Pepper River Boat Hut (Pepper Bay #15)

1

Zach

Zach Sullivan had hoped to move out of London before winter hit, but he could hardly leave the hotel where he worked without a day manager. The man taking over his job had been knocked off his bicycle by a bus and died the day he was due to start. Now Zach was training someone else to fill the role, which meant he had to rearrange his own plans.

He stared out the window at the end of the long corridor on the third floor. The December sky was grey, threatening rain, the street below hectic as ever, and Christmas was approaching.

Decorations had been going up in the foyer all morning, and seeing how the large Christmas tree took the best part of the day to dazzle the guests, Zach knew he wasn’t expected to stick around to supervise. The same company had been hired to decorate The Plaza Don for years, so everything was running smoothly as usual. He could spend another five minutes daydreaming about his future in Pepper Bay.

There wasn’t anyone around to see, so Zach slouched for a moment, leaning against the pane. Even though he’d lived in the city for quite a few years, he still preferred the view from the place where he grew up. London life had given him what he needed, and now it was time to return home to the Isle of Wight.

The lift pinged, and Zach straightened immediately, checking over his dark suit for any sign of a crease. He started walking until he saw it was the concierge who had arrived on his floor.

‘Boss, what you doing up here?’ asked the young man, light curls bouncing with each step.

‘I’ve told you not to call me that, Adrian.’

Adrian saluted. ‘Yes, Mr Sullivan.’

Zach raised his eyebrows, and Adrian grinned. ‘Were you looking for me?’

‘Nope. Got some theatre tickets for the Larsons, as promised. You know me.’ He waggled a pair of shiny silver tickets. ‘Check out these bad boys. Got them from Miff himself. VIP backstage passes. Do you know how much I could sell these for?’

‘Probably more than the Larsons paid for their room.’

Adrian’s toothy grin faded a touch. ‘Sad but true.’

‘At least you’ll get a good tip.’

‘Yep, I always do on the lower floors.’ Adrian huffed as he pointed at the ceiling. ‘Get sod all from the princess.’

Zach scorned him with his eyes. ‘Adrian, we don’t speak about the guests that way. You know that.’

‘Yeah, sorry, but she’s a flipping nightmare.’ He tapped his chest with the tickets. ‘I’m sure she thinks I’m her butler or something. Got me on speed dial,’ he whispered.

Zach fought off the desire to grin. ‘You have plenty of experience with the…’ He paused to pick the right word, but Adrian beat him to it.

‘High maintenance ones?’

‘Hmm.’

‘She’s a bit full-on though.’

‘A guest is a guest, and they are to be treated with the utmost respect.’ Zach lifted his chin a touch as he ended his sentence.

Adrian’s nose crinkled. ‘Hey, I deal with demands every day, but she takes the biscuit. I’m surprised she can afford to stay here, if I’m honest.’

It wasn’t like Adrian to speak about what people could afford, unless it was to do with the large tips he got for being the best concierge west of London. How he managed to get the guests everything they asked for still baffled Zach. The man was definitely sought-after.

‘Miss Farringdon doesn’t have money worries. No one that stays in the Penthouse Suite does, so what made you say that?’

Adrian tapped his ear. ‘You know me. Ears everywhere.’ He stepped into Zach’s personal space, lowering his voice. ‘I’m surprised you don’t know her story. It was all over the news.’

‘I don’t have time for the news.’

‘You need to get out more. You’re what? Thirty-nine?’

‘Thirty-seven now.’

Adrian narrowed his dark eyes. ‘See, you look older. Act it too. Mind you, I guess you do have to be mature to land this kind of gig.’

‘I worked my way up.’ Zach tried not to smile. He was always so proud of himself for how quickly his promotions came. He didn’t work all hours for nothing.

‘I guess there’s method in your madness, seeing how you’re leaving us soon.’ Adrian quickly gave him a bear hug, much to Zach’s amusement.

‘Yes, thank you, that’s enough of that.’

Adrian grinned. ‘You know it’s hard to take that stern frown of yours seriously when you have eyes like that.’

‘Like what?’

‘Piercing blue. All swoony and…’ He stopped, still flashing his wide grin.

‘And what?’

Adrian shook his head. ‘Nah, you’ll think I’m flirting.’

Zach burst out laughing. ‘You’ll get the sack for not getting on with your job in a minute.’ He waved him away. ‘Go on. I’m sure the Larsons are eagerly awaiting your arrival.’

‘But I haven’t told you about the princess yet.’

‘You’re not to gossip.’

Adrian scoffed. ‘Oh, please. How long have you worked in hotels? The guests are an endless source of entertainment.’

Zach wanted to chastise him and send him on his way, but Miss Farringdon’s story had his attention. ‘Spit it out then.’

‘Her dad went bankrupt. Dodgy deals or something. Was due to be sent away for quite some time. Porridge wasn’t his style, so he done himself in.’

‘What?’

Adrian pulled in his thick lips as he nodded. ‘Yep.’

‘Oh, that poor woman.’

‘That’s what worries me?’

‘You’re worried about her?’

Adrian shook his head. ‘Not likely. Proper snob that one. No, what I’m saying is, if her old man snuffed it penniless, how is she going to pay the bill here?’

Zach took a moment for the words to sink in. ‘She obviously has her own income.’

‘She doesn’t.’

‘How would you… You checked her out?’

Adrian shrugged. ‘You know me. I make it my business to know about our guests in case they need something.’

‘You shouldn’t snoop. Anyway, I’m sure she has money. She’s staying in our most expensive suite.’

‘But you how it works here. The guests don’t pay in advance. They settle their bills on leaving day, right?’

A knot twisted in Zach’s gut. There was no way he was going out with that kind of smudge to his good name. Not once had anyone dodged paying a bill in all the time he was manager. And those kinds of shenanigans weren’t about to start now, but how on earth could he ask Miss Farringdon if she was skint and thinking of doing a runner?

‘Sorry to hit you with the lack of trust fund going on upstairs, but best you get a heads-up now, I say.’ Adrian offered a sympathetic smile.

‘I don’t worry until there is something to worry about.’ Zach totally lied but had to stand by his words. ‘It doesn’t matter what gossip you heard on the grapevine, we don’t know this woman. Perhaps someone else is taking care of her now her father has passed away.’

Adrian frowned. ‘Good luck to them.’ He thumbed down the corridor. ‘Right, I’m off.’

Zach went to the lift and pressed the button. There was a staff lift as well, but both he and Adrian preferred to use the public one so they could get the chance to interact with the guests.

No one was inside when it arrived, so Zach went down to the lobby alone. Staring at his reflection in the door mirror, he adjusted his tie a millimetre to the left.

I need an excuse to get in her room and talk to her. I’ll soon see if she’s hiding anything .

Zach was good at spotting liars, and he was sure her eyes would give something away, but what could he possibly say that would take them down the road he needed to travel?

Erm, excuse me, Miss Farringdon, but could you please tell me if you’re up shit creek without a paddle?

He shook his head, then quickly composed himself as the lift door opened.

The noise of the staff decorating the foyer was kept to a minimum as not to disturb anyone, but the guests walking in and out of the hotel seemed happy enough to stop for a while to enjoy the displays coming together.

Zach went behind the reception desk. ‘Nadia, put up the Penthouse Suite.’

Nadia’s dark-green eyes flashed his way as she hesitated, and he knew it was because it was an unusual request.

‘I need to check something.’ He poked a finger at her monitor.

Nadia brought up the bill. ‘She orders room service for all her meals,’ she said quietly.

‘Doesn’t she go out?’

‘I’ve not seen her.’

Zach glanced over at the private lift that went directly to the larger suites. ‘But she’s been checked on? She’s okay?’

Nadia gave a little shrug. ‘I assume so. The staff all talk about her.’

‘Because her father was on the news?’

‘No, because she’s a horrible cow.’ Nadia slapped her hand over her mouth. ‘Sorry, sir.’

Zach gestured at the screen. ‘You can take that off now.’ He went out the back to his office, wondering if Miss Farringdon knew the hotel wasn’t all-inclusive. She’d certainly racked up quite the bill. He could see why Adrian had highlighted her.

He peered at his laptop, daring himself to enter her name. It wasn’t exactly stalking as such. After all, her father had made the news. It was just a simple catch-up on current affairs.

‘Bloody hell!’

Cecil John Farringdon was a crook. Lost millions. Stole pension funds. Conned friends. Destroyed companies. Was going to prison with accomplices. Took his own life.

Zach homed in on one sentence, reading it out loud so it was clear. ‘Allegedly tricked his daughter into handing over her assets.’ He sat back, scraping a hand around the back of his light-brown hair, careful not to mess up his neat style.

She must have money. Why would she be here otherwise?

He looked back at the laptop, only seeing words like liquidation, repossession, bailiffs. It was baffling how someone that rich could lose the lot. Ever since he could remember, he had been good with his income. His late-mother had taught him well, and he in turn had passed down the knowledge of money management to his little brother, Cody.

Zach relaxed into his black leather chair, wondering how Cody was getting on with life as a married man. The thought made him smile. It was only the previous month that he’d gone home to the Isle of Wight for his brother’s wedding. Fifteen years his junior and already settled.

He turned to the framed picture on his desk of him and Cody grinning from ear to ear at Cody’s graduation day that summer.

If there was one person who could make Zach beam with pride, it was Cody. Having raised him since their mum died, he was so much more than just a brother. Cody was the reason he’d upped sticks and moved to London and worked so hard. He needed to make as much money as possible so he could give them the life they were supposed to have.

Pepper River Boat Hut had once been a thriving small business, thanks to their grandfather, but after he passed away, and their mum got sick, Zach couldn’t afford to do it alone. Their house was crumbling, the boats in need of an update, and his brother was just a kid.

Zach inhaled deeply. He’d finally achieved what he had set out to do, and now he was going home, with all his savings, plus the big fat bonus he was getting for his services to The Plaza Don. The Boat Hut was about to make a comeback. But there would be a major setback if it turned out Miss Farringdon brought scandal to the hotel by not paying the thousands she owed, and he knew the blame would fall to him, and he could kiss goodbye to that loyalty bonus.

One way or another, he had to get to the bottom of her financial situation, because if she tried to do a moonlight flit on his watch, he was pretty sure lack of funds would be the least of her problems.

There was no point allowing anger to fester. A plan was needed. He looked at the clock on the wall, remembering what Nadia had said about how the Penthouse Suite guest always ordered room service for every meal.

Lunch was up next, so Zach headed for the kitchen, knowing full well he was going to be the one lifting the cloche for Olive Farringdon.