Page 156 of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies

201—Eleanor / 202—Harper / 203—Oliver / 204—Allison

“Your party was the only one in this section of the hotel.”

“So any noise I heard was from one of us?”

“Most likely. Though it is possible that someone could have taken the elevator down from the third floor.” He taps the paper. “This is where the elevator is. Did you hear the elevator doors open or close?”

“No, I…” I think back. Those doors make a distinct sound opening, and there’s a bell that dings. “No. I would have heard if they did.”

“All right. And here, next to your room, there is a set of fire stairs.”

“An emergency exit, you mean?”

“Yes, that is right.”

He marks the spots on the page.

Fire Exit / 201—Eleanor / 202—Harper / 203—Oliver / 204—Allison / Elevator

“Where does the fire exit go?” I ask.

“Up to the next floor, and also down to the lobby.”

“So it could’ve been someone on the third floor who came down that way?”

“Yes.”

“Connor’s up there with Guy and Emily.”

“Correct.”

“But it could’ve been someone on my floor, too, or someone else entirely. Someone who came up from the lobby.”

“Yes.”

“What about… Have you spoken to the BookFace Ladies?”

“Who are you referring to?”

“The other women on the tour. The fans. There is one, her name is Cathy, and she’s a bit obsessed with me… I got a court order against her in the States.”

“Why is this the first time I am hearing about this?”

“Because she seemed too remote… They have mostly kept to themselves. They were on a different boat yesterday, for instance, and they’re not staying at this hotel.”

“But we have just established that someone could have come in from the outside.”

“Yes, but how would she know about Guy’s gun? And she must’ve been with the other women when the mugging happened. And she wasn’t on the boat.”

“If the poison was administered on the boat.”

“Do you know when it was administered?”

“The toxicologist has not made that assessment yet. But the poison is not one that acts immediately. There can be a delay depending on various factors.”

“Such as?”

“That is not something I can share at this moment.”