Page 78 of Dead Serious Case 4 Professor Prometheus Plume
Danny looks upwards and blows out a tired, frustrated breath. “This was not how I imagined this evening going.”
“You and me both.” I take his hand and squeeze it gently, drawing his attention back to me. “Come on, before they start prizing up the floorboards to look for clues.”
We head back out into the lobby and see Martha and Essie divvying everyone up into teams.
“Ah, there you both are,” Martha greets us, as if we’re slightly late for a luncheon appointment rather than reluctantly about to start searching a haunted hotel for a dead body. “We thought it best to split up all the actors for a start or we may end up with more than one corpse. Plus, smaller teams will be more manageable. Someone was obviously able to slip away unnoticed and spirit away Professor Plume’s remains while we were all in the kitchen earlier, so we should be able to keep an eye on each other in smaller groups.”
I have to admit the old dear has a point.
“Danny and Tristan.” Essie consults her notebook. “You’ll be joined by Rosie and Ellis.”
“Looks like we’ve got the kids,” I mutter. Danny snorts.
“We’ve also discussed and are in agreement,” Martha adds, “that as the most likely suspects, Miss Fairfax and Mr Greyson should accompany you.”
“Hey!” Mr Greyson protests, but Ruby simply rolls her eyes.
“Just play along, Grey,” she says. “The quicker we get this over with, the better.”
“Spoken like a true grieving widow,” I mumble and once again, I see Danny’s lips twitch.
“You know, the more tired and frustrated you get, the more sarcastic you are.” Danny looks down at me.
“It’s a curse.” I sigh.
He grins. “It’s cute.”
“Aww,” Ellis coos at us, and I swear there are little hearts in his eyes. “You two are totally relationship goals.”
“Mr and Mrs Nakatomi, Aggie, and Mrs Snow, you’re with us,” Essie informs them and they move over to stand next to the two sisters.
“Which leaves John the Maid, Mr Meadow, Major Dick–”
“Richard.”
“Mr Pennington,” Martha continues as if he hadn’t spoken. “And Dr Walsh… Dr Walsh?” She peers around. “Has anyone seen Dr Walsh?”
There’s a loud snore and as Aggie and John the Maid move aside, we see Dr Walsh passed out on the sofa in the waiting area, clutching the empty decanter.
“Ah.” Martha’s lips purse. “Just leave him there.”
I hear a gaggle of chatter behind me and my stomach sinks. Twisting my head slowly, I see Dusty sitting on the reception desk as regal as a queen while Bertie and Roger seem to be organising a load of ghosts into some sort of inspection line.
“Oh god,” I mutter, and Danny turns to look at me. “Distract them, will you? I think I need to have words with the deceased contingent of this ridiculous operation.”
Danny nods and turns to engage the others in conversation as I head towards Bertie.
“What are you doing, Bertie?” I ask, eyeing her new outfit.
Now she looks like an officer from the First World War. She’s wearing khaki trousers, which are tight from the calves to the knees and then flare out sideways at the thighs. She’s also wearing an officer’s tunic and a peaked cap, and tucked under one arm is a riding crop.
“Now then, you lot,” she addresses the assembled line. “See here?” She flicks the riding crop and smacks Professor Plume’s chest with it. “This chap is what we are looking for. Last seen in fleshie form prone on the Aubusson, oozing bodily fluids.”
The woman at the end of the line raises her hand dramatically to her brow and swoons against Sir Devron, the knight that haunts the lobby’s suit of armour.
“My lady, do you mind?” he says indignantly. “I already have a paramour, and my lady Maidrenn does not take kindly to me inspiring tender feelings in others.”
I look over at the woman who’s pretending to have fainted, but it’s rather spoiled by her peeking out of one eye to make sure everyone’s watching. Unlike all the other ghosts, she appears in monotone. Everything about her is black, white, and shades of grey, right down to her dress and kewpie-shaped painted lips.