoo, a million eyes on her, analyzing her, mocking her, or perhaps preying on her? Something was not right, the article never mentioned what had happened to the girl.  

There weren’t two ways to go about it. Sophie had to make a decision. She started to walk faster, having made up her mind.

Sometime after, she found what she had been looking for. She had grown too suspicious of the locals to ask her way around. The police station was near the corner. She checked her purse, and found the plane ticket she had kept. The most valuable evidence.

Her feet shakily brought her closer to the station, as if her body and mind were not aligned on this. She was about twenty feet away when she noticed something strange. It was Mr Ambroise’s car parked on the street opposite the police station. Wasn’t he supposed to be at the Hotel? At that moment, she saw a police officer get out of the car. He approached the driver’s window, nodded in agreement, and then crossed the street back to the station, carrying an envelope. She turned and waited for the car to pass. It was Mr Ambroise, smiling from ear to ear. 

Was she getting paranoid? Did the police know about the missing girl? Best not to risk it, she thought. As a detective, her dad had made connections within the police over the years. She knew exactly whom to contact. She retraced her steps and walked towards the fountain, where she had seen a phone booth. She felt as though everyone was watching, and briefly feared someone might leap out and try to stop her.

The kids were still annoying the pigeons. Ignoring them, she entered the phone booth. In her wallet was a card with important phone numbers. She pulled it out and began dialing when, suddenly, she heard a knock on the door.

It was… it was just a kid, making a funny face. She almost had a heart attack. She smiled as gently as she could, and returned to her phone call. 

“Lieutenant Raymond speaking, who is this?” said a man in a hoarse voice.

“This is Sophie, Sophie Mayfair, you knew my dad, Rob Mayfair,” she replied in a stressed, hurried voice.

He must have sensed her panic as he immediately asked “Are you ok? What’s going on Sophie?”

She explained the entire situation to him, including the locals' attitudes and her gut feeling that something was off.

“I knew your dad, and I knew his guts. If you have half of what he had, my guess is that you are onto something,” he went on, “I’m contacting the police of the nearby town right away. Where exactly are you now Sophie?”

“Sophie?...”

She was not listening anymore. A tall man was standing in front of the door, but he wasn’t waiting for a call. It was Mr Ambroise.

“Already bored of this place?” he asked, with the same piercing gaze she had seen him throw at the mechanic. 

“I.. hum, no… I just wanted to inform the people at the convention… that I might be arriving a little late,” she answered. Her mind was carbureting faster than her car’s engine. He may as well have seen the gears spinning behind her eyes, as he immediately took her by the arm and pulled her out of the booth.

The kids saw the powerful rich man drag Sophie. Their young minds blocked all memories of the scene afterwards, as they returned to their pigeons. The men at the Café did not even look. They kept reading their newspapers, expecting another snippet to appear in next week’s column. Not a word was spoken in the silence that followed, after Mr Ambroise’s car had departed.

***

The police arrived around noon. They localized the phone booth and found the plane ticket on the floor. It must have been dropped in Sophie’s struggle, or perhaps she did it on purpose. An investigation was opened.

The investigation would later reveal that the Ambroise family owned most of the small town. The Hotel had undergone multiple renovations over the years. The police found many bodies buried in it, including Felicia Pearsons. This had been going on for decades. 

Turns out the whole town was complicit, even the police. The garage owner had already started dismantling Sophie’s car for parts. The town hall employee had placed a call to the garage and to Mr Ambroise the minute she had stepped out of the building, and Mr Ambroise’s car never needed any fixing in the end.

***

Sophie never made it to her convention. Upon arriving at the estate, she was taken to the now-empty wine cellar and locked in before Mr. Ambroise’s return that night. As the sun cast its last rays of light, she heard a key turn in the rusty lock. Expecting her captor to barge in, she took refuge in the darkest corner she could find.

Instead, she was greeted by Joseph, a half-smile on his tired face. He told her she had done what he was never brave enough to do. He had left the plane ticket on the floor, hoping she would find it while evading the scrutiny of the evil man who inspected the room each time. She left him with a kiss, before running in the direction he had pointed.

Sophie ran like never before, tears streaming down her cheeks. There weren’t two ways to go about it. At this moment, there was only one way to go about it, and one way to run to.