by Tasha Black
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, making a hasty retreat before he got the impression that she was as flirty as Hailey.
On the way down the stairs, she bumped into Gert, who was also heading down, a massive bag of laundry in her small arms.
“Oh, hey, Gert,” Dru said. “The guy in Agate said he spilled some soda. He really wanted to clean it up himself, so I lent him paper towels and cleaner.”
“I was just in Agate,” Gert said, her blue eyes stern. “There’s no spill.”
“Weird,” Dru said.
Maybe Tyler had cleaned it up enough on his own before looking for products that Gert hadn’t noticed.
But that seemed unlikely. Gert had the eyes of a hawk when it came to that kind of thing.
“I’ll head back up in a minute to make sure,” Gert assured her.
The woman was obsessive about cleanliness. Dru respected that, even if she couldn’t sympathize.
“Dru,” Hailey yelped from the desk below, grabbing her attention.
“Hey, Hailey,” she replied as she moved to join her friend.
“Your beau left something for you,” Hailey said, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
For one moment she thought of Viktor, then realized Hailey must mean Zander. She felt her cheeks burning and was glad Hailey couldn’t read her mind.
“Someone’s blushing,” Hailey announced.
Dru laughed.
“Who’s my beau? Do you know something I don’t?”
“I mean poor, innocent Zander Jenkins,” Hailey said, “He only wants to love you and you never bother to notice.”
“We were friends in high school,” Dru said, shrugging. “That’s all.”
“A likely story,” Hailey said.
She was wearing a stunning lavender crushed velvet jacket with tiny Victorian buttons that looked amazing against her beautiful complexion. Under the jacket she wore a silvery sheath.
“Hailey, I love the jacket,” Dru said.
“I know, right?” Hailey said as if she couldn’t believe her own luck. “My brother sent me this.”
She spun around so Dru could take in the full effect, knee high leather boots and all.
“Amazing,” Dru said sincerely.
“A person’s clothing should reflect their sense of self,” Hailey said. “You need to let me accompany you on a shopping trip so I can help you figure out how to tell the world who you are.”
“I’m fine,” Dru said, knowing she could never pull off Hailey’s look.
“Really?” Hailey asked. “Because you’re hella hot, but that outfit says spinster aunt.”
Dru looked down at her long plaid skirt and green sweater and knew her friend was right.
“I was going for elderly school girl,” she joked weakly. “But I guess you’re right.”
“I’m only teasing,” Hailey said, putting a hand on Dru’s arm. “You know that, right? I’d love to go with you on a shopping trip, but you’re awesome just the way you are. And the green really works with your hazel eyes.”
“So what did my beau bring me?” Dru asked, eager to change the subject.
“Oh, shoot, yeah,” Hailey said, heading back behind the desk and emerging again triumphantly with a circular piece of paper in her hand.
Dru took it. The paper was sturdier than she had expected. It was made of the hotel’s card stock.
One side had a pen and ink drawing of the hotel in its heyday printed on it.
The other side had two circles of letters and numbers.
“Looks like some kind of spy device,” Hailey said dubiously. “Did he write you a love letter in a secret code?”
“No,” Dru said. “But I found a coded journal. This must be for making a cipher.”
“Sounds… complicated,” Hailey said.
“It’s pretty neat,” Dru said, sliding the journal out of her pocket and sticking the cipher wheel between two of the pages before replacing it.
“Any action last night with the weirdo with the trunks?” Hailey asked.
“He came down once,” Dru said, not wanting to share the whole story for fear that she would turn beet-red again.
“And?” Hailey asked.
“He seemed…normal,” Dru offered.
Hailey nodded, her eyes narrowed.
“Do you know what Gert said?”
“What?” Dru asked, leaning in.
“She said that he’s got a Do-Not-Disturb on Sapphire, but when she went into Onyx and Quartz the curtains were still closed and he had put sheets over all the mirrors.”
That was a little creepy.
“What did she make of it?” Dru asked.
“Everything else in the rooms was neat and tidy,” Hailey said. “She said it was like he hadn’t even been in there. But she didn’t like yesterday’s sheets being over the mirrors.”
“What did she do?” Dru asked.
“Took them down, cleaned the mirrors and put fresh sheets over them,” Hailey said, her eyes sparkling with laughter.
“That woman is the ultimate in customer service,” Dru said, genuinely impressed, even though she also wanted to giggle.
“That’s our Gert,” Hailey said.
“I met your hot guy in Agate a minute ago,” Dru whispered.
“Is he coming down here?” Hailey asked, her hands automatically smoothing her already perfect hair.
“No, sounds like he’s busy,” Dru lied.
“Damn,” Hailey said. “What did you think?”
“He wasn’t that hot,” Dru lied again, wondering if her lies were unethical. She didn’t want to see her friend get hurt.
“No?” Hailey asked. “I’ve been here so long I have no context anymore. I wish we had a shared day off so we could go to Philly together and hit the clubs.”
Dru shrugged. Clubs weren’t really her thing, even though she lived in Philly. But they were never going to have a shared day off anyway, so there was no point in bursting Hailey’s bubble.
“I’m gonna get some breakfast,” Dru said instead.
“Okay, see you later,” Hailey said, turning back to the game of solitaire she had open on the old computer.
9
Dru headed into the dining room.
Dinner wasn’t due to begin for another fifteen minutes, but Constance waved her on to the steam tables anyway.
Thank God for small favors, I can’t believe Constance is giving me a break.
The last thing she wanted was to have to wait until half the guests were here. Though he was harmless, she wasn’t looking forward to seeing Brian Thompson again. And even the nice Wilders might want to chat.
Dru really just wanted some time alone with the journal and this cryptogram wheel Zander had made for her.
She grabbed a plate and piled it with roasted chicken and vegetables. The hot sauce wasn’t out on the table and she didn’t dare ask for it.
Instead she headed out to the solarium to eat at one of the benches.
She walked out into the glassy space and took a deep breath of fragrant air.
The sun was setting on the other side of the hotel. The sky outside the glass was deep blue already, making it all but impossible to see anything outside.
Round globe lights on tall stems, like street lamps, made a natural path around the various beds and sitting areas.
Dru walked between the ferns to the corner that abutted the old Smoking Lounge. The small metal table and chairs tucked away in the corner would be a perfect spot to eat and work on the journal.
She set down her plate and slid the journal out of her pocket, placing it on the table as well.
The wear on the leather was more pronounced in the lamplight. She wondered again who it had belonged to and how old it was.
There was a shivering in the ferns, and she looked up to see that she had company.
“Hello, Drucilla,” Viktor said.
He wore a white button down over jeans, his dark hair spilled over his shoulders. He looked more obviously
handsome than he had last night.
Was he cleaned up after traveling, or was it the fact that she liked him that made him seem sexier than before?
His expression was pleased, but she sensed the tiniest bit of uncertainty too.
“Hey,” Dru said. “How’s it going?”
He smiled and indicated the chair opposite hers. “May I?”
“Please,” she said. “But you should probably grab your dinner before all the good stuff is gone.”
“I already ate,” he said smoothly, joining her at the table.
Wow. She would have to rethink her stance on Constance cutting her a break tonight. Viktor must have eaten pretty early if she hadn’t bumped into him in the dining room.
Why does everyone get special treatment but me?
“Penny for your thoughts,” he said with a smile.
She gazed up at him, noticing again how handsome he was.
“Oh, I’m just feeling a little dreamy,” she said. “I’m still getting used to sleeping during the day and being awake all night.”
He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, and then closed it again.
“What?” she asked.
“My business keeps me up at odd hours too,” he said.
“What do you do?” she asked him.
“Oh, a little of this and a little of that,” he replied.
She blinked at him.
“Sorry,” he said. “I guess that’s not much of an answer.”
“Are you in antiques?” she guessed.
“Why do you ask?”
“All those old trunks,” she said.
“Clever girl,” he replied, arching a brow. “Yes, I’m in antiques, real estate, some other investments internationally.”
“So the international investments mean you keep weird hours,” Dru realized out loud. “You have to be awake when they are so you can do business.”
“How does your schedule work?” he asked.
“I work from midnight until eight,” she explained. “I find it easier to sleep when I’m finished work and then get up around four.”
“So you’re awake only in darkness,” he said.
“I get to see the sun go down,” she said. “But I’m normally showering during that time.”
He got a strange look on his face and she wondered if he was picturing her showering.
“You should watch the sunset first,” he said. “Don’t live in darkness.”
“Well, it’s not forever,” she laughed. “But maybe I’ll take your advice tomorrow.”
“What’s this?” he asked, indicating the journal.
“I’m not actually sure,” she admitted. “I found it in the desk in my room. Zander thinks it’s some kind of cryptogram.”
“Zander?” he asked.
“Oh, that’s the first-shift clerk,” she told him. “You’ll meet him if you’re ever up in the morning.”
Viktor took the journal in his hands and paged through. “So it’s coded. Do you have the key?”
“No,” she admitted. “But I’ve got a wheel to use for figuring it out.”
“So we’re looking for repeated letters, right?” Viktor asked.
“Yes, those are most likely to be substituted for common letters,” Dru replied. “When we find them, we enter them on the wheel. But only after we’re sure. And the wheel only works if it’s just a shifted alphabet. Anything more complex than that would be tough to crack.”
“This will take some time,” Viktor observed.
“I’ve got nothing else to do until my shift starts,” she said. Though it was a lie. She really should be writing.
It was just that the journal had captured her imagination. She was sure the contents would inspire her.
“May I sit beside you?” Viktor asked.
“Sure,” she said, scooting over on the small bench.
He rose to join her, moving slowly as if he might frighten her away. The bench barely moved under his weight as he sat beside her.
She tried not to be overly aware of his big body and the lovely spicy scent of his aftershave.
But she found her heart was pounding anyway.
“Okay, I’ll make a list on my phone,” she said brightly, determined to focus.
They bent over the journal together and Dru did her best to focus on the pages of the old journal, no matter what else her body suggested.
10
Dru ran a hand through her hair.
“It’s tricky,” Viktor said.
He was still bent over the journal though.
She smiled. He was so eager to help her solve it.
So far, they had managed to rule out a few letters, but they were no closer to solving the mystery than they had been before.
It would be a painstaking process, she could tell that much by spending half an hour on it. But working on it with Viktor was fun.
And there was something so familiar about the writing. She had never seen anything like it before, but it was hard not to imagine its contents being meaningful in some way, or at the very least interesting.
“Dru,” Hailey called out from somewhere in the solarium.
“Hey, Hailey, back here,” Dru called back to her.
There was a rustling of leaves and then Hailey stood before them.
“Oh, hi,” Hailey said, looking at Viktor in a surprised way.
“Viktor is helping me try to figure out the code for the journal,” Dru explained.
“Nice,” Hailey said.
“Pleasure to meet you, Viktor Striker,” the man said, rising and offering Hailey his hand.
As she looked up at him, Hailey’s expression went from suspicion to appreciation.
Dru felt an inexplicable little pinch of jealousy.
“Hailey Woods,” Hailey replied, taking his hand without shaking, as if she expected him to kiss it.
“Is everything okay, Hailey?” Dru asked, hoping to break up this little hand holding session.
“Oh, yeah,” Hailey said, dropping Viktor’s hand and turning to Dru. “There’s another dead animal, and Chester’s not around, and…”
“I’ll get it,” Dru said.
“You’re a lifesaver, Dru,” Hailey sang. “Seriously.”
“I know, I know,” Dru said.
Hailey disappeared into the greenery again, ostensibly heading for the front desk.
“Hey, thanks for trying to help me with this,” Dru said, reaching for the journal.
“It was my pleasure,” Viktor told her, meeting her eyes.
She felt herself get lost in his gaze for a moment.
“Am I to understand that one of your duties has something to do with dead animals?” he asked, looking down at the journal again.
“Well, it’s really the groundskeeper’s job to clean them up,” Dru told him. “But he also drives the shuttle, so he’s on break right now before the evening rush.”
“Is there actually a rush in the evenings here?” Viktor asked.
“Well, not really, but he has to make the shuttle run even if there’s only one new guest,” she amended.
“Cleaning up dead animals doesn’t seem like a proper job for a young lady,” Viktor said.
Dru laughed. “I’m not squeamish about blood. Though I don’t love going into the catacombs.”
“The catacombs?” he echoed.
“Oh, that’s just my nickname for the creepy tunnels in the basement,” Dru said. “The garbage goes down there until pick-up to keep the raccoons out of it.”
“May I accompany you?” Viktor asked, standing and offering her his hand, as if she would need his assistance prying her lazy butt off the bench.
She took it anyway, and felt her heart thundering as she stood.
“Sure, but I have to grab a garbage bag,” she said stupidly.
“Lead the way,” he said, with a half-smile.
He let go of her hand and followed her down the leafy path and back out into the dining room.
“Here, Dr
u,” Hailey said brightly, handing her two trash bags.
“Two?” Dru asked.
Hailey just wrinkled her nose.
Dru laughed and headed for the doors with Viktor trailing behind her. She grabbed her jacket and slipped it on, shoving the bags in her pocket.
Viktor held the door open for her, and she was struck again by his manners. He definitely wasn’t East Coast born and bred like she was.
They stepped out into the cold night.
Snow flurries pirouetted slowly down like sleepy ballerinas. Yesterday’s snow hadn’t fully melted yet, so even the tiny flurries had a chance to add their bodies to the pale accumulation instead of melting instantly on the grass.
“It’s unseasonably cold,” Viktor observed.
“That’s what they say,” Dru agreed. “But it seems right that the mountains should have snow.”
“The mountains,” Viktor said with a smile.
“What?” Dru asked.
“I’ve traveled a lot,” he replied. “These mountains feel a bit… worn down, more like hills.”
“Oh, you’re very sophisticated,” she teased him, reaching down to grab a tiny handful of crystalized snow.
“Very,” he agreed with a grin.
She launched her pathetic snowball and he ducked out of the way with ease.
“Drucilla, are you trying to initiate a snow battle with me?” he asked arching a brow.
“I don’t think there’s enough snow for that,” she said lightly.
But he was already moving so fast it almost defied logic.
She had just enough time to snatch up another muddy handful of icy slush before he launched a perfectly symmetrical snowball at her.
It exploded when it hit her jacket.
“Oh, now you’re in for it,” she promised, pelting him with her own ammo.
He snatched it out of the air.
“Whoa,” Dru said, putting her hands up and laughing. “Okay, I surrender.”
“What are the terms of your surrender?” he asked.
“I, uh, won’t throw snow in your territory,” she offered.
“What about reparations?”
“Reparations?”
“Or at the very least, a gesture of good faith,” he allowed.
“What would that be?” she asked, completely baffled.
