Page 104 of The Maid's Secret

It was that simple. The auction was set. And in the seven days since that call, we’ve madly prepared the Regency Grand for every eventuality. It was decided that we’d set up hidden cameras and sound equipment at crucial locations throughout the hotel so we could see and hear everything. We gathered in Mr.Snow’s office to discuss the matter. Mr.Snow wasn’t keen at first.

“We’ve never allowed this kind of surveillance at the hotel. Guest privacy is paramount to us. It’s part of our appeal.”

“Part of your problem, too,” Stark observed. “It’s just for one day.”

Mr.Snow reluctantly agreed, and he seems to have come to enjoy the elaborate secret preparations. “The penthouse suite on the fourth floor can serve as our headquarters,” he offered. “We can run the whole covert operation from there.”

“It’ll need a name,” said Juan.

“What about the penthouse suite on the fourth floor?” I suggested.

“A short-form, a code,” Angela insisted, and I do believe I detected an eye roll.

“The Black Hole?” I offered. The name suggested the secrecy of the mission and the untimely death of a certain guest who died in that same suite a few years ago.

“Perfect!” said Stark.

“She has a way with words,” my gran-dad declared.

After that, we decided who else would be in on the sting, and Speedy’s name came up. At first, I was against this idea. “I’m not sure we can trust him,” I said. “Besides, I don’t understand a word he says.”

“You don’t need to understand him,” said Angela. “Just let him run the tech. He’s a wizard, Molly. And he knows the hotel inside out.”

And so it was decided that Juan would bring Speedy to Mr.Snow’s office.

“Yo!” Speedy said as he entered. “Is this a VIP party? Is there bottle service?”

I would have walked him out then and there had Angela not stopped me.

“Speedy, we need your help,” Mr.Snow announced.

“What we’re about to tell you must be kept in absolute secrecy,” Detective Stark added.

“Excretion is my middle name,” said Speedy.

“Good grief,” I exclaimed with a sigh.

Detective Stark then explained that she wanted Speedy to work with her officers to set up hidden surveillance cameras and microphones throughout the hotel on the day of the auction—in the lobby, in the tearoom, at the Social, in Mr.Snow’s office, on the front steps, and in the greenroom.

“Sick!” Speedy replied.

“If you’re ill, we’ll find someone else,” I said, relieved.

“He’s fine, Molly. He’s excited to help,” Angela explained.

Late last night, we completed the entire clandestine setup. Speedy made a list of the equipment needed, and Stark and her surveillance team provided it. While Angela and I prepared the tearoom with phones for call-in bidders and put auction paddles on the white-linened tables, Speedy and Stark’s team ran wires and mics for sound, and hid cameras in key locations.

Now, the day is finally here. In a couple of hours the auction will take place and the Fabergé will be sold to the highest bidder—or to someone who appears to be the highest bidder. After, there will be a private reception at the Social so we can draw people away from the greenroom, where Baxley Brown and Thomas Beagle will be alone, and where, if we’re right, we’ll learn more about their motives and their connection to the egg.

It’s seven in the morning, and Juan and I are waiting outside our building for Gran-dad, who will drive us to the hotel. I’m so nervous, I can’t stay still.

“I’ve seen jumping beans less antsy,” Juan says.

“What if we’re wrong? What if all these preparations are pointless? What if the Bees aren’t the thieves?”

“We won’t lose anything by trying, Molly. Plus, the sale isn’t real, so in the end, you’ll still have the egg.”

“If it doesn’t disappear again,” I say.