Chapter Thirty-Three #2
Jo kept popping in and out of the room to see if she could help in any way. She told Kate to try not to get anxious, that she could stay as long as she needed to and not to worry about settling her bill. Everything would be sorted out in due course.
Kate closed her eyes and thought about the questions that she’d been asked. Had anyone had access to her finances, her account numbers and passwords? Had she followed a responsible process to protect her account information?
She knew that she was on shaky ground.
Foolishly, she used the same password for her accounts and had written the information in her diary, which she’d kept in her handbag, where she kept her purse and all her cards.
Kate was often forgetful. Only last week she’d left her bag in the Lemon Drop Café, when she’d had tea and cake with Andy and only remembered it when they got back to his car.
Anyone could have poked around in the contents.
In summary, the bank had told her that if they suspected that a person had not done their part in protecting account information it was possible that the losses wouldn’t be covered.
‘So, what are your thoughts?’ James asked. He’d listened to Kate’s conversation, only moving to put a couple more logs on the fire and light another candle. ‘Do you think it might be Andy?’
‘No, I don’t,’ Kate said. ‘He might be a total shit when it comes to not getting his own way in love, but he has plenty of money. I can’t for one moment imagine that he had any need to go after mine.’
‘I understand what you’re saying, after all, Andy is still in the hotel.
If he was guilty, one would think that he’d have checked out by now.
’ James sighed, he longed to pin this mess on Andy but it didn’t make any sense.
Kate was right, Andy may be a jilted lover and angry but he wasn’t short of cash and had always made a show of how much money he had.
The wind outside howled and the wooden shutters rattled.
They could hear the storm lashing against the sash windows.
Kate felt as angry as the weather and wondered who the hell had hacked into her accounts.
It was such a large sum of money and she kept asking herself why on earth she’d left so much in there.
But it was too late now; it had gone and it seemed unlikely that she would get it back. Her anger was pointless.
‘Will your life collapse without this money?’ James asked.
Kate took her time before replying. ‘No, I suppose not. I’m fortunate. I’ve no mortgage and have investments in other areas. I can only pray that the hacker hasn’t got access to those.’
‘Then you’re not wiped out.’
‘No, but it’s so humiliating,’ Kate said. ‘It makes me feel sick and I feel violated and such a fool.’ She sighed, weary with frustration for everything that had happened. ‘I was so stupid not to protect my account information.’
Tears slid down her cheeks and James, distraught to see her crying, found the courage to reach for her hand.
To his delight, Kate wrapped her fingers in his.
After a few moments James put his arm around her shoulder and Kate lay her head on his chest, her eyelids drowsy with sleep.
As the gusts and gales raged, the fire crackled and James soaked up the candle-lit atmosphere.
He turned and kissed the top of Kate’s head.
Her hair was soft and smelt of freshly picked flowers and reminded James of sunshine and warm sunny days. He leaned his cheek on her forehead and closed his eyes and in moments was sound asleep.
* * *
Hattie led Hugo along the corridor and told him that he must go to the Green Room, to join the other residents and wait until the power came back.
But Hugo was having none of it.
He wasn’t going to let Hattie search around for Lucinda on her own in the dark and said that it was his duty to accompany Hattie.
‘You’d better grab hold of this then.’ Hattie pulled her little rolling pin out of her pocket. ‘If there’s any sign of danger, use it.’
Hugo stared at the object and his eyes lit up. ‘No, old girl, you keep a hold of that,’ he said and whipped out Sir Henry’s walking stick. ‘My brother had multiple uses for this.’ Hugo pulled the silver top off the cane and a blade glistened in the dark.
‘Bleedin’ hell, Hugo.’ Hattie gasped and stepped back.
‘Shhh!’ Hugo whispered. ‘There’s someone coming.’
They’d reached the back of the hotel and could hear footsteps on the stairs.
A faint light from the window cast a shadow along the wall.
They could see a dark silhouette as the figure approached.
Hattie gripped Hugo’s arm and he turned and put his finger to Hattie’s lips.
Hattie felt her heart hammer as the figure got closer, a menacing object held high.
‘Don’t go any further!’ Hugo yelled as he leapt in front of Hattie. He brandished the cane and the figure tumbled back onto the landing.
‘It’s only me,’ a terrified voice squeaked out. ‘I came to look for Lucinda.’
‘Bob!’ Hattie and Hugo hissed and both reached down to pull him back on his feet.
‘I thought I could help,’ a shaken Bob said.
‘Jo told me that Lucinda is missing and the two of you were looking for her.’ He’d dropped the staff that he’d been carrying and groped around to find it.
‘I brought my Shaman’s stick.’ Bob lovingly caressed the carved wood.
‘If I bump into Andy, I’m going to use this. ’
‘Aye, well that’s all well and good and you might have to,’ Hattie said. ‘But Andy is missing too and me and Hugo have formed a search party.’
‘Oh, how exciting.’ Bob had recovered. ‘Can I join you?’
‘Step right up, old chap, delighted to have you on board.’
The trio formed a line and with their weapons held high, they crept along the corridor, their shadowy silhouettes caricatured by the light of Hattie’s torch as Hugo led them slowly down the stairs.