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“You’ve seen Teddy, ’ave you? A sweetheart, ’e is. The other party staying ’ere? Taking ’im out for walks the last coupla days. Not to worry. I can put you above stairs, if you like.”
“Not necessary.” Sam smiled at the clerk and slid a twenty-pound note across the counter toward her. “We’d definitely like a ground-level room. On the east side. We like to watch the sunrise.”
The clerk eyed her computer monitor. “We ’ave one room left on the east side ground floor. Right next to the ’appy couple.”
She handed him the key. “The rooms are around the corner, past the potted palm. One-oh-one is next to the north staircase. Enjoy your stay.”
He and Remi thanked her, then walked toward the palm. Sam peered down the hall, realizing the one big flaw in his plan was getting to their room unobserved if the unthinkable happened and Ivan or Jak walked out their door. At least they knew the dog wasn’t as deadly as it seemed.
One less thing to worry about, he thought as they walked past Ivan and Jak’s room. Sam paused a moment. Someone was talking. The next door belonged to the newlyweds, then theirs at the end of the hall. The open-beamed room was small, with a double bed, a nightstand, a small dresser with a TV on it and an ice bucket and two glasses. He walked over to the window, pulling the curtains closed. “Wish I had some way to listen in to that room,” Sam said. “Any chance we have an app that turns my phone into a listening device?”
“It’s called a phone call. Sort of ruins the whole element of surprise, though.” Remi picked up a glass, putting the bottom of it to her ear. “Of course, there’s also the old-fashioned way.”
“Lot of good that does. There’s a whole room between us and them.”
“We could ask the newlyweds to trade rooms with us.”
“I thought of that. But, frankly, I’d feel better if they weren’t even in the hotel. What if something goes wrong?”
She looked at the clock on the nightstand by the bed. Just after six. “How far a drive from here to London, do you think?”
“Under three hours.”
“We have the room at the Savoy. Paid for and sitting empty.”
“That, Remi, is brilliant. As usual.”
She smiled. “Let’s hope they accept.”
“One way to find out. Shall we?”
He knocked softly on their door.
A young man opened it about two inches.
“Next-door neighbors,” Sam said. “Heard congratulations are in order.”
The man’s wife appeared behind him, her young f
ace a mixture of curiosity and excitement. “Who is it?” she asked.
“The people next door.”
She reached around him and pulled the door open. “Hi.”
Sam didn’t give the couple an opportunity to turn them away. He and Remi walked in, Sam closing the door behind them.
“Congratulations,” Remi said. “We heard you were just married?”
The woman beamed. “A few days ago.”
“On your honeymoon, then?” Sam asked.
The man shrugged. “Taking a few days.”
“Ever stayed at the Savoy?”
The man gave a cynical laugh. “You think we’d be here if we could afford that?”