Chapter 101
She stared at the hotel manager, her voice steady. “What happened p>
“The guest in 901 reported his violin missing. We finally found it in the staff storage closet… but several of the strings are snapped p>
That made everything so much worse.
And, of all places, the violin had ended up somewhere only employees should be.
Larry’s eyes were blazing. “Are you the person in charge? I’ve already called the police. Just waiting for them now. Let me tell you, that violin is worth five million dollars. You better be ready for a lawsuit p>
Dorothea kept her tone soft, trying to calm him. “Sir, please, I know you’re upset. We’ll have to wait for the police to finish their investigation before we know what really happened. Still, to make sure tomorrow’s performance isn’t affected, I can call a violin repair specialist right away. Would that help p>
Larry bristled, not soothed at all. “Repair? Seriously? Do you think this kind of violin can just be fixed like that p>
Dorothea’s smile didn’t waver. “Honestly, I’m not an expert. I can contact some music shops, borrow a high-end replacement for you to use in the meantime p>
Everyone knew the orchestra had spare instruments, but Larry wasn’t about to let the hotel off that easily.
“No need. After our performance tomorrow, you better give me an explanation I’m satisfied with p>
Carola watched Dorothea with a smug little smile, clearly proud of the mess she’d set in motion.
Dorothea caught Carola’s eye for just a second. She already knew-Carola had to be involved somehow.
Eventually, the crowd drifted off. Walton arrived, late as ever.
“So, Dorothea, is everyone gone p>
Dorothea gave him a look. “Didn’t you say you were already at the hotel? How’d you manage to show up after me? They’ve all gone back to the rooms. We’ve got one day to figure this out. If we don’t the hotel could take a serious hit p>
She turned to the
manager on duty.
“Get all the surveillance footage, right now, Back up everything for the police. Focus on the ninth floor. want to know how such a big item left the room and ended up in the storage closet. Check everything. Call back everyone who worked both shifts today. We need everyone’s full cooperation. This could get serious p>
Her phone buzzed-Latham. She glanced at the message and quickly replied, letting him know she’d be home late tonight. She didn’t bother explaining why.
When the police arrived, they
combed through the videos over and over. All they saw was a woman, bundled up, her face impossible to see. She used a card to open room
901 carried the violin out, and left it in the storage closet.
She exited using the stairs, but when they checked every door’s footage, there was
no sign of her actually leaving the hotel.
Dorothea felt her heart sink.
That could only mean one thing: the woman might still be inside, or she was someone who worked there.
And if someone from outside could unlock a guest’s room, that was a huge security issue.
There had already been a few viral scandals like this lately.
Walton looked just as troubled. “Officer, is there any chance she’s not an employee p>
“If she’s not, then how did she get a room card?” the officer said.
Dorothea let out a quiet sigh. “Thank you for your help. Please keep investigating. Here’s the schedule for everyone who worked yesterday, from housekeeping to security. Every staff member is listed p>
By the time she finally got home, it was after midnight.
Dorothea walked in, completely drained, not wanting to imagine how much worse things could get tomorrow.
In the darkness of the living room, Latham’s voice came out of nowhere. “Dorothea, so you decided to come home after all p>