Page 100 of The Girl Who Knew Too Much

“Thanks, Willie,” she said. “You’ve been very helpful.”

Willie held another glass up to the light to check her polishing job.“Happy to be of service. Out of curiosity, how do you plan to persuade Miss Picton to meet with you in private?”

“I don’t. I’m going to stage an ambush.” Irene concentrated on the telephone. “Please connect me with Mr. Ward’s private office. Thank you. Yes, I’ll wait.”

Willie smiled to herself.

“Something amusing?” Irene asked.

“I was just thinking that you’re a good influence on the boss.”

“A good influence? Are you joking? I found a dead body in his spa and I nearly got him killed.”

“You wouldn’t believe how he’s perked up since you arrived at the hotel. You’ve done wonders. A regular tonic.”

Chapter 46

Elena appeared in the office doorway.

“I just received Detective Brandon’s list of guests who recently checked in at the other hotels, inns, and B and Bs in town,” she said.

Oliver looked up from the list of new arrivals at the Burning Cove Hotel. “Several of the so-called singles from back east on my list are actually traveling with a personal maid or a private secretary. I’ve excluded them. That leaves me with eight names. How many on Brandon’s list?”

“Another twenty in all, but most are from California—L.A. or San Francisco for the most part. Our hotel gets the majority of the East Coast crowd here because, like the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Biltmore in L.A., we are quite well-known.”

“The benefits of advertising. Thanks, Elena.”

This was, he concluded, probably one of the few times in the history of the industry that the proprietor of a hotel hoped his establishment’s reputation for elegance and service had served as a lure to attract a killer.

Never a dull moment these days. Not with Irene around.

Elena put the list on his desk and went back to the doorway, where she paused and gently cleared her throat.

Oliver looked up again, suddenly wary.

“What is it?” he said.

“I just wanted to say that you are looking very well today.”

“Have I been looking unwell previously?”

“No, sir. It’s just that you seem to be in excellent spirits today. Especially considering the circumstances.”

Nothing like hunting for a killer to put a man in an upbeat mood, Oliver reflected.

“Probably the three cups of coffee I drank at breakfast,” he said.

Elena chuckled. “No doubt.”

“Remember, not a word about these lists and the people on them.”

“Understood.”

She was about to close the door but stopped when the outer door burst open. Chester charged into the front office.

“Where’s Oliver?” he demanded.

“Right here,” Oliver called through the opening. “Come on in, Chester.”