My entire resolve slipped and cracked down the middle. When I raced up the stairs and found the man from the bar speaking with her, I panicked.

In my gut I knew he’d seen her on the news.

Luckily, he backed off but I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t call the police to the hotel. Part of me wanted to go back home tonight, but the other half knew we needed the rest.

I grabbed her boxed up food from the server, tipped her and shut the door behind me. I placed the food into the ...