by Robin Caroll
“W-wh—” He couldn’t even get the words out.
“Rapist.” Hate embodied that one word, filling his head, echoing over and over. And again.
Darkness took him.
Four
Adelaide
“You made some really good points in there.” Dimitri held open the door, allowing her to precede him into her office. “You’re an amazing general manager.”
Adelaide set her folders on her desk, sat behind her desk, and took a sip of her sweet tea, a bring-away from the department heads’ meeting. “You would be just as good if you ever had the inclination.”
“Ah, there’s the rub, right? I’ve found my passion in the kitchen.” Dimitri slumped in one of the two chairs facing her desk.
“You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know.” She set down her insulated tumbler and flipped the page in her planner. “Since you refuse to discuss this subject any further, can you at least tell me when your father will be home?” Even as general manager, she wasn’t told of the owner’s arrival date.
He shrugged. “Maybe Monday or maybe Tuesday. He likes to act vague to keep me guessing.”
Adelaide’s heart ached at the brokenness of his voice. “Dimitri . . .”
He held his palms out to her. “Don’t start again, Adelaide. Not all fathers are as understanding and loving as yours. Claude Pampalon believes the world revolves around him, and nothing has proven that not to be true. It’s the world according to him, whether I like it or not.” Dejection hung on his every syllable.
“I’m so sorry, Dimitri. I wish—”
Ding!
Adelaide held up a finger to him and lifted the telcom radio from her desk. “Adelaide Fountaine.”
“Yes, ma’am. This is Erika. We have a problem here at the front desk, ma’am.”
She stood. “I’m on my way, Erika.” After replacing the radio, she motioned Dimitri to walk with her.
“I should get back to the kitchen. We’re booked up with reservations tonight, and you said your new group would be checking in this afternoon.”
“Come on, Dimitri. You know your father will ask employees if you were out and accessible in the hotel while he was gone.”
His mouth formed a thin, firm line, and he gave a curt nod.
She didn’t like to hurt him with such reminders, but if he wasn’t going to talk with his father, then she would do what she could to keep the peace between father and son.
There was a short line at the check-in counter when they reached the front foyer area. Adelaide took a moment to see that the complimentary lemon water coolers on the waiting desk were filled. They were, so she turned to Erika, who stood off to the side of the front desk, Geoff beside her.
“What’s wrong?” Adelaide had kept herself busy all last night and this morning with meeting preparations and ideas so she wouldn’t think about— Well, she wouldn’t have any distractions or detours down memory lane. Now the insomnia pulled at her every muscle, and she wasn’t much in the mood for any nonsense like the alarm-pullers.
“One of the guests missed checkout. When housekeeping made their rounds, they found the night latch still engaged. They called out multiple times, to no response, so housekeeping reported. We checked the reservation, it’s one from the pharmaceutical group, but there’s no late checkout indicated.”
Adelaide nodded. “Have you called the room?”
“Yes, ma’am. Multiple times. And we called the cell phone number on file for the guest. It went immediately to voice mail. We left five messages, to no response.”
“What about a home number?”
“There isn’t one, Ms. Fountaine.”
This was very uncommon. Yet another headache caused by the childishness of the group’s attendees. She turned to Geoff. “Any chance this is one of the men arrested?”
He shook his head. “The judge released them this morning with a fine and a warning. They both checked out early and hightailed it out of here.”
Adelaide paused, then let her stare drift from Erika to Dimitri. “What do you think, Mr. Pampalon?” Now Erika could report back to Claude that Dimitri had taken an active role in a management decision.
Dimitri all but rolled his eyes. “What’s company policy, Ms. Fountaine?”
She didn’t miss the sarcasm and refrained from smiling. “We give the guest until check-in time, then we go in and make them leave. Especially if we need the room readied for another group.”
“Like the krewe you introduced us to earlier in the pre-con, correct?”
She nodded.
“Then I would say we should follow policy and go in.”
More than likely, another prank of this group. She’d be relieved when every single one of them had checked out. “Geoff, do you have the tool?”
He held up the stainless steel tool.
“What’s the room number?”
“Two nineteen.” Erika handed her the master electronic key. “Guest’s name is Muller. Kevin Muller.”
“Send housekeeping back up, please, Erika.” They’d have to work quickly to get the room ready for the next guest, and the hotel was nearing 96 percent to full capacity. This little prank had already set them back hours.
“Yes, ma’am.”
She sighed. “Let’s go.” Adelaide walked between Dimitri and Geoff to the elevators, then nodded at the elevator attendant standing by.
“We’ve got this one,” Geoff told the young man as they stepped inside the empty car.
Adelaide shook her head. “I’m so not in the mood for fun and games like this group seems to enjoy playing.” They were making extra work on her staff, and she didn’t like that.
“Don’t schedule them back again,” Geoff said but smiled. “I know, I know, boss, we don’t turn business away.”
“Right. Even if they are a pain in my side.”
The elevator dinged and the door slid open. Geoff led the way to the room. He knocked on the door. “Security, Mr. Muller.”
No response from inside.
Adelaide used the master electronic key to open the door and pushed it open. It stopped with a bang as the night latch engaged. She put her mouth to the crack. “Mr. Muller, this is Adelaide Fountaine, general manager.”
No response.
“We’re coming in.” Geoff lifted the tool. He slid the opener between the door and the jamb, and the door opened.
Adelaide moved to take a step inside. Geoff gently tugged her arm, moving in front of her and led the way into the entry.
The closet door stood open, several pairs of slacks and a couple of shirts hung haphazardly on the hotel wooden hangers. A pair of Nike tennis shoes lay on their sides on the floor.
The three of them continued into the bedroom. The bed was unmade, the covers tangled as if they’d been caught in two lovers’ embrace. A laptop sat on the desk. The chair in the corner of the room hosted a squished throw pillow. An empty glass sat on the side table. A pair of loafers sat off to the side of the chair’s ottoman.
As one, Geoff, Adelaide, and Dimitri stopped just in front of the open bathroom.
Adelaide gasped, then immediately covered her eyes. Her heart pounded. She turned against Dimitri’s torso. His arms moved around her, and he drew her closer as he turned her away from the bathroom.
“I’ll call the police.” Geoff’s voice broke through the horror.
She took a step back, resting her hands against Dimitri’s chest to steady herself. She’d never seen a dead person before. Not that she’d really taken note of anything she’d just seen. All she’d made out was a man’s body, wearing boxers and a shirt drenched in blood, sprawled out against the shower, his head tilted back so no one could see his face.
That had been enough.
“Ms. Fountaine? Erika told us to come up.”
Dimitri hurried from the bedroom to head off the housekeeping team. He spoke softly to the ladies as Adelaide struggled to wrap her mind around what was happening. And what she sh
ould do next.
Geoff slipped his cell into his pocket and joined her. “Why don’t you go down and wait for the police?” He cleared his throat until she looked at him. “They’re on their way. I’ll stay here and make sure nothing is disturbed.”
With his words, responsibility snapped back. Adelaide nodded. “Yes, thank you, Geoff.” She marched into the foyer to meet Dimitri. “Once the police finish, we’ll need to call your father and bring him up to speed on what’s happened.” She led the way out of the room, closing the door behind her, and strode toward the elevators. She punched the down button.
Dimitri’s hand on her shoulder made her jump. “Adelaide, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. There’s just a lot that needs to be done.” The police would need to know everything about the guest. “I need to let Erika know what’s going on.” They’d need to move the reservation for that room tonight to another room. If one wasn’t available, she’d authorize a complimentary upgrade.
“You just saw a dead man in a bathroom, Adelaide. You can’t just be fine.”
She wasn’t, but she had to appear to be. It was her job. “I’ll be okay.” Her mind raced. “There’s not a set protocol for this, I don’t think.”
He let out a snort. “I should hope not.”
Now she sounded unfeeling. “I don’t mean there should be. I just—”
Dimitri gave her a quick hug and kiss on the crown of her head. “It’s okay not to know what to do. It’s okay to be upset.”
The elevator door opened and the attendant waved them inside.
“First floor, please.” Adelaide spoke to Dimitri in hushed tones. “I’ll be upset later. Right now, I’ve got to get things handled.”
He reached for her elbow and escorted her off the elevator. “We’ve got things to handle. I’m here to help.”
Good. She would need all hands on deck. “First things first: we need to have that side of the second floor blocked off from new arrivals, if at all possible.”
He nodded. “I’ll work with security on it, and I’ll talk to Erika about rerouting new arrivals as much as she can.”
The wail of sirens sounded in the distance.
Adelaide took in a deep breath. “Then please pull Mr. Muller’s records. I’m sure the police will want them sooner rather than later.” She squeezed Dimitri’s arm before he rushed away. She couldn’t explain what his subtle strength of being with her right now meant.
Two police cruisers, lights flashing in time with the sirens, pulled up and parked right in front of the hotel. She let out a sigh when the two uniformed officers turned them off before brushing aside the poor doorman.
She had a job to do, without borrowing from Dimitri’s might.
Adelaide straightened her shoulders and met the officers. “I’m the general manager. My chief of security called you.”
“Yes, ma’am. A detective is on his way, but we’re here to secure the scene.”
“I understand and am happy to escort you to the scene—”
“There’s no need for that. We’d prefer to limit possible contaminations to the scene. Just tell us where to go.”
She supposed now wasn’t the time to tell them she’d already been in the room and possibly contaminated the scene. However, she hadn’t realized they’d find a dead body when they’d gone in the room. “Take the elevators to the second floor. It’s to your right after you get off the elevator. Room 219.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Several people checking in had stopped and stared. Now they looked to her for some sort of explanation, for reassurance.
She smiled over the group. “New Orleans’s finest, ladies and gentlemen. No more pranksters at the Darkwater today.” Not pranksters today, that was for sure. She waved toward the front desk. “Ask about our fun foray into the nightlife last night when a couple decided to pull the fire alarm for a prank.”
The group of guests chuckled and moved their attention back away from her and the scene of the police making such a grand entrance.
“Erika’s taking care of the guests, and I have Kevin Muller’s information.” Dimitri held up a paper, a print out of the guest’s information from the reservation system.
“I guess we should head back up to the room now to deliver the info to the police.” Adelaide moved to the elevator without waiting for a response.
Dimitri was unfamiliarly silent.
“I guess the police will tell us what happened,” she offered.
He looked at her with wide eyes. “He was covered in blood and slumped into the bathroom. What does that say to you, Adelaide?”
The elevator dinged and opened just as reality barged its way in.
The guest had been murdered!
Five
Beau
Detective Savoie stood beside his partner, Marcel Taton, in front of the Darkwater Inn, his heart pounding in his chest. Murder wasn’t much of a shock in New Orleans, but this one was a little too close for comfort. This was Addy’s hotel. He drew in a deep breath as he began to do the job he was here to do.
Aside from the police cruisers littering the front of the hotel, nothing amiss caught his well-trained eye. He already knew the Crime Scene Unit had responded. Their van was most likely parked in the back of the hotel. It was bad business for any hotel to have such theatrics. Poor Addy.
Beau and Marcel flashed their shields at the uniformed doorman as they made their way inside. The city might be one that hid the secrets of crime and grittiness, but she also had the eccentricities of older, kinder years from decades ago. Like uniformed doormen and elevator attendants. Fresh flowers on hotel entry tables. Real marble floors with genuine mahogany details.
The extra touches that Beau would bet Addy put to making the hotel the luxurious place it was.
An auburn-haired man with years weighing down the corners of his eyes approached Beau and Marcel with uneven steps. “Welcome to the Darkwater, sir. How may I assist you today?”
Beau held up his badge. “Can you please take us to the crime scene?”
The smile slipped off the older man’s face. “Of course, sirs. Right this way.” He pointed the way to the elevators.
“Thank you.” Beau met an elevator attendant just as one of the elevator doors slid open. He stepped inside before he flashed his badge. “If you’ll just direct us to the crime scene?”
The young man reached around and pushed the two button inside the elevator. “Second floor, sirs. Take a right off the elevators and it’s just down the hall. You won’t be able to miss it.”
Of course they wouldn’t. It was a murder scene, so their colleagues would swarm the hotel room. The CSU would have a variety of experts: fingerprint technician, forensics photographer, and evidence collector.
“Thank you.” Beau pulled out his trusty notebook and pen. Some detectives preferred a pencil so they could erase, but he preferred ink because the writing didn’t fade and sometimes, just sometimes, he needed to see what he’d crossed out.
Marcel didn’t take notes. The man had almost a total recall memory. He was an asset but could also be an annoyance when Beau acted on instinct. There were some things the police academy just couldn’t teach—gut feelings. Only experience could do that. Marcel was gradually learning how important a hunch could be in solving homicides. Beau liked to think that was all his doing, despite Marcel’s protests to the contrary.
Beau took a moment to quickly process what he’d seen, not bothering to even think about what dispatch had told him, aside from the victim’s name—Kevin Muller from Natchitoches, Louisiana. Beau never retained anything more than the address, how many victims, and their names. He didn’t want to be jaded by what he’d been told, but would rather rely on his own observations at the scene. Evidence and facts convinced juries.
Marcel, a few years Beau’s junior, knew Beau’s method from the two years they’d been partners. He stood silently in the elevator, letting Beau process in his customary manner.
The
moment they stepped out of the elevator and onto the floor, Beau started taking notes. How many steps it took from the elevator to room 219—twenty-six steps—how many security cameras he detected and how they were positioned in relation to the hotel door and elevators—two facing the elevators and one in the corner just around the curve by the room—and jotted a reminder to find out who had been the elevator attendant on duty during the time of the murder.
One of the department’s uniformed officers stood outside the door of room 219, along with a tall African American whose suit defined the cut of his arm muscles. Judging by his stance, he could only be the hotel’s security.
As if he’d heard Beau’s thoughts, the man blocked the door.
Suddenly, the hallway seemed much smaller with the man filling the space.
“Detectives.” The officer straightened. “Dispatch just updated that the coroner should be here any minute, sirs.”
As if he didn’t have his radio plugged into his ear bud? Beau shook it off. Young uniformed officers didn’t know. “Should be right behind me.”
The hulk of a man offered his hand to Beau. “Geoff Aubois, Darkwater’s chief of security. I discovered the body, called it in.”
Firm grip, but not crushing. “Detective Beauregard Savoie. I’m the detective handling this case. This is my partner, Detective Marcel Taton.”
Marcel shook the man’s hand.
The security man nodded at Marcel. “Anybody ever tell you that you bear an uncanny resemblance to Taye Diggs?”
“Yep. A time or two.” Marcel shrugged off the remark he got all the time. “Can you walk us through the details?”
Beau took detailed notes as Geoff explained in short but thorough facts how the hotel came to discover the body.
Beau paused in taking notes, pen poised over the notepad. “You mean Ad—Miss Fountaine was present when the body was found?”
The security officer nodded.
This was awful. Addy shouldn’t have been exposed to a dead body. He’d literally been sick the first time he’d been exposed to a murder victim back at the academy. He could only imagine how Addy had to be feeling.