CHAPTER 44
C HAPTER 44
C urtis carried his new finery to the car, then had to return for a towel, which he spread over the rear seat. His entire SUV was smeared with grit and smelled of too many sweaty bodies. Despite the heat, he drove with all the windows down. He was waiting at a Morehead City stoplight several blocks from the bridge when he realized he had not turned his phone back on.
Soon as it came online, his phone began chiming with incoming texts. Nine in all, each from the deputy manager in charge of food and beverages. Alvita was an attractive woman in her forties, half Jamaican and half French Canadian. She stood a trace under six feet, and when happy, she showed the world a wide and brilliant smile. Following the resort’s multiple firings, Curtis had used the same detective to do a summary check on all the hotel’s senior staff. Alvita had a master’s in hotel management from Miami U. She ran a very tight ship and kept meticulous accounts. She was kind to the staff that met her exacting standards. To those unfortunate few who did not, she scorched the earth.
Alvita answered midway through the first ring. “This is how you treat your staff in such an hour?”
“I’m so sorry, this day has been—”
“Never you mind, your day. It’s my day that should have you in a panic.”
“Alvita, why are you calling me and not Simon?”
“Hmph. That is indeed the question. Especially when my boss and his assistant manager both ordered me never, never, never to speak with your good self.”
This was news. “Simon instructed you not to contact me?”
“He tells me not to enter the same room with a certain Mr. Gage. That man, Simon tells me, is a monster. A giant snake in Gucci.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Hmph. Well. I don’t have time for that, either. Tell me the truth now, are you a monster?”
Curtis had the distinct impression the woman was trying hard not to laugh. Which made no sense. “No. I’m not. Where is Simon?”
“Oh, Mr. Gage. You will not believe what I have to say.”
“ Call me Curtis.”
“Now that does not sound to me like the name of a Gucci monster.”
“We’re talking about Simon,” he reminded her.
“Well. My two bosses, they spent hours this morning together in Simon’s office with that man from India.”
He reached the bridge’s island side and stopped by the first light. “Ajeet met with Simon?”
“He did more than meet, good sir. They called my room service staff for this and that, and I was the one who personally made the deliveries. Which means each time I listened to a few words before Simon hissed the others to silence.” The laughter bubbled closer to the surface. “I am thinking this Indian gentleman is the Gucci snake.”
“You are an excellent judge of character, Alvita.”
“Hmph. I need that ability to be doing this job, I tell you that straight up. Where was I? More important, where are you?”
“Heading north on the island highway. What happened next?”
“That Indian snake, what is his name?”
“Ajeet.”
“Hmph. Well. Those two gentlemen who checked in with Ajeet, the ones in city suits, they come rushing into Simon’s office. That is when the shouting starts. And the swearing. Oh, my poor scalded ears! Such language. Then these four goons come parading in. The office door had to stay open because there wasn’t room for everyone. And then, the shouting changes to even more foul language, which stops the lobby, just freezes our guests in their tracks. I wanted to run around, plugging the ears of every child with napkins.”
Now Curtis shared the woman’s smile. “Sounds like something ruined Simon’s and Ajeet’s day.”
“Hmph. Well. On this point, you and I are agreeing.”
“And then?”
“That Gucci monster, he stomps out with his goons and that pair in their city suits. Ajeet keeps shouting, and I look inside the office before the assistant manager shuts the door. I see Simon just sitting behind his desk, his head in his hands.”
“So Ajeet is gone.”
“Did I just say that?”
“I have no idea.”
“Perhaps you need lessons in listening. Yes. The man is gone. Him and the city suits and Ajeet’s four monsters.”
“And Simon?”
Finally the laughter emerged. “He’s gone, too. Him and his number two. They are both about as far gone as they can be, and still be inside Simon’s office.”
“They’re drunk?”
“Oh no. Those two left drunk a long time ago. Five bottles of the finest wine from tonight’s event, those two have drunk. Five Lafites. Those two, they may wake up someday. When they do—oh, my—you’ll see just how sick two poor souls can be after drinking five thousand dollars’ worth of wine. ”
Curtis reached an empty stretch of island road and sped up. “The guest chef has arrived?”
“The chef, the food, the band, the wine.” She kept up with the gentle laughter. Truly enjoying herself. “What’s left of it.”
“Use Ajeet’s room, have some of your stronger staff cart them up,” Curtis told her. “Alvita, can you handle the hotel?”
“Are you asking me to do this for the night? Or for tomorrow as well?”
“Which do you want?”
“You are asking me this for real?”
“I am.”
“This is the position I have dreamed of since deciding Simon was a snake of the first order. Before even then. Since first setting foot in this fine place.”
“The job is yours.”
“Sir, Curtis, for a monster, you have made me very happy.”
“Can you spare a staffer to make sure those two don’t emerge during our party?”
“I will personally tie them up,” Alvita replied. “Another dream I have had for so very long.”