Dan smiled warmly. “Yes, Daphne, I hope so.”
“Oh yes?”
“This will only take a minute, but it’s a little awkward. You see, I lent something to Mr Hatcher, something of a personal nature, and I’d very much like to retrieve it. I was hoping that I’d be able to pop into his room and see if he’s left it there.”
Daphne’s brow furrowed. “I’m sorry, sir, but I really don’t think that’s possible.”
“It’ll only take a minute,” Dan said. “And you could be with me the whole time.”
“But you’ve already been in that room. It’s empty.”
“I know,” Dan replied. “But everything was a bit fraught when we were in there yesterday, and it didn’t occur to me to look properly. In the heat of the moment, I completely forgot that Edward had something of mine, and as I say, it’s a personal item. I’m sure you understand.”
“Oh. Personal.” Daphne looked down, her hands clutched together. “What kind of thing are we talking about? Was it jewellery, for instance, or… an item of clothing, maybe?”
“I prefer not to say any more,” Dan replied. “But listen, Daphne, I can see your heart’s in the right place. And it would put my mind at rest if I could take a quick look in that room. Will you help me out?”
Daphne pursed her lips, but then she gave him a small smile. “I can’t see the harm, especially since the room’s empty.” She glanced back into the room she’d been cleaning, then she pulled the door shut. “We’ll have to be quick. With all those people checking out early, I’ve got a lot of rooms to sort out today.”
They followed Daphne to Edward’s room, and she entered first, looking around before she beckoned them in. “As you can see, it’s empty, but where do you think this personal item is likely to be? If it was in the bed, then you’re too late, because I’ve changed the sheets already.”
“I’m not sure,” Dan replied. “We’ll just have a look around.” He gestured to the desk. “Alan, if you could have a good rummage through there, please. I’ll start over here.”
“Right.”
Alan sat down and began going through the desk drawers, while Dan turned his attention to the small cabinets that served as bedside tables. He checked thoroughly, running his hands around the empty spaces in case anything had been tucked into a corner out of sight. But he found nothing on either side of the bed.
Finally, he kneeled on the floor and peered into the narrow gap beneath the bed.
“There’s nothing under there,” Daphne blurted. “I moved the bed and vacuumed the carpet.”
Dan stood, eyeing Daphne closely. “Do you always clean beneath the bed when someone checks out?”
Daphne shook her head, reluctantly. “No, but I was told to do a thorough job.”
“By who?” Dan asked.
“I don’t remember. It must’ve been the manager. I’m always getting told to do something or other. I’ve got a list of jobs as long as your arm. So, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, I’ll get back to work.”
“Give us a minute,” Dan said, crossing to the wardrobe and opening the door. There was a high shelf inside containing spare blankets and pillows, and Dan reached up, pushing his hand as far to the back as he could. “Nothing. Alan, are you having any luck?”
“Not yet,” Alan replied. “I’ve got one more drawer to—” He broke off suddenly. “This could be interesting.”
Dan strode over to the desk, and Alan rose from the chair, a small hard-backed book in his hands. “Look at this,” Alan said, handing the book to Dan.
“The Forgetful Fox Goes on a Picnic,” he read. “Well done, Alan.”
“That’s strange,” Daphne said. “You find all kinds of funny things when you’re cleaning out a room, but I never noticed that book.”
“It was under some sheets of paper,” Alan replied. “Neatly tucked away.”
“What kind of paper?” Dan asked.
Alan shook his head. “Ordinary white paper with the hotel’s letterhead. I expect it’s in all the rooms.”
“It is.” Daphne peered at the book, her arms folded. “A children’s book — it’s not what I’d call personal.”
“It has sentimental value.” Dan flipped through the pages. “It was signed by the author.”
“Roz Hammond,” Alan added. “She’s staying at the hotel.”
“Oh, I see,” Daphne said. “So you’ve found what you were looking for. Good. I’ll get back to work.”
Dan and Alan exchanged a look.
“Yes, I think we’re done here,” Alan said.
“Thank you, Daphne,” Dan added. “I appreciate your help.”
“All right. No problem.” Daphne ushered them toward the door. “Happy to help.”
In the corridor, they watched Daphne bustle away.
“We didn’t achieve much,” Alan said.
“I don’t know. We have this.” Dan held up the children’s book.
“Yes, I can’t help but wonder why a man of Edward’s age would have one of Roz’s books in his desk. I’m pretty sure Edward didn’t have children. Perhaps it was a gift for a niece or nephew.”
“It could be,” Dan replied. “But what really interests me is the fact that the ever-helpful Daphne had made such an effort to clear out the room. And she was definitely twitchy about something. She has something to hide.”
Alan looked doubtful. “I’d say she was keen to get back to her work. If she was a bit on edge, it was probably because we’d made such an odd request. I expect you see a lot of strange things when you work in a place like this. As far as she’s concerned, we’re just another example of men behaving oddly.”
“We’ll see,” Dan said. “But I’m sure that someone in the hotel has been trying to cover something up, and when we find out what that is, we’ll be on our way to finding out what happened to Edward.”
CHAPTER 11
Matthew looked both ways along the corridor before he ducked into the laundry room, closing the door firmly behind him.
Daphne, busily sorting through a pile of towels, looked up with a start. “Oh, it’s you. You made me jump.” She went back to her task, but said, “Everything all right?”
“You tell me,” Matthew replied. “Did everything go all right? Did you get the money?”
Daphne stopped what she was doing. “Not yet. He said he’ll pay if the story pans out and not before.”
“Typical.” Matthew scowled, chewing on his thumbnail. “We’ve got to strike while the iron’s hot. With Hatcher running away, this could be bigger than we thought. Maybe I should have a word with Charlie. He won’t mess me about.”
“He didn’t mess me about, Uncle Matt. He said he has to sell the story first, then the paper will pay him, and he can pay us. He said that’s how it works.”
“He would say that, wouldn’t he? I knew we should’ve gone straight to the Sun or the Daily Mail.”
“With what?” Daphne asked. “A pair of lady’s knickers? It’s not exactly earth shattering.”
“Yeah, it is. They love all that kind of thing. Panties, that’s what they always call them. It shows Hatcher was up to something, doesn’t it? He must’ve had a girl in there, and there’s no way those lacy little things belonged to a woman his own age.”
“Hm. I might be able to help you there.”
Matthew’s eyes grew bright. “Tell me.”
“This morning, a couple of blokes, Dan something-or-other and Alan Hargreaves, asked if they could look for something in Mr Hatcher’s room. Something personal they said.”
“What? You didn’t let them, did you?”
Daphne shrugged. “Yeah. So what? I’d already been through everything. It was clean.”
“Right.” Matthew puffed out his cheeks. “Okay. So they didn’t find anything.”
“I didn’t say that. They found a book, a children’s book. And guess who must’ve given it to him.”
“I dunno. Who?”
“Roz Hammond. That woman wi
th the weird clothes. I always thought she was a bit odd, and now we know. She might come across all save-the-planet or whatever, but she’s not above finding herself an older man with a bit of cash.”
“A book? That doesn’t prove anything.”
“But that’s not all. I was on an early shift this morning, and when I went down to get ready for breakfast, I saw her creeping about in the corridor. It can’t have been much after six, so she must’ve stayed the night.”
Matthew grunted under his breath. “Bloody hell. It goes to show, doesn’t it? You never can tell.”
“I know the type. Butter wouldn’t melt, but it’s all for show. Underneath, she’ll be as hard as nails and looking out for number one.”
“She’s always been friendly to me,” Matthew said. “I’d never have put her with Mr Hatcher. I thought…”
“What?”
“Never mind.” Matthew made to leave. “I’ll do a bit of earwigging. If I can find out a bit more, we can take it to Charlie. But we’ll only give him the info if he pays up front. Got it?”
“It’s worth a try.” Daphne lowered her gaze to the trolley stuffed with unwashed towels, its cloth sides bulging. “Anything’s worth a try.”
“Good girl,” Matthew said, then he let himself out.
The corridor was empty, and he saw no one as he made his way to the lobby. Even with the writing retreat, most of the bedrooms were empty, and now some of the writers had already packed their bags. If he was going to dig up enough dirt to make a decent story, he’d have to move fast, before it was too late.
It was late morning, so there’d be a few guests hanging around in the conservatory, slurping tea and coffee like it was going out of fashion. They’d be talking, gossiping about Hatcher, and it wouldn’t be hard to eavesdrop on their conversations. He was good at it.
It’s a shame it had to be Hatcher, Matthew thought as he headed for the conservatory. He really did like the Max Cardew books. But truth be told, Hatcher had brought this on himself. You could misbehave all you liked when you were a nobody, but if you wanted fame and money, you had to pay the price. That journalist wouldn’t have turned up unless Hatcher was up to something. The man had misbehaved, and now the chickens were coming home to roost. It’s nothing personal, Matthew told himself. Business is business.
CHAPTER 12
Dan and Alan found Roz in the conservatory. She was sitting alone on a sofa facing the windows, a sketchpad on her lap. But although she held a pencil in her hand, she wasn’t drawing. Her gaze was fixed on something in the distance, or perhaps on nothing at all.
She looked up as Dan and Alan approached, offering them a smile. “Join me,” she said. “I can’t work today and I need some company.”
“Thanks,” Dan replied, and he pulled up a chair.
Alan sat next to Roz on the sofa. “You’re worried about Edward?”
Roz nodded sadly. “Poor Edward. I wonder where he can be.”
“Actually, that’s what we’d like to talk about.” Dan had brought the book they’d found, and he placed it carefully on the coffee table in front of Roz. “This was in Edward’s room.”
Roz stiffened, then she leaned forward to pick the book up. “Why were you poking around in his room? Wait. Don’t answer that. I assume you were playing detectives.”
“We’re concerned for Edward, that’s all,” Alan said.
“Hm.” Roz opened the book to the title page, tracing a circle around the inscription with her fingertip. “He asked me to sign it just yesterday. He’d brought it with him, and…” Roz blinked away a tear, wiping her eyes on the backs of her hands. “I’m sorry, but Edward said some lovely things about my work. He could be very sweet when he wanted to be. It was as if he understood.”
“Understood what?” Dan asked.
Roz looked him in the eye. “Me. It was as if he could see through to the person underneath, to who I really am. That kind of intuition is a rare gift, especially in a man.”
“I’m not sure I believe that,” Dan said.
“No?” Roz sighed. “You might be right. I’ve known one other man with that level of empathy and understanding, but that was a long time ago.” She shook her head as if dismissing a thought. “Sorry, I’m rabbiting on. Are you guys having a drink or anything?” She peered across the room. “I ordered coffee, but it hasn’t turned up yet.”
“Maybe later,” Dan replied. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk some more about Edward. When did you last see him?”
“Yesterday, in the afternoon,” Roz replied. “I know he had a bit of a temper, but that row with Brian really upset him. I went up to his room to see if he was all right.”
“And was he?” Dan asked.
“I thought so at the time,” Roz said. “He seemed calm. He said that he’d been doing some thinking and come to a decision. When you look back at it, that sounds awful, but while we were talking, he was happy. Genuinely happy. It was like he was lighter somehow, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.”
“That’s a good sign, isn’t it?” Alan asked.
“It could be,” Dan replied. “It depends on what kind of decision he’d made.”
“I don’t think he’d—” Roz broke off abruptly, and when Dan followed her gaze, he understood why. Matthew was advancing on them, bearing a large cup of coffee on a tray.
“Sorry for the delay, madam,” Matthew said. “It took me a while to find the oat milk you requested.”
“That’s all right, Matthew.”
Roz smiled, but Matthew did not return it. Instead, he turned to Dan and Alan. “Can I get you anything? You take your coffee black as I recall, Mr Corrigan. And perhaps a pot of Earl Grey for you, Mr Hargreaves?”
“A black Americano would be great, thank you,” Dan said.
“The same for me, please,” Alan added.
“Certainly, sir. I’ll get those in a jiffy.” Matthew rocked back on his heels, but he didn’t move away.
“That’s all, thanks,” Dan said. “We don’t want anything else at the moment.”
“Right. Erm, if you’re sure. I’ll be back with your drinks presently.”
They watched as Matthew strolled away.
“Is it just me, or was he a bit off with me?” Roz asked.
“I think he’s like that with everyone,” Alan replied. “He’s an odd character. He seems to do everything around here. If we looked in the kitchen, I wouldn’t be surprised to find him wielding the pots and pans.”
“But he’s usually so helpful and kind,” Roz insisted. “And I really don’t like the way he called me madam. That was very strange.”
“He was being plain nosy,” Dan said. “Anyway, he’s gone for the moment, so let’s get back to the subject. Roz, it sounds as though you had a heart-to-heart with Edward. Would you say you were close friends?”
Roz shook her head. “Not especially. That conversation was an exception. We’d worked together, but until yesterday, he’d often been quite distant with me, aloof, even.”
“I have the impression that he was that way with most people,” Alan said. “Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against the man, but he wasn’t the easiest person to get to know.”
“He didn’t remember that you’d met before,” Dan said. “Does that affect your opinion?”
“Certainly not,” Alan replied. “But you must admit, he came across as aloof, like he was holding something back. Maybe it was all those years working for MI6. He lived with secrecy for so long that it became a habit.”
Dan nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve been thinking about that. It occurred to me that an ex-spy would have no difficulty in finding a way to leave the hotel without anyone noticing.”
“You think he was a master of disguise?” Alan chortled. “I can’t see that myself.”
“There are subtle ways of going unnoticed,” Dan said. “And anyway, you’d be surprised at how little people actually notice the world around them. Have you ever done the selective attention test?�
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Roz frowned. “No, but I have a feeling I’m just about to.”
“Why not? I’m sure that someone as intuitive as you will pass with flying colours.” Dan took his phone from his pocket, and after a brief search he handed it to Roz. “Press play on the video, then follow the instructions.”
“Okay.” Roz tapped the screen. “It’s just some people playing basketball, and it says I have to count how many times people in the white shirts pass the ball. Is that it?”
“Concentrate,” Dan said. “Make sure you count all the passes. You mustn’t miss a single one.”
Roz watched the screen carefully for a minute, then she smiled. “Fifteen passes. I got it right. But… What? What gorilla?” Roz stared at the phone, then her eyebrows shot up her forehead. “Oh my God! Someone in a gorilla suit walked through the middle of the game, and I didn’t even see them. I was so busy counting the passes, but… I can’t believe it.”
She handed the phone back to Dan, and he smiled as he pocketed it. “Our brains can only concentrate on so many things at once, and we tend to be influenced by the context. We see what we expect to see.”
“Do you think Edward created a distraction and then slipped out?” Alan asked.
“No,” Dan replied. “A distraction would have worked inside the hotel, but don’t forget, he slipped past the eagle-eyed journalist outside. Whatever Edward did, I suspect it was something quite subtle. After all, he was lugging a heavy suitcase at the time.”
“I can vouch for that,” someone said.
Dan turned to find Matthew standing right behind him, a tray in his hand. “Sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Matthew nodded toward the tray. “Your coffees.” As he placed the steaming cups on the table, he said, “Yeah, those bags of Mr Hatcher’s weighed a ton. I don’t know what he had in there, but it was certainly heavy.” He placed a receipt on the table. “Would you like to charge those drinks to the room, gentlemen?”
“Yes, put them both on my bill,” Dan said quickly. “But hang on a minute, Matthew. You said bags.”
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