Tell him the truth

Leanne hesitated. She wasn't the best liar and she was sure the guy would see straight through her story. Wanting to avoid antagonising him any further Leanne told him what she knew.

"I... I saw some of them upstairs," she began carefully. "But that other clown, I don't know if he's part of your group or what, but he was doing... something to them."

"What do you mean 'something'?" demanded the angry guy. "What was he doing?"

"I... I don't know," stammered Leanne nervously. "But I think they're in trouble."

The guy took a deep breath and pulled off his creepy clown mask. He was younger than Leanne thought he would be, in his late twenties, but he had the face of a criminal. All rough and ready like he'd spent some time behind bars.

"That was our contact. He set this whole thing up." explained the thief regretfully. "I knew he couldn't be trusted." The criminal then turned his attention back to Leanne, fire burning in his eyes. "You're coming with me!" he instructed. Roughly grabbing the girl's arm and dragging her with him.

"Wait! Wait!" she cried in protest. "My, my top!" but her pleas fell on deaf ears and she was lead forcefully out into the corridor and upstairs to where she'd just seen the two members of the thieves being dragged away by the creepy clown.

"Where did you see them?" yelled the thief aggressively, looking the topless girl up and down as she tried to cover her naked breasts. Leanne pointed silently down the hall. She was hoping he'd go alone but for whatever reason he seemed insistent on taking her with him and led her once more down the corridor towards the room she'd indicated. They paused outside the door. Leanne was now more fearful of what might happen in the room than what the hostile thief might do to her. "Open it!" he instructed.

"I can't go in there like this!" squealed Leanne, pointing at her bare chest.

The crook, clearly losing patience grabbed the door handle and forcefully flung it open before stomping inside. Leanne followed closely, not wanting to be left alone in the corridor so exposed. They both looked around the room but it was empty except for the usual sparse furniture.

"I thought you said you saw them in here!" yelled the thief as he opened cupboards and searched the room.

"I did!" replied Leanne in protest. "This is where I saw it happening."

"What about the other one?" he asked gruffly. Leanne pointed out back across the hall and led him to the other room she'd last seen one of his gang mates. However they found exactly the same scene in that room too. No sign of either the criminals, the sinister clown or even any residents. "This is stupid!" he growled. "You better not be lying to me!"

"I'm not! I swear!" cried Leanne, backing up against the wall in fear.

The thief then headed for the door looking like he was about to rip someone apart. Leanne followed obediently hoping it wouldn't be her. However, as he tried to open the door it wouldn't move. The harder he tried to move it the less it budged. It was stuck fast and Leanne was trapped in there with a progressively more angry convict. There had to be a way out. And she needed to find it fast.