Giana and Riccard walked out of the room with a lot more hope and enthusiasm. They were finally getting closer to the source of all these problems. The Guardian was the Judge, his daughter was alive. Now once they manage to locate the daughter, a lot more of the events that occurred should start making sense. The two went around ringing bells and offering toiletries. Everyone opened up and they either kindly denied it, or ticked them off for showing up at the wrong hours. 

'That's it! No more rooms.' Riccard wailed.

'So she's not here?' Giana looked worried.

'Probably. We did check all the rooms.' 

'Damn! What now?'

'Don't enter room number 306.' The floor manager shouted across the passage to the cleaning staff.

'306 Ricc,' Giana whispered, 'did we go there?'

'No? There's only up till 305 on this floor.' Riccard said in a hushed tone.

'We didn't check on the other side of the main verandah did we?'

'No... let's go there.'

The duo sneaked into the verandah and walked along the long line of trees. The shadows hid their scurrying figures. At the very end of the verandah was a tiny room. It wasn't like the other VIP rooms. The fading tag on the wooden door read '306'. Giana and Riccard's eyes met and they reassured each other before knocking the door.

Giana knocked. No answer.

Riccard went next; still no answer.

This time however, they heard muffled footsteps walk up to the door and then it was silent again.

'Let us in Laura,' Giana murmured, 'your dad sent us. We know you are alive.'

'Don't worry, we aren't here to hurt you.' Riccard added. 'Just let us in, we are only here for a chat.'

There still was no reply. 

'This isn't working.' Giana rubbed her forehead, 'We are losing time. We have got to get in there somehow.' 

'Should I threaten her?' Riccard inquired. 

'What makes you think that will work? She might just call up her dad or ask security to throw us out.' 

'But I don't see any other way Gia. She's not opening the door even after us requesting. What makes you think she'll trust us?'

'Alright then, go ahead. Just don't be too harsh.' 

'Open up girl! Or else you are...' Riccard yelled. 

'I said don't be too harsh Ricc.' Giana scolded. 

'Done for.' Riccard completed his sentence anyway. 

'Please, please. Spare me.' A meek voice replied from the other side of the door. 

'Just open up, and we won't touch you!' Giana exclaimed.

Slowly the door was opened. A weak figure covered in cuts and wounds with bandages all over appeared.

'What's happened to you Laura, are you all right!' Giana was shocked at the sight of the poor girl.

'Don't kill me please...' Tears rolled down Laura's cheeks and her body shivered.

'We were just trying to get you to open the door,' Riccard's voice was soft and gentle, 'we aren't here to hurt you. Just here for a chat, I promise.'

The girl eased out a bit and let them both in. She shut the door and latched it tightly.

'What do you want to talk about? I have nothing to say.' Laura sighed. 

'Tell us what happened to you Laura. And be truthful.' Giana squeezed Laura's palm to comfort her.

'Why do you want to know about me? There's nothing to know, actually. I am just a girl getting chased for no fault of mine.'

'Laura, that's exactly what we came here for. To hear why all of this happened to you.'

'Who are you guys even?'

'I'm Giana, the one being blamed for your murder. He's my fiance, he owns the place where you were...'

'Assaulted.' Laura added.

'So what exactly happened that night Laura? We have to know. We'll help you find the mastermind behind it. And it'll also spare me from the false charges.' Giana explained.

'Giana, that night... that night I was just beaten up by two people. Then I was taken up to the condo by one of them. He sliced some flesh off my hand, right here.' Laura showed a wound on her neck. 'Then spilled some of my blood. Sliced his own flesh too, spilled some more blood and then left me on the street nearby.'

The two were stunned at Laura's words. 'What!' they shrieked in unison. 

'Yea, that's what happened.' Laura shrugged.

'I'm so sorry to hear that.' Riccard felt bad.

'It's alright. I'm fine. As long as something of that sort isn't repeated, I don't mind.' 

'That's weird. But atleast we are clear that no murder happened. That's the biggest relief.' Giana sat back in the couch.

'Yeah, it is. It was an attempt to frame it as murder, without committing one.' Laura nodded.

'And why was a murder being framed?'

'Had something to do with a case my dad was working on. I am not entirely sure. They wanted to take out their anger for him on me.'

'You did say your predator was a he. Have you seen him, do you know who he is?' 

'Yeah. I saw him. The police knows who he is.'

'What the-' Giana was startled.

'Then why on Earth is she being blamed for it?' Riccard shot up from his couch.

'I don't know that. My dad does. That too has something to do with the same case. Oh, and there's one more person who got involved in the framing so they can help you with that.'

'And who's that other person?'

'Inspector...' Laura closed her eyes trying to recall the name, 'Inspector Hash.'

'Oh my! That bastard. I knew he was fishy and way too nosy.' Riccard was fuming.

'Ricc,' Gia gestured for him to sit, 'we have still got to clear stuff up. Don't stress yet.'

Riccard sat down and Giana faced Laura again. 

'So Laura, who was the predator?'

'Just some guy who came to harm me on someone's orders. That someone is the person you should be looking for.' 

'Why was your dad sending us letters Laura? And why did he never try to help prove Giana's innocence? Maybe he's the one trying to land her into trouble.' Riccard raised an eyebrow.

'Shut up! How dare you? He only wanted to do Giana some good. He would never hurt anyone.' Laura was clearly very protective about her father. 

'Riccard! What's wrong with you? Just let me do the talking here.' Giana seemed annoyed.

'About the letters, Giana,' Laura continued, 'dad wanted to make sure you got all your inheritance. He was trying his level best to ensure that. He had you under invigilation to keep you safe until you received what was rightly yours.'

'Oh. I must thank him for that. I still have a question though. Riccard says that he wanted us to be here by Sunday. Why's that?'

'That's when he wanted to reveal the case to you, before the bonds you were supposed to inherit expired.' 

'That sounds like someone didn't want me to get my inheritance.' Giana thought out aloud.

'That's right Giana! There was indeed someone who wanted to get both dad and you out of the way.' Laura confirmed Giana's suspicions.

'So did they attempt to do something to your dad as well?'

'No! But don't you see that harming me did both the jobs? Dad got scared for me so he stopped trying to approach you for the paperwork and you were on your way to get arrested so you wouldn't get you property anyway.'

'She's right Gia!' Riccard chipped in. 'It makes so much sense now.'

'And why was your dad trying to hide that you were still alive?' Giana wanted all her questions answered.

'They didn't kill me, yes, but they did think I died after they left me on the street. Dad was just trying to make sure that they wouldn't come after me again.' Laura was patient with all her answers. 

'So I guess that's all you'll be able to say?' 

'Yes. I can help you meet up with my dad, he'll let you know about the nitty-gritties of the case.' 

'Laura, I can't thank you enough for helping us out.' Giana was indeed very grateful. 'And I'm sorry for what Ricc said.'

'It's all good, Giana. He's just a little too protective.' Laura chuckled and Giana joined in. 

'I'm sorry too.' Riccard did a little bow.

'Forgiven.' Laura smiled at him.

'Take care Laura, and be well soon. I hope can chat up again sometime.' Giana wrapped her arms around Laura's frail body.

'You too, get yourself out of the trouble soon. And I'll be fine don't worry. We can meet up at your new place sometime.' Laura returned the hug. 

'Congratulations to your brother on the wedding, by the way.' Riccard said during his hug with Laura.

'Ah yes... that one's absolutely enjoying himself.' Laura grinned. 

'As he should.'

With that Riccard and Giana left for what seemed like the final lap of their adventure. They had an almost completed puzzle with the remaining pieces waiting to be filled in. Giana's heart was leaping with joy, tomorrow she would be free again. She would go back home to her Oma and even own a new condo. There had been no murder, and nor was she at fault. Laura too would be safe again. The only important thing left to do was to find the mastermind who managed to uproot two innocent lives.