Chapter 12
When Sean followed Roger from the staff wing of the hotel back toward the guest rooms, they passed through the lobby. As they did, the grandfather clock in the lobby chimed the nine o’clock hour.
The chimes rang loudly, each one a reminder of the ticking clock that worked against every case Sean had ever investigated. Time marched on, and as the final chime’s echo lingered, Sean hoped to find both girls before their time was up.
Roger opened the door, and Sean expected to find a dusty old room untouched by time, with sheets covering the furniture. But when Roger shone his flashlight inside, Sean found a space that was nearly identical to his own.
The room had two queen beds and a bathroom, with furnishings like his room. Three stacks of boxes lined the wall near the television, with a few more stacked on top of the dresser.
“As I said, no one goes in here except for the staff,” Roger said.
Sean paced the room. “You remodeled this one like the other rooms?”
“Yeah,” Roger answered.
“Seems like a waste not to use it,” Sean said.
“I do all right without it,” Roger said. “And, if I’m being honest, sometimes, on occasion, I use it as a selling point. People love a good murder mystery, and for a special fee, I let people spend the night. To get their kicks, you know?”
“When was the last time someone stayed in this room?” Sean asked.
“Oh, it’s been a couple of months,” Roger answered.
Sean checked the closet, barren except for a few coat hangers and one slightly dusty hotel robe. He then checked under the beds and the dresser drawers but found nothing.
“Who on staff has access to this room?” Sean asked.
“Everyone,” Roger answered. “Well, except for Luke. He doesn’t need to have access to the rooms. So, just me, Stephen, and Emily.”
“You get along okay with such a small staff?” Sean asked, still glancing around the room, scanning the area in small grids to make sure he didn’t miss anything.
“We’re not a big hotel,” Roger answered. “I mean, yeah, we have a lot of space, but with only six rooms we rent, it’s not hard to manage. Plus, it lets me cater to each guest’s needs. How did you like the champagne?”
“It was very nice,” Sean answered.
“Spared no expense,” Roger said.
Sean smiled again, but he wasn’t so sure about the “expense” description. He had seen that same bottle of champagne in the liquor store for only forty dollars a bottle.
“Tell me more about the history of this room,” Sean said. “Were the murders real or just a folktale?”
“No, it was definitely real,” Roger answered.
“It was the reason this place was shut down for so long and how I bought it for cheap.” He pointed to the bed.
“A maid found the family butchered in their beds when she came to change their sheets. One of the hotel staff had killed them; at least that was the theory. The murders were never solved. It made a lot of people angry, mainly because of the kids being slaughtered, I think. They were both girls, aged five and seven.”
Sean grimaced. While Roger spoke about the story nonchalantly, Sean had seen more than his share of death up close. And there was nothing more gruesome than the death of a child.
Sean wondered if someone was trying to recreate the deaths. It wouldn’t be the first time someone wanted to make a name for themselves, but until he had more information, he wouldn’t jump to conclusions.
Sean finished his search of the room and then moved into the bathroom. He moved slowly, in no hurry, even though Roger looked like he was annoyed.
The bathroom’s vanity drawers contained only some toiletries and spare towels. But when Sean checked the small, round trash can next to the toilet, he found a single crumpled piece of paper.
Sean picked it up, unfurled it, and found it was a gas station receipt. Someone had purchased a pack of cigarettes and a Coke.
“When was the last time someone cleaned or entered this room?” Sean asked.
“Uh, maybe last Friday?” Roger asked. “Why?”
Sean turned around, showed Roger the receipt, and checked the time and date. The items were purchased last night at nine o’clock.
Someone had been in here, but what they were doing, and why, remained to be seen.