We loaded what little room there was left on our plates with gravy, mashed-potatoes, stuffing, and a little cranberry jelly, and then sat down to eat.
Several minutes into our meal, I saw Tom mount the stage. Moments later, the music died, and the dj handed Tom a microphone. Tom usually made a little speech while everyone was eating and before things got too wild.
As Tom prepared to speak, the roar of conversation gradually faded to soft chatter. He cleared his throat and the crowd quieted.
“Tonight I’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for another great year. Your hard work and dedication has given the Lanigan, downtown Chicago’s leading hotel service scores once again this year, and I’m proud to say that by November, we’ve already surpassed revenue expectations.”
There was silence as Tom paused for a moment, eying the crowd. The employees knew what was coming.
“This means that everyone…I repeat, everyone, will be getting a bonus this year.” A roar went up from the crowd as Tom stood beaming. After a moment, the excitement subsided and Tom continued.
“I would also like to take tonight to announce that at the end of this year, I will be retiring as the general manager of the Lanigan Hotel,” he choked slightly on his words as he said the hotel’s name.
There was dead silence.
You could have heard a pin drop as employees looked from one another to Tom and back in stunned disbelief.
“But fear not,” he perked up, holding up a finger, “I will not desert my post unmanned.”
At this point he turned in my direction and smiled; a twinkle in his eye.
I sat in frozen silence.
The detective leaned over. “Congrats Haze, looks like you just got promoted.”
I took a long drink of my cocktail and sat for a moment, collecting my thoughts, then managed a whispered, “Yeah, thanks…I guess.”
Tom beamed down at me.
“Will our manager on duty, Robert Haze please join me on stage?” he asked.
And with that, I rose from my seat to thunderous applause from the crowd and made my way up to take my place beside Tom.
**************
Be sure to look for the follow-up book in the M.O.D. Files series: The Case of the Linen Pressed Guest.
The Lanigan Hotel is known the world over for its five-star service, its lush amenities, and its prestigious position atop the list of the world’s most luxurious hotels. Since its reconstruction following the Great Chicago Fire, it has hosted world leaders, top names in entertainment, and even royalty. But that doesn’t mean this lauded landmark is immune to murder.
In the second installment in the M.O.D. Files series, Robert Haze is back as the jack-of-all-trades manager on duty of Chicago’s world renowned Lanigan Hotel. On a slow day just before Christmas, Robert stumbles across a guest in a place where he shouldn’t be. That’s not uncommon considering Robert’s job often puts him in contact with hundreds of guests each day in the 1800-plus room property…but most of the time, these guests aren’t dead.
As Detective John Marino of the Chicago Police Department arrives to handle the case, Robert looks to assist him in whatever way possible to solve what will become: The Case of the Linen Pressed Guest.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
The Case of the Guest Who Stayed Over (The M.O.D. Files Book 1) Page 25