umbrellas.
Nothing.
“Do we call the front desk?” Vincent asked.
Cat knew what he was asking: Do you think this is something we need to keep off the books? Something beast-related? Liam, the ancient beast who had killed their ancestors Rebecca and Alastair, was dead, and as far as they knew, all Julianna’s human-enhancing experiments employed to combat him had been accounted for.
Cat assessed their options. “If they’re thieves, they may be hitting other rooms right now. Innocents may be at risk.”
“We could take them on ourselves.”
“We’d have to explain a lot. Unless we know for sure that someone is being hurt, we should let the local authorities handle it,” Cat suggested.
Vincent nodded. “Then we call.”
“Agreed. We call.”
They both rushed back inside and Vincent picked up the room phone. He asked for the manager while Cat studied the debris field and went through a mental list of what they’d packed. Nothing appeared to be missing. Even her phone was still there, thank goodness, plugged into the wall socket behind the nightstand to charge.
In just a few moments, the manager arrived with the hotel’s head of security. By then the hotel had learned that several other rooms had been tossed, and some jewelry and cash had been stolen. Cat and Vincent were escorted to another room—a palatial suite, in fact—so that the LAPD could secure their original lodgings and dust for prints. Luckily they weren’t asked to surrender their belongings. Cat and Vincent agreed to the move so that they could do some private sleuthing on their own, but the other guests who had been burgled were insisting on being relocated to other hotels.
“We’re so very sorry about this,” the manager said anxiously. “I don’t understand how it could have happened, but please be assured that we’ve doubled security and the police are on their way. If you discover that something is missing, please let us know immediately.” His face was pale. “It would be a good idea to contact your credit card companies as well. Even if the thieves didn’t take the physical cards, they may have cloned them.”
“Thank you. I’m a detective with the NYPD. If I can be of assistance, please let me know,” Cat said. She knew she had no clout in California but her cop brain compelled her to ask as many questions as he would answer. “You must have security cameras.”
“Oh, yes. Of course we do.”
I wish we could see the footage , Cat thought.
“And you’re examining the key locks for hacking.” They had been in possession of both their key cards when their room had been tossed.
“Yes. Everything is being handled.”
“I suppose you have a list of all the victims and what was taken.”
His smile was tight. “Please, Ms. Keller, I assure you, we have the entire situation under control.”
Not really , she thought. But she kept her own counsel. He wasn’t going to give her anything to work with. Maybe he was afraid they were going to sue him.
“Please just enjoy the suite with our compliments,” he continued. “Of course there will be no charge. For anything.”
“Have you—” she pressed, but Vincent put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze.
“Thank you,” Vincent said. He walked the man to the door. The manager left and Vincent closed it quickly. He waited a few beats, then opened it again.
“Did you get the thief’s scent in our room?” Cat asked him, and he nodded.
“ Their scents. There were two of them. A man and a woman. They went through everything, as if they were looking for something to take.”
Again she felt the sting of an insult. “We have nice stuff.”
“This is a really high-end hotel,” he reminded her. Then he flashed her a grin. “I’ve got my job back. Be patient and we’ll amass a bunch of stuff worth stealing. Next time, they’ll take everything. ” Before she could respond, he added, “I’m going to track their route.”
“I’ll go with you.”
He
Nothing.
“Do we call the front desk?” Vincent asked.
Cat knew what he was asking: Do you think this is something we need to keep off the books? Something beast-related? Liam, the ancient beast who had killed their ancestors Rebecca and Alastair, was dead, and as far as they knew, all Julianna’s human-enhancing experiments employed to combat him had been accounted for.
Cat assessed their options. “If they’re thieves, they may be hitting other rooms right now. Innocents may be at risk.”
“We could take them on ourselves.”
“We’d have to explain a lot. Unless we know for sure that someone is being hurt, we should let the local authorities handle it,” Cat suggested.
Vincent nodded. “Then we call.”
“Agreed. We call.”
They both rushed back inside and Vincent picked up the room phone. He asked for the manager while Cat studied the debris field and went through a mental list of what they’d packed. Nothing appeared to be missing. Even her phone was still there, thank goodness, plugged into the wall socket behind the nightstand to charge.
In just a few moments, the manager arrived with the hotel’s head of security. By then the hotel had learned that several other rooms had been tossed, and some jewelry and cash had been stolen. Cat and Vincent were escorted to another room—a palatial suite, in fact—so that the LAPD could secure their original lodgings and dust for prints. Luckily they weren’t asked to surrender their belongings. Cat and Vincent agreed to the move so that they could do some private sleuthing on their own, but the other guests who had been burgled were insisting on being relocated to other hotels.
“We’re so very sorry about this,” the manager said anxiously. “I don’t understand how it could have happened, but please be assured that we’ve doubled security and the police are on their way. If you discover that something is missing, please let us know immediately.” His face was pale. “It would be a good idea to contact your credit card companies as well. Even if the thieves didn’t take the physical cards, they may have cloned them.”
“Thank you. I’m a detective with the NYPD. If I can be of assistance, please let me know,” Cat said. She knew she had no clout in California but her cop brain compelled her to ask as many questions as he would answer. “You must have security cameras.”
“Oh, yes. Of course we do.”
I wish we could see the footage , Cat thought.
“And you’re examining the key locks for hacking.” They had been in possession of both their key cards when their room had been tossed.
“Yes. Everything is being handled.”
“I suppose you have a list of all the victims and what was taken.”
His smile was tight. “Please, Ms. Keller, I assure you, we have the entire situation under control.”
Not really , she thought. But she kept her own counsel. He wasn’t going to give her anything to work with. Maybe he was afraid they were going to sue him.
“Please just enjoy the suite with our compliments,” he continued. “Of course there will be no charge. For anything.”
“Have you—” she pressed, but Vincent put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze.
“Thank you,” Vincent said. He walked the man to the door. The manager left and Vincent closed it quickly. He waited a few beats, then opened it again.
“Did you get the thief’s scent in our room?” Cat asked him, and he nodded.
“ Their scents. There were two of them. A man and a woman. They went through everything, as if they were looking for something to take.”
Again she felt the sting of an insult. “We have nice stuff.”
“This is a really high-end hotel,” he reminded her. Then he flashed her a grin. “I’ve got my job back. Be patient and we’ll amass a bunch of stuff worth stealing. Next time, they’ll take everything. ” Before she could respond, he added, “I’m going to track their route.”
“I’ll go with you.”
He
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