Chapter 11
Sean questioned Ray Cranton a bit longer, but the man reverted to his one-word answers, and Sean found himself running in circles, so he thanked Mr. Cranton for his time but made sure to circle his name in his notepad.
Just because Ray Cranton was a single male traveling alone didn’t mean he was responsible for either of the Karlas’ disappearances, but it did make him a potential suspect. Not to mention his background in social work, which put him in close proximity with children.
Sean wasn’t trying to paint Ray as the bad social worker that was so often portrayed in television and film, but he owed it to Karla, and to the missing bride, to follow up on every lead he found.
Sean’s interview with Ray Cranton wrapped up the conversations with the hotel guests. Well, except for Jennie, but she had been with Sean all night.
The only group left to speak with was the staff, and Roger had gathered everyone in the staff’s living quarters on the north end of the hotel.
Each staff member had their own room: one for Roger, whom Sean discovered wasn’t just the manager, but the hotel's owner. There was Emily, the receptionist, concierge, and housekeeper. There was Stephen, the butler and waiter, and then there was Luke, the hotel’s chef.
All four waited anxiously for Sean, and he chose to start with Roger’s room first, hoping to show that by searching the boss’s room, no one was above suspicion.
Roger’s room was heavily furnished, as if he lived here full time, and it turned out he did.
“I bought the hotel, and it had a room. I figured, well, what the hell do I need a house for?” Roger asked. “I’m not married. I don’t have kids. This suits me just fine.”
Sean didn’t have a search warrant, but since Roger had consented to the search, anything he found would hold up in court.
If this ever went that far.
Sean still secretly hoped Karla Grayson would show up and say she was playing a joke on her parents, and they would be mad and relieved. Then the bride would turn up, holding her head, with a funny story about how she had passed out in the snow or a stairwell.
But the growing uneasiness in Sean’s gut made him doubt a happy ending.
Roger confirmed he had been in his room all night and didn’t leave. When Sean asked if anyone could corroborate his story, he cleared his throat and then leaned closer so only Sean could hear. “Ask Emily,” Roger said, and then leaned back, remaining silent.
Sean waited for more, but he sensed that Roger and Emily’s…affairs weren’t known to the rest of the staff. But, considering the thirty-year age gap, Sean would be sure to follow up with Emily.
After Sean finished with Roger, he checked Stephen’s room next, which was next door to Roger’s.
Stephen also said that he had been in his room for most of the night, but he was on room service call until midnight.
He said he had gone to the Graysons’ room around eight thirty, bringing some ice cream to Karla and her mother, and then to the bachelorette party, who had requested chicken wings.
“I told them we didn’t have that, but I was able to bring them a charcuterie board,” Stephen said. “They booed me, but once they started eating, everyone was quiet.”
“Was the bride there when you dropped off the food?” Sean asked.
“She was,” Stephen answered.
Sean nodded and then walked around Stephen’s room. It wasn’t as homey as Roger’s, and Stephen told Sean he was only a seasonal worker.
“I’m here during the busy season, then usually travel during my time off,” Stephen said. “I’m lucky enough that Roger keeps hiring me back on.”
Because Stephen’s room was so bare-bones, it was easy to pick out a photograph on Stephen’s dresser. It showed a younger Stephen with an older man.
“Is that your dad?” Sean asked.
Stephen smiled. “Yeah.”
“Are you close with him?” Sean asked, remembering his own struggles with his father growing up.
“I was, yes,” Stephen answered.
Sean noticed the past tense, and before he could probe further, Stephen explained.
“He passed away six months ago,” Stephen said.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Sean replied.
“Me too,” Stephen said. “My dad was… He was everything to me. Taught me how to be a man, to do the right thing, even when it was hard or unpopular. I owe everything I have to that man. I miss him.” Stephen teared up but then turned and quickly wiped them away before composing himself again.
“It can be hard to lose the people we love,” Sean said. “But they never really leave us.”
“I sometimes wonder if he would be proud of me,” Stephen said. “I find myself wishing I could pick up the phone and call him. I even still do sometimes, dialing his number without me even thinking about it. I talked to my dad about everything. And he always had good advice.”
Sean envied Stephen’s relationship with his father. He did not have the same experience growing up. “I’m sure he wishes he could talk to you, too.”
“Thank you,” Stephen said.
After Sean wrapped up in Stephen’s room, he walked across the hall to Emily’s room. The young woman was the most nervous of the group, and when Sean entered the room and saw the lingerie on the bed, she quickly snatched it up and tossed it into her dresser drawer.
“Sorry,” Emily said, blushing.
Sean waved it off, paying it no attention.
“Did you hear anything last night?” Sean asked. “Notice anything strange?”
“I heard the bachelor and bachelorette party, just like everyone else, I imagine,” Emily answered. “They were just having fun… I think.”
“Did you notice any strange behavior between the men and women in that group?” Sean asked, knowing that, as the only woman on staff, Emily could see things the men could not.
“I mean, nothing that unusual,” Emily said, and then she shrugged. “I don’t know, I think that maybe the bride was having cold feet?”
“What makes you say that?” Sean asked.
“It’s just… Nothing, it’s stupid,” Emily answered, and she lowered her head.
“Please,” Sean answered, gently coaxing the girl.
“Well, I mean, I’ve seen a lot of couples that come here, like, a lot,” Emily said.
“It’s a romantic place, and I can always tell when a couple is having trouble or if they’re really in love.
” She smiled when she looked at Sean. “Like, you and your lady, I could tell that it was the real thing. And the way she looked at you, and you looked at her… It was like out of a fairytale.”
Sean smiled. “I’m very lucky.”
Emily shrugged. “I just…didn’t see that with the husband and wife-to-be. There was a lot of nervous energy. I’ve always been sensitive to that sort of thing. But if you’re looking for cold, hard proof that I saw something bad or wrong?” Emily shook her head. “No.”
Emily was young, early twenties. But she had kind eyes, and Sean couldn’t help but feel a protective instinct for her, like a younger sister.
“As for last night, were you alone?” Sean asked.
Emily fiddled with her fingers. “Um, no. I was with, um, Roger.”
“All night?” Sean asked.
Emily blushed.
“I don’t need to know the details, just the time you were together,” Sean said, hoping to ease the girl’s concerns.
“From ten last night to six this morning,” Emily said, still avoiding Sean’s gaze.
Sean jotted down the time for both Emily and Roger, thanked her for speaking with him, and then moved on to the last room, which belonged to Chef Luke.
Out of everyone, the chef looked the most nonchalant. He said nothing as Sean entered the room, picking at his nails.
“How long have you been working at The Bonnie?” Sean asked.
“Four years,” Luke answered, focused on his pinkie nail.
“You like it here?” Sean asked.
Luke shrugged.
Sean glanced around the chef’s room. “Did you hear anything strange last night?”
“I was in the kitchen most of the night, so no,” Luke answered.
“How long were you in the kitchen last night?” Sean asked.
“I finished up maybe like one thirty in the morning? Maybe two?” Luke answered.
“What about after you were finished in the kitchen?” Sean asked.
“Came back here and crashed,” Luke answered. “I run that kitchen alone. Prep, cook, clean up, all by myself. By the time the day is over, I’m toast.”
“Hard work,” Sean said. “Dinner was delicious, by the way.”
“I know,” Luke said.
“Right,” Sean said.
Luke’s room was the barest of them all. No pictures. No posters. No paintings. No sign that anyone lived here at all.
“You said you’ve been here for four years?” Sean asked.
“That’s right,” Luke answered.
“Haven’t done much decorating,” Sean said.
“It’s not my thing,” Luke replied.
Sean checked a few drawers and the closet; he found nothing but a few plain shirts and Luke’s chef whites, hung neatly and orderly. But when Sean entered the bathroom, he found something troubling.
The rubber cord was noticeable, hanging out of one of the vanity drawers. It was the kind of strap that Sean had seen on junkies who shot up heroin. It was used to tighten around the arm, bulge the vein, and allow the needle to penetrate. When Luke noticed Sean staring at it, Luke’s face went pale.
“I take it you know what this is?” Sean asked.
Luke shook his head, stuttering over his words, before he spat out a quick, “I don’t know.”
With the knowledge that Luke was most likely a druggie, Sean re-checked the room more thoroughly, searching through clothes and pants pockets, pillowcases, and underneath the mattresses for any sign of drugs.
Sean didn’t find anything, and just because the man might have had an addiction didn’t mean he was guilty of anything else. But addicts weren’t known for good decision-making.
When Sean brought the rubber band to Roger, the hotel owner acknowledged Luke’s struggle with substance abuse.
“He has an addiction, but he’s the best chef in the state,” Roger said. “Look, he doesn’t use while he’s on the clock, and he’s never had a problem with getting his shit done. He just gets high sometimes.”
“High on heroin,” Sean said flatly.
“Don’t ask; don’t tell,” Roger said, laughing, and then he cleared his throat. “Did you find any drugs on him?”
“No,” Sean answered.
“See? There you go,” Roger said.
Despite Roger’s belief, Sean didn’t feel any better about Luke’s problem. But without actual drugs, he couldn’t hold the man.
Sean stepped back out into the hallway. The rest of the staff had huddled together, whispering. But amidst the chatter, Sean caught a single word: murder.
“What was that?” Sean asked, raising his voice, startling the butler and the receptionist.
“Oh, nothing,” Emily answered.
“It might not be nothing,” Stephen replied. “The Bonnie has a violent history.”
“That was a long time ago,” Roger said, and then he lowered his voice. “And we don’t need any rumors spreading right now.”
“Regardless, I’d like to hear it,” Sean said.
The staff glanced at one another, but Stephen spoke up.
“Well, there’s room 109,” Stephen said.
Roger sighed. “There was a murder here in the fifties. A family was killed, and room 109 was where it happened. I don’t rent that room out because… Well, because I don’t want any bad juju, you know?”
“So, it’s empty,” Sean replied.
“Yeah, but we searched it this morning before I came and found you about the missing girl,” Roger said.
“I’ll need to see it,” Sean answered.
Sean followed Roger down the hallway, wondering if room 109 could be another piece of this puzzle that was growing more complicated by the minute.