by Amy Cross
"Ms. Carter's body was found at the foot of the cliffs," one of the officers explains. "We believe she jumped some time between 1am and 2am. We've already retrieved a note from among her possessions, and she left a corroborating message on her parents' phones right before she jumped. She said she couldn't live with the guilt, but she didn't go into details".
"There's no doubt whatsoever that it was suicide," Edward adds. "I'm not sure whether that's a blessing or another..." He pauses again. "At least we'll be spared a big investigation, but of course the fact that a member of our own team has ended her life is..."
"Did you know Ms. Carter well?" one of the officers asks me.
I shake my head. "No," I mutter, thinking back to the bizarre incident during the night with the dress. Although I know I should tell them what had happened, I figure I don't want to get drawn into any kind of investigation. From what the officers have said, it sounds as if the suicide explanation is cut and dried, which means that any further complications would be unnecessary. "We spoke a few times," I continue, "but never about anything to do with our personal lives. I had no idea she was..."
The room falls silent.
"Still waters run deep," Edward says after a moment. "I worked closely with Rachel, and I always thought she was a very steadfast, very sober young woman. I never would have thought she might do something like this, but clearly she wasn't as strong as I'd imagined".
"I understand," the police officer continues, "that this comes at a particularly difficult time. Is your brother still listed as missing in Afghanistan, Mr. Bannister?"
Edward nods wearily.
"You have our deepest condolences over the loss of Ms. Carter," the officer continues. "We'll get one of our forensics officers to take a look at her locker, but other than that I don't see that there's much else to be doing. You might like to direct your guests away from the point over by the old summerhouse, though. We'll be working there for most of the morning, and of course we'll have to bring the body up at some stage".
"Of course," Edward replies. "If there's anything my staff or I can do to help you, please don't hesitate to get in touch".
Once the police officers have left the room, I try to work out what I can possibly say to Edward. I still can't even begin to process the news about Rachel's death, and I feel as if there's a kind of white noise in her mind, blocking all my thoughts. When Rachel gave me the dress last night, was that her last act before she killed herself?
"I was involved in a sexual relationship with Rachel Carter," Edward says suddenly.
I stare at him.
"It was inappropriate," he continues, "and it was wrong. I don't think for one second that it contributed in any way to her decision to end her life, but I feel that perhaps I could have noticed that something was troubling her. I find it hard to believe that she gave no indication whatsoever of her private torment. There must have been signs and signals that we simply didn't notice".
"The bruises on her face..." I start to say.
"She was involved in certain solitary pursuits that made little sense to me," Edward replies. "She occasionally did things to herself that I couldn't even begin to understand, and I'm afraid I gave up trying after a while. While I most certainly did nothing to cause her troubles, I feel I could have done more to help her. Laura, you must initiate a new program to offer support and guidance to all members of staff. Start by providing services to help them deal with Rachel's death, but look into ways to extend this support to become a regular service. I..." Again, his voice trails off, but this time he seems lost in his own thoughts. "We must help our employees," he says eventually. "We must make sure that no-one else ever suffers in silence".
"I think she..." I start to say, poised to tell him about the strange note and the incident the previous night out by the ruined summerhouse, but at the last moment I decide to keep the whole thing to myself. "I'm just so shocked," I continue. "I've never known anyone who..."
We stand in silence for a moment.
"Neither have I," Edward says eventually, getting to his feet and heading over to the door. "I'm afraid I need a moment alone. Can you gather the staff in my office in one hour? I'm afraid I must once again deliver such awful news. This is becoming a dreadful habit".
Although I want to say something, perhaps to find some way to ease Edward's mind, I can only stand and watch as he heads out of the room. Left alone, I stand in hushed silence for a moment. I half expect everything to turn out to be a dream, and after a few seconds I glance over at the door, wondering if perhaps Rachel might suddenly walk in, make a bitchy comment, and admit that the whole thing is a hoax. Still, there's something about Edward's stunned reaction that makes me realize the whole thing is horribly real, and I can't understand why Rachel's last act before her death seems to have been to toss a dress at me in the middle of the night. What kind of guilt could have driven that poor girl to her death?
Elizabeth
Five years ago
"Hey".
Standing out by the ruined summerhouse, I've been so deeply lost in my own thoughts that I hadn't noticed anyone approaching. Turning, I find that Rachel Carter is standing a few feet away. She's not exactly a welcome sight, but I guess I shouldn't hold a grudge. When she knocked down my summerhouse idea, she was only doing her job.
"Hey," I reply cautiously.
"Sorry," she says meekly, "I didn't want to disturb you. I just saw you out here and..." She pauses. "I wanted to apologize. I feel like I could have been nicer earlier, when you were talking about your plans. I feel like maybe I said the wrong thing".
"Don't worry about it," I tell her. "Everything you said was true, and if you hadn't said it, Edward would have brought it up. I guess the figures just didn't make sense. I thought everything was simpler, but you were right about all the other costs. I was too ambitious".
"It's still a good idea," Rachel replies. "I mean, this place is so gorgeous, it'd be amazing to have a proper summerhouse out here, but..." She smiles awkwardly. "I just didn't want you to think I'm a bitch or anything. I guess I was probably just trying to impress Mr. Bannister. I've been hired as a receptionist but I kinda want to move up pretty soon and be part of the management. I swear, if I was in charge and if we had the money, I'd totally build a new summerhouse".
"Are you from around here?" I ask after a moment. I don't really feel like a chat, but I guess I need to prove to her that I'm not angry.
"A little town a few miles away," Rachel says. "I just turned twenty-one and I got a car for my birthday, so finally I could look for jobs like this one". She pauses. "Most of my friends wanted to get out of this damn place, but I like it here. I've always wanted to work at a place like this. It's so beautiful, I could just look at the view all day".
I smile, recognizing something of myself in Rachel's ambitious eyes.
"I should leave you alone," Rachel says after a moment.
"It's fine. I was heading back inside anyway".
"Do you want to walk together?"
I open my mouth to reply, before realizing that Rachel is trying to become my friend. It's kind of cute, and at the same time a little sad. After all, it's almost as if Rachel is a new girl at school, and for whatever reason she seems to have decided that I might want to hang out.
"Sure," I say eventually, turning and starting to walk back toward the hotel, with Rachel in tow. "So this is your first day, huh? How are you finding it?"
"It's pretty intense. I like it, though. I'm just trying to work out what Mr. Bannister wants. Edward, I mean. He seems pretty cool, but it's like there's this other side to him. I feel like he's always setting tests to see how I perform".
"He can be like that," I reply. "I think so, anyway. I don't really know him too well yet. Just don't let it get to you too much. Do the best you can, and I'm sure everything else will follow".
"That's what I'm counting on," Rachel says. "I feel like I've got what it takes. I know that probably sounds arrogant, but I'm going to prove to Mr.
Bannister that he should take me on as an assistant manager. I'm going to be like him and focus solely on my work. There's not going to be any room in my life for frivolous things or weakness". We walk in silence for a moment. "One day I'm going to run my own hotel," Rachel adds eventually. "One day I'm going to be in charge, and I'm not going to let anything stop me".
"That's some pretty impressive ambition," I reply, slightly taken aback by this new side to Rachel. While she seems like a normal young woman, she's clearly far more focused and determined than most people her age.
"It's not ambition," Rachel replies. "It's a plan. That's all. I'm going to put it into action, too. I don't care how long it takes. I'm not going to stop until this is the most perfect hotel in the world".
As we make our way back to the hotel, I can't help but think that Rachel might have what it takes. Give her a few years, and she might just be running the whole damn place. After all, this level of ambition is rare, and it's hard to imagine anything that could stop her reaching the top.
Part Five
Damaged Goods
Laura
Today
"Elizabeth?"
Staring at the corner of the room, I suddenly realize that I've let my mind wander. I turn to see Edward sitting opposite me with a concerned look on his face. Something feels wrong, but I'm not sure what.
"Laura, are you..." He pauses. "Were you listening to a word I said?"
"Yes!" I say quickly, even though I haven't got a clue what he's been talking about. In truth, I'm finding it hard to stop thinking about Rachel. It's been less than a week since she died, and although I'd assumed that the passage of time would make things easier, I think I'm still in shock. I didn't really know her very well, and it's certainly not as if we were friends. I felt that I was starting to get to know her, though, and I'm still trying to understand that final encounter in the middle of the night. I haven't dared mention it to anyone yet, but I'm convinced that Rachel's death was in some way linked to the disappearance of Elizabeth Bannister.
"I was talking about the carryover between the current and imminent fiscal calendars," Edward continues. "As I said, I hired you because I want someone who can push the hotel forward and implement some new ideas, but we have to balance the budget". He picks up one of the many pieces of paper that are covering his desk. "This idea about the gym is particularly interesting. It's definitely something we should pursue. And the massage parlor. And..." He pauses for a moment. "I'm curious about this plan for rebuilding the old summerhouse. Where did that idea come from?"
"It just seemed obvious," I reply, still trying to gather my thoughts properly. "The foundations are in place and it'd be a focal point for activities".
"When you originally talked about improving the hotel," he says, "I was thinking more along the lines of a paint job and some new furniture. The ideas you've come up with are a lot more ambitious, though, and I'm starting to come around to your way of thinking. I guess we need to use the best of your talents".
"That's why I want to really improve the hotel before we launch a new marketing campaign," I continue. "We need to give people a reason to come here other than simply offering them a place to sleep".
"I see you found Elizabeth's original memo about the summerhouse project," he continues, leafing through some more of the notes on his table.
I nod.
"It's certainly ambitious," he adds. "It's not a new idea, but times change and maybe something that was wrong in the past might turn out to be right now. We need to strike a balance between moving forward and retaining some sense of the traditions that have always underpinned this part of the world. The last thing we want to do is turn the Heights into some kind of glitzy resort".
"The summerhouse is the heart of the new project," I continue, determined to get him on my side. "It symbolizes the new character of the place. At the moment, the point overlooking the beach is bare and lifeless. Don't you think there needs to be something big out there? Something to draw people out of the hotel and into the gardens? We need to make this place a destination, not just a place to stop for people who are going somewhere else".
He smiles. "Someone else once said almost the exact same thing".
"They were right," I tell him. "If people keep coming up with the same idea, there's probably a good reason. This approach could really work for the Heights".
"I felt it was a good idea at the time," he says, "but the budgetary situation was very different. I don't know whether you're aware, but while my family is very wealthy, we lost a considerable amount of money a few years ago. We're by no means at risk of losing everything, but it would certainly be beneficial if we could make the hotel more profitable".
"So you agree we should go ahead?" I ask, surprised by how easily he seems to be giving in to my ideas.
"I do". He pauses, as if he needs to take a moment to take stock of the enormity of the impending projects. "It's really going to be a different hotel by the time we're finished, isn't it? I doubt anyone's going to recognize it".
"That's not necessarily a bad thing," I point out. "It'll still be the Heights, but it'll have had a facelift. I'm confident it'll still have the same general character. It'll still feel like the same hotel it's always been, but it'll be new and modern. It'll be the kind of place that people recommend to their friends. I mean, I don't know if you've looked at the online reviews for the hotel, but I think there's definitely some room for improvement".
"A second chance," Edward says, staring at the documents. "It's not often that second chances come around".
"Once you sign off, we can really get started," I tell him. "Everything's costed out, and we're going to use local builders. That's part of the appeal. We're going to get craftsmen from the area to do everything, and then we can claim that the local community has been involved in the restoration. Obviously we can't do all the work at once, but -"
"Why not?" he asks suddenly.
"Why not?" I stare at him. "Well, for one thing, we'd have to close the hotel -"
"Then let's close the hotel".
"Seriously?"
"We can cancel all bookings that start after the weekend, and we can bring the builders in almost immediately. I don't see why we should wait. How long do you think the whole thing would take?"
"Well..." I pause, stunned by this sudden turnaround. Last week, Edward was decidedly unenthusiastic about the idea of renovating the hotel at all, and now he wants to bring the plans forward and go full tilt at the project. "We're talking about two, maybe three months of lost revenue," I tell him, frantically trying to work out all the figures. "I'm not sure we can even arrange for the builders to work solidly for so long. This is the kind of thing that requires a lot of planning and -"
"I think we should do it," he says firmly. "I think we should strike while the iron's hot and we should get started. It's not as if we're packed with guests over the next few months anyway. This is the perfect time to shut down and get the necessary work done, and then we can re-open later in the year and..." His voice trails off for a moment, and he seems genuinely enthused by the whole idea. "I've got to admit," he continues, "this isn't something I ever would have countenanced if it hadn't been for your passion for the project".
"Mine?"
"You're clearly a talented woman," he continues, "and it'd be a terrible shame to waste your abilities". He pauses, as if he's weighing up his options. "It's decided," he says finally. "I'm putting you in complete control. The Heights is yours to do with as you wish, and I'll authorize any spending that's required".
I stare at him, stunned by this latest development.
"What's wrong, Ms. Kingston?" he asks. "You looks positively ashen".
"I..."
"This is your chance to really make your mark on the Heights," he adds. "Frankly, this kind of project is long overdue and I'm completely confident that you'll do a wonderful job. The future of the hotel is in your hands, and I can't wait to see what you come up with".
"Okay,
" I say, almost shaking with nerves, "and the -"
"Ten million pounds should be enough to start with," he says, interrupting me.
"Ten million?"
"You've worked with such high budgets before, haven't you?"
"Of course," I tell him, even though it's a lie.
"Excellent," he replies. "Then it's settled. Work must begin as soon as possible".
Once our meeting is over, I gather my papers and head out of the office. My first few weeks at the Heights have been fairly slow on the work front, but suddenly everything is stepping up a gear or two and I feel as if I'm facing the biggest challenge of my life. The budget for this program is astronomical, and I'm very much aware that the future of the hotel, and perhaps of the Bannister family, is now resting on my shoulders. I'm not quite sure why Edward has chosen to place so much trust in my skills, but I've always wanted to be in charge of such a huge project, and I can hardly back away now. This is it. This is my chance to make a real name for myself, and to wipe away all the failures from the old days. By the time I'm finished, the Heights is going to feel completely different, and so am I.
Elizabeth
Five years ago
"No?"
"No".
"What do you mean? You can't ban me from working!"
Sighing, Luke walks over to the door and grabs his jacket.
"Where are you going?" I shout, hurrying over and pushing the door shut as he tries to pull it open. "We haven't finished talking about this!"
"You're not working in a bar, Elizabeth," he replies firmly. "You're my wife! Do you seriously think I want my wife to end up as a barmaid?"
"You said I could get experience at the hotel," I continue, almost trembling with rage. I always knew Luke was a little old-fashioned, but over the past few weeks he's become intolerable. "You said I could work here," I add. "You said that life here would be slow, but that I could focus on finding a niche!"
