hall. I slid the room key into the slot, turned the knob and...CLICK. Okay. So I wasn't a fast study. But I was trainable.
The room was dark as a cave. "Hit the light, dear. I can't see a thing."
I fumbled for the switch on the wall and squinted when light diffused throughout the room.
"Well, would you look at that," said Nana. I suspected she was referring to the fact that this room was exactly like the other room, with one exception.
There were no windows.
And from what I could see in a quick visual scan, no luggage either. Delightful. I wheeled Nana's suitcase into the room and picked up the phone.
"Front desk," said the woman on the other end.
"This is Emily Andrew in 4624. We're in the wrong room again."
A pause. "What room are you supposed to be in?"
"A standard room."
Computer keys clicking. "Room 4624 is a standard room."
"N-no, no. I want the standard room with the four-poster bed, the little balcony, and the Jacuzzi."
"There are no standard rooms with those features. What you're describing is a prestige suite."
"Okay. I'll take one of those."
"There's a notation in our computer from your tour leader clearly specifying that you be assigned a standard room. If you wish to make a change, you'll need to contact him to change the request in the computer. Is there anything else, Madame?"
A slight pain started throbbing between my eyes. "Yes, there's something else. You were supposed to deliver two pieces of luggage to this room. Only one arrived."
Silence.
"Hello?"
"That's impossible. One moment please." Whispering. Mumbling. "The bellman assures me he delivered two pieces of luggage to your new room, Ms. Andrew."
"He might have delivered two, but one is missing. Mine. It's a twenty-six-inch tapestried pullman on wheels."
"We'll look into it and get back to you immediately."
I hung up the phone and proceeded to massage my temples. "Is international travel always this difficult?"
"I never been outside the country before, dear, but it don't seem too difficult on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Should I unpack?"
"You might as well. We can't go anywhere until Wally changes a notation in the computer."
Nana looked apprehensive. "I hope they find your suitcase soon. I'm gonna feel a whole lot better about defendin' myself when I can get my hands on that hair spray a yours."
I thought about calling Inspector Miceli to tell him my suspicions about Helen, but decided to hold off until I gathered more evidence. Bernice would probably offer Helen up on a platter during police questioning anyway, so Helen would be scrutinized at some point in time. However, if I was patient and said nothing, I'd be spared looking like a complete lunatic in front of Inspector Miceli if everyone, including me, was wrong.
I'd just unlocked Nana's suitcase when I heard footsteps in the hall, followed by an insistent KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. I checked the peephole and threw open the door. I seized Wally's arm and yanked him into the room. "How could you think we'd want a room without windows?"
"Hey, you asked for a standard room. That's what I got you."
"You couldn't have guessed I was a little confused about the room rating system? You couldn't have guessed I was asking for an up grade instead of a down grade?"
"Go ahead. Blame me. You women are all alike. You think every man has the ability to read your minds."
My ex-husband used to accuse me of the same thing. He was right, of course. All women expect men to be mind readers. I figured it was biological. "Well, you might have asked!"
"And my mother wonders why I've never married."
"You need to change the room request you made in the computer."
"Sure. Why not? Are you going to tell me what kind of room you want this time, or am I supposed to guess?"
"We want a room like the Rassmusons and Teigs."
Wally shook his head. "They're in prestige suites. They requested standards, but their reservation got lost in some computer glitch, so the hotel was forced to give them upgrades.
The room was dark as a cave. "Hit the light, dear. I can't see a thing."
I fumbled for the switch on the wall and squinted when light diffused throughout the room.
"Well, would you look at that," said Nana. I suspected she was referring to the fact that this room was exactly like the other room, with one exception.
There were no windows.
And from what I could see in a quick visual scan, no luggage either. Delightful. I wheeled Nana's suitcase into the room and picked up the phone.
"Front desk," said the woman on the other end.
"This is Emily Andrew in 4624. We're in the wrong room again."
A pause. "What room are you supposed to be in?"
"A standard room."
Computer keys clicking. "Room 4624 is a standard room."
"N-no, no. I want the standard room with the four-poster bed, the little balcony, and the Jacuzzi."
"There are no standard rooms with those features. What you're describing is a prestige suite."
"Okay. I'll take one of those."
"There's a notation in our computer from your tour leader clearly specifying that you be assigned a standard room. If you wish to make a change, you'll need to contact him to change the request in the computer. Is there anything else, Madame?"
A slight pain started throbbing between my eyes. "Yes, there's something else. You were supposed to deliver two pieces of luggage to this room. Only one arrived."
Silence.
"Hello?"
"That's impossible. One moment please." Whispering. Mumbling. "The bellman assures me he delivered two pieces of luggage to your new room, Ms. Andrew."
"He might have delivered two, but one is missing. Mine. It's a twenty-six-inch tapestried pullman on wheels."
"We'll look into it and get back to you immediately."
I hung up the phone and proceeded to massage my temples. "Is international travel always this difficult?"
"I never been outside the country before, dear, but it don't seem too difficult on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Should I unpack?"
"You might as well. We can't go anywhere until Wally changes a notation in the computer."
Nana looked apprehensive. "I hope they find your suitcase soon. I'm gonna feel a whole lot better about defendin' myself when I can get my hands on that hair spray a yours."
I thought about calling Inspector Miceli to tell him my suspicions about Helen, but decided to hold off until I gathered more evidence. Bernice would probably offer Helen up on a platter during police questioning anyway, so Helen would be scrutinized at some point in time. However, if I was patient and said nothing, I'd be spared looking like a complete lunatic in front of Inspector Miceli if everyone, including me, was wrong.
I'd just unlocked Nana's suitcase when I heard footsteps in the hall, followed by an insistent KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. I checked the peephole and threw open the door. I seized Wally's arm and yanked him into the room. "How could you think we'd want a room without windows?"
"Hey, you asked for a standard room. That's what I got you."
"You couldn't have guessed I was a little confused about the room rating system? You couldn't have guessed I was asking for an up grade instead of a down grade?"
"Go ahead. Blame me. You women are all alike. You think every man has the ability to read your minds."
My ex-husband used to accuse me of the same thing. He was right, of course. All women expect men to be mind readers. I figured it was biological. "Well, you might have asked!"
"And my mother wonders why I've never married."
"You need to change the room request you made in the computer."
"Sure. Why not? Are you going to tell me what kind of room you want this time, or am I supposed to guess?"
"We want a room like the Rassmusons and Teigs."
Wally shook his head. "They're in prestige suites. They requested standards, but their reservation got lost in some computer glitch, so the hotel was forced to give them upgrades.
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