Emma stared at the ceiling of the hotel room as though the rough plaster could anchor her spinning thoughts. The air smelled faintly of bleach and cigarette smoke, and the thin blanket tangled around her waist felt more like a restraint than comfort.

She could have gotten a much better hotel, but she was in a hurry and her mind was all over the place, so she picked the first hotel she saw. At the sight of a small spider crawling innocently along on the ceiling, she immediately regretted her ...