her.”
“Why don’t I leave that with you?” Ray said. “Ask Aaron what he can tell you about her.” He stifled a yawn. “That coffee’s just what I needed,” he said. “I hope the caffeine kicks in soon.”
When they’d finished their drinks, Ray sighed and checked his watch.
“I’m going to have to go back to the hospital tonight and ask someone to check Lauren’s locker to see if her purse is there. I’ll leave that bag of personal things for her so she’ll have them in the morning. By then, I hope she’ll be well enough to talk to us.”
Charlotte showed him to the door. He held her, kissed her, and then let her go. “Be sure to lock the door behind me,” he said.
“Why? Do you think there’s danger lurking?”
“There’s always danger lurking. And anyway, I’m a policeman. Telling people to lock their doors is part of what I do, and my job would be a whole lot easier sometimes if everybody just did as I asked.”
He gave her a cheery wave, and with a light smile, she locked the door behind him. An hour later, after Rupert was settled in for the night and just as she was starting to think about getting ready for bed, her phone rang. It was Ray.
“Her purse isn’t at the hospital. Will you please keep an eye out for it tomorrow?”
“And what about the ring?” Charlotte asked.
“I’ll lock it in our safe until we can return it to its owner.”
Whoever the rightful owner might be , thought Charlotte.
Chapter 9
The overnight rain had washed away almost all the remaining snow, leaving only dirty patches at the bases of the trees that lined the pathway to the main building and on the grounds where the bungalows were located. Spring had officially arrived, and this morning a light, refreshing breeze was blowing along the river, bringing with it a sweet hint of warmer days to come. Even this early in the day, the sun had an intensity that hadn’t been there just a couple of weeks earlier.
Charlotte let herself into the hotel through the staff entrance and walked along the corridor that led to the backstage area. Beyond that, down another short passageway, were her workroom and the wardrobe storage area. As she passed the black curtains that made up the theater wings, a man’s voice caught her attention. She stopped to listen.
“Look, Brian, what you get up to in your own time is your business, but when it starts affecting your ability to remember your lines, be on time for rehearsals, or work with the rest of the cast, then as the director, it becomes my problem. You’ve got to lay off the booze. It’s destroying your career. Or what’s left of it.”
Feeling uncomfortable at overhearing Brian get a dressing down, Charlotte was about to move on. But she decided she wanted to hear what Brian Prentice had to say in response, so she ducked out of the corridor and stood between the curtains where she wouldn’t be seen by anyone who might come down the hallway. It was still a few minutes before nine, and she guessed that the rest of the cast on call for this rehearsal would start to arrive in a few minutes.
“Well, I’m not late this morning, am I?” Brian said, finally.
“No, but I can smell the booze on you from last night. It’s not pleasant, and you don’t look too clever,” said Simon Dyer.
“Going through a bad patch right now, you see,” Brian said. “Deborah’s about to leave me, I know she is. I don’t even know why she agreed to come here with me. The only reason I can think of is that she liked the idea of being so close to New York City. And then I did a really stupid thing that probably means I pressed the self-destruct button. When Deborah finds out, I’ll be forthe high jump. She’ll have my guts for garters this time, for sure.”
“What have you done?” Simon asked. “Do you want to tell me? Is it something I can help with?”
“Nah.”
“The thing is, Brian, this is a funny old place. For some of us—you and me, for example—it’s our
“Why don’t I leave that with you?” Ray said. “Ask Aaron what he can tell you about her.” He stifled a yawn. “That coffee’s just what I needed,” he said. “I hope the caffeine kicks in soon.”
When they’d finished their drinks, Ray sighed and checked his watch.
“I’m going to have to go back to the hospital tonight and ask someone to check Lauren’s locker to see if her purse is there. I’ll leave that bag of personal things for her so she’ll have them in the morning. By then, I hope she’ll be well enough to talk to us.”
Charlotte showed him to the door. He held her, kissed her, and then let her go. “Be sure to lock the door behind me,” he said.
“Why? Do you think there’s danger lurking?”
“There’s always danger lurking. And anyway, I’m a policeman. Telling people to lock their doors is part of what I do, and my job would be a whole lot easier sometimes if everybody just did as I asked.”
He gave her a cheery wave, and with a light smile, she locked the door behind him. An hour later, after Rupert was settled in for the night and just as she was starting to think about getting ready for bed, her phone rang. It was Ray.
“Her purse isn’t at the hospital. Will you please keep an eye out for it tomorrow?”
“And what about the ring?” Charlotte asked.
“I’ll lock it in our safe until we can return it to its owner.”
Whoever the rightful owner might be , thought Charlotte.
Chapter 9
The overnight rain had washed away almost all the remaining snow, leaving only dirty patches at the bases of the trees that lined the pathway to the main building and on the grounds where the bungalows were located. Spring had officially arrived, and this morning a light, refreshing breeze was blowing along the river, bringing with it a sweet hint of warmer days to come. Even this early in the day, the sun had an intensity that hadn’t been there just a couple of weeks earlier.
Charlotte let herself into the hotel through the staff entrance and walked along the corridor that led to the backstage area. Beyond that, down another short passageway, were her workroom and the wardrobe storage area. As she passed the black curtains that made up the theater wings, a man’s voice caught her attention. She stopped to listen.
“Look, Brian, what you get up to in your own time is your business, but when it starts affecting your ability to remember your lines, be on time for rehearsals, or work with the rest of the cast, then as the director, it becomes my problem. You’ve got to lay off the booze. It’s destroying your career. Or what’s left of it.”
Feeling uncomfortable at overhearing Brian get a dressing down, Charlotte was about to move on. But she decided she wanted to hear what Brian Prentice had to say in response, so she ducked out of the corridor and stood between the curtains where she wouldn’t be seen by anyone who might come down the hallway. It was still a few minutes before nine, and she guessed that the rest of the cast on call for this rehearsal would start to arrive in a few minutes.
“Well, I’m not late this morning, am I?” Brian said, finally.
“No, but I can smell the booze on you from last night. It’s not pleasant, and you don’t look too clever,” said Simon Dyer.
“Going through a bad patch right now, you see,” Brian said. “Deborah’s about to leave me, I know she is. I don’t even know why she agreed to come here with me. The only reason I can think of is that she liked the idea of being so close to New York City. And then I did a really stupid thing that probably means I pressed the self-destruct button. When Deborah finds out, I’ll be forthe high jump. She’ll have my guts for garters this time, for sure.”
“What have you done?” Simon asked. “Do you want to tell me? Is it something I can help with?”
“Nah.”
“The thing is, Brian, this is a funny old place. For some of us—you and me, for example—it’s our
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