No Vacancy

Chapter 1

The sharp knock on the door snapped Sean Callahan from the edge of a sleep that had never come. The empty champagne bottle floating in the melted ice on the hotel dresser was partly to blame, and the woman curled up against him was the other.

“I thought you put the Do Not Disturb sign up?” Jennie Myers kept her eyes closed, her voice smooth as velvet even in the morning when most people sounded like they had a frog in their throat.

“I did,” Sean answered.

Three more knocks on the door, these more hurried than the previous courtesy knock, made Sean second-guess himself.

Sean lifted the covers, and Jennie immediately shivered as the morning chill infiltrated their warm bubble. It was oddly cold, but Sean thought it was because he was naked. He stumbled through the room’s darkness, keeping the lights off so Jennie could continue to sleep.

A cold, wet spot on the carpet where an ice cube had melted sent a shock of adrenaline through him, and then his big toe eventually found his pants. He clumsily shoved his legs through.

Another three quick knocks preceded a muffled, worried voice. “Mr. Callahan? I’m sorry to disturb you, but it’s urgent.”

Unable to find his shirt in the darkness, Sean snatched the robe hanging off the bathroom door to help cover up. He peered through the peephole to find the hotel manager with one of his staff members standing next to him.

The hallway was dark, and both men held flashlights.

Sean slid the chain off the lock and opened the door. He glanced down at the handle, the Do Not Disturb sign clearly visible.

“I apologize for the intrusion,” the hotel manager said.

He was in his early fifties, with thin, graying hair.

Wrinkles were carved on his face like roads on a map.

When he spoke, a missing molar showed on the top right side of his mouth.

He probably thought it was too far back for most folks not to notice.

But Sean did.

“There’s been…an incident,” the manager said.

Sean blinked away the sleep in his eyes. He had no idea what time it was. “Did the power go out?” Sean asked, realizing the hallway was completely dark.

“Yes,” the manager answered. “The blizzard knocked it out early this morning, but I’m here for something else.”

The manager was nervous, and so was the young man next to him. Sean remembered him helping with their bags when they had arrived yesterday.

“We have a missing guest,” the hotel manager answered. “A young girl.”

Sean remained silent.

“We’ve searched the hotel and have been unable to find her,” the hotel manager continued. “The parents are very worried, and I was hoping you might talk to them, perhaps offer some guidance.”

Sean stared down at the men’s nametags. The manager’s name was Roger, and the butler who had helped with their bags yesterday was Stephen.

“Listen, Roger, the girl is probably just hiding,” Sean said. “Kids like to explore new places they visit.”

“I thought the same, but, um,” Roger fiddled with his fingers, nervously twisting them, “there was a note.”

Sean’s morning fog started to clear. “What kind of note?”

“It might be better if you come and see for yourself,” Roger said. “I understand that we’re not in your county, Sheriff, but considering you’re here, I just thought?—”

“I’ll get dressed and be out in a minute,” Sean said.

Roger sighed with relief. “Thank you so much, and of course, I’ll be sure to comp your dinner from last night for the intrusion.”

Sean nodded and then shut the door. He wasn’t thinking about the comped meal or being woken up.

He was thinking about the parents of the missing girl and how frightened they might be.

But most of all, Sean was thinking about what was written on the note and how he no longer believed the girl was playing hide-and-seek.