Strangled in the Sauna

by Oliver, Marina

  'It would be easier to make a copy if they live out, wouldn't it?' Elena asked. 'They'd have more contacts, I assume.'

  'Not necessarily. They all have days off, and maybe friends able to make the actual copy.'

  'It's not impossible to eliminate some,' Dodie said. 'I suppose anyone might take a photo, but not everyone can get into the guest rooms.'

  'More lists!' Joan groaned. 'I'll make them tonight, if it will help, when Felicity has gone home.'

  'Dodie nodded. 'And I will speak to Tansy. Sheila, could one of us move up to the top floor? It would be easier to speak to the maids up there without arousing suspicion, and without waiting for when they do the other floors.'

  'One of the guests is leaving tomorrow, I can move you up there. It's facing the sea, though,' Sheila added with a grin.

  Dodie grinned back. 'I'll just not have to look.'

  *

  Elena walked into the pool area at a quarter to six. A tall, gangly youth with long, curly, straw-coloured hair was checking the sauna cabinets. He emerged from the last in the row and stared at Elena.

  'Am I too late for a quick swim?' she asked.

  He shook his head, then nodded. 'It'll have to be quick, though,' he muttered. 'It's almost six.'

  'You close at six, do you?'

  Again there was that ambiguous shake and nod. 'Well, I'm supposed to,' he said, glancing past Elena to the door.

  She looked round. A girl she hadn't seen before was hesitating in the doorway, carrying a bathing costume.

  'Oh, Darren, I'm sorry, I'm too early,' the girl said.

  Elena looked at Darren, who was blushing. 'I'll skip it for today. I must come earlier tomorrow.'

  'No, no, it's nothing. I – that is, I keep the pool open for half an hour for any of the staff who want to swim. Those not on duty,' he added quickly. 'Of course the kitchen staff and the waitresses can't come now.'

  'Perhaps they can come before breakfast? How nice.'

  'No! Yes. I'm not doing anything wrong! Terry knows about it.'

  'Where is Terry? Doesn't he stay to help you clear up?'

  The girl sniggered. 'Catch Terry Braithewaite doing extra hours!'

  'He had a – well – a dentist's appointment this afternoon,' Darren said, looking harassed.

  'Poor man! No one likes dentists. Enjoy your swim,' Elena said to the girl as she left the pool area.

  'As you suspected, Terry wasn't there,' she reported a few minutes later to Dodie. 'Poor Darren didn't know what to say. If he opens the pool before breakfast as well as now for some of the staff he works very long hours, which I suspect he doesn't get paid for.'

  'I wonder if Sheila knows? It's Sheila who does most of the management here, I gather?'

  'Yes,' Elena said. 'Joan supervises the treatments and runs some of the exercise classes. She's normally on duty in the gymnasium, in case anyone has an accident there. But they don't start until after ten in the morning. Should we tell them?'

  'About the pool? I suspect they know. It's not a major deal, and why shouldn't the staff make use of it? That girl, you haven't seen her before?'

  'She must be one of the maids from another floor. She wasn't one who does our rooms. She was very young, under twenty, I suspect, blonde and blue-eyed.'

  'The maids and the therapists can use the pool now. Just how many therapists are there?'

  'Three. They all do more than one thing, and I think one of them does three. Then there is the manicurist and a hairdresser. So if we count them, five altogether. Now I must change for dinner.'

  'The food here is good,' Dodie said, sounding rather surprised. 'I might even lose a few pounds. But I do wish the barman had something other than fruit juice and non-alcoholic wine to serve at dinner! He looks silly in his uniform dispensing lemon juice!'

  *

  'Have you found it?'

  Her voice was breathless, with a faint American accent.

  'I'm sorry, Tansy, not yet. I'm Dodie Fanshaw, and I've come to help, to try and find out what happened. That's why I need to talk to you. You put your ring in the safe when you went to swim?'

  'Yes, of course. I told Miss Sheila. I never take it off otherwise. And I keep it with me in the bathroom when I shower. No one could snatch it then.'

  'And you made sure the safe was locked? It's very easy to think you've shut the door properly,' she said, speaking over Tansy's indignant response.

  'I put it in and locked the safe. I know I did. I'm always careful in hotel rooms.'

  'What had you been doing earlier in the morning?'

  'I had a massage, with Natalie. I went up to my room afterwards, to take off the ring.'

  'This would be about eleven?'

  'Ten to. I noticed the time because I took off my watch as well. I put that in the safe too, but that was still there. And all my money, I counted it at once. Only the ring had gone. Then I went to the pool, swam for about twenty minutes, and sat in the sauna. I need to lose a few pounds for this part I'm playing.'

  'So I suppose you got back to your room before twelve? Did you open the safe straight away?'

  'No. I had a shower and washed my hair first.'

  Could anyone have entered the room while the shower or hair dryer were making a noise, Dodie wondered. It was unlikely, too risky.

  'So what time did you open the safe? You're sure it was still locked, it hadn't been left open by the thief?'

  They must either have known the code to reset it, which was unlikely, or used a master key.

  'No, that's what's so dreadful. How could anyone get into it?'

  'Did you use a code someone might have known, such as your birthday?'

  'No, I always use a random code, that doesn't mean anything.'

  'Have you ever opened the safe when one of the maids was in the room? Perhaps whispering the code to yourself?'

  Tansy sounded indignant. 'I never open a hotel safe when anyone could see what I'm doing, and I've a good memory, I don't need to whisper the code!'

  'What else was in the safe, and was anything else taken?'

  'You know, that was odd. Like I said, my watch, which is an expensive one, and the wallet with money, and my plane tickets for LA. None of that was touched.'

  'You counted it? The cash? And you were sure none had been taken?'

  'You bet I did, straight off, before I went to report it to Miss Sheila. And in case you wonder, I always know how much I have in my wallet.'

  'Well, that disposes of a few options,' Dodie said. 'Thank you for talking to me, and I'll do my very best to find out what happened, and hope to get your ring back.'

  There was a sob at the other end of the phone. 'Oh please! Bart will kill me if I don't get it back!'

  *

  CHAPTER 3

  Dodie lay in bed trying to sort out all she had discovered. Tansy's ring had to have been stolen within an hour, while she was at the pool. She must ask when the room had been serviced, and where the therapists were. The maids would have been on that floor at the time, and might have seen someone entering Tansy's room. That would have been dangerous for the thief, unless they had a cast iron excuse for being there. Alternately one of the maids could be the thief. And asking the floor maids if they had seen anyone else there would arouse suspicions, even if they could remember details from several weeks past. As for the therapists, that would be easier to check. If they all had clients it would appear to rule them out. There would have been no reason for a waitress to be in the guest wing at that time, unless someone was ill and remaining in bed. The same applied to Frank, the barman. These were things she could check from the records. The other jewels could have been stolen at almost any time during the day, Lady Carter's until she wanted the necklace that evening, and Phillipa's during the day before she reported the loss.

  Dodie came to the reluctant conclusion that the most likely culprit was one of the maids, or Mrs Jones, the housekeeper, all of whom might legitimately be in the guest wing, even in the rooms. Yet it did not feel right. Ho
w could they dispose of the jewels? Would any of them know outsiders who might help? She would need to discover where they came from, and whether any of them had crooks in their families, or knew them. How the devil she could ask those sort of questions, she had no idea.

  They would all have been able to see the jewels, she supposed. Tansy had worn her ring continuously, and probably flashed it around for all to see. If the owners had not yet left their rooms when they went to turn down the beds in the evening, one of the maids might have seen Lady Carter wearing her necklace, and Phillipa her brooch. She would move to a room on the top floor tomorrow, which would give her opportunities to talk to the maids there while Elena talked to the ones doing the ground floor. She began to plan what innocuous-sounding questions she could ask them, and in the middle of her list fell asleep.

  *

  Dodie was pleasantly surprised by her salt rub. It produced a smooth sensation on her skin, not at all the rough scratchiness she had anticipated. Elena had a massage, and afterwards they both went to swim, and sit in the hot tubs where they could compare notes, safe from being overheard by the noises in the pool.

  There was no sign of Terry. Dodie assumed he was having an extended coffee break. Darren was there on his own, and gave Elena a cautious smile before turning away and busying himself collecting used towels.

  They had been there for half an hour when Terry appeared, and Darren almost ran from the room.

  'Is the lad afraid?' Dodie asked, looking after him in some surprise.

  'No, I suspect he's late for whatever they have at their break. I heard someone say at breakfast that the chef was a slave driver, and if the staff were late for their breaks he refused to let them have anything.'

  Dodie laughed. 'I wonder if Terry is ever refused?'

  'I can't imagine anyone having the nerve. Shall I talk to him, or would you like the pleasure?' Elena asked.

  'Perhaps I'd better. Darren may have told him you were here last night.'

  She looked at Terry. Aged, she guessed, around thirty, he was of medium height, with light brown hair cut very short, broad shoulders and an incipient paunch. His nose had been broken at some time, and his shaggy eyebrows almost met above it. He was not a prepossessing sight.

  Dodie took a deep breath, nodded, clambered out of the hot tub and wrapped herself in the fluffy white robe which was supplied for guests going for treatments or a swim. She began to walk towards the saunas, where Terry was standing looking at a couple of women swimming lengths. She did not like the expression on his face, a mixture of scorn and curiosity. As she came close to him, she swayed, and collapsed artistically onto one of the loungers at the side of the pool. She groaned, and held her head. After what seemed like an unduly long pause Terry came across to her.

  'Are you OK?' he asked, clearly reluctant to do anything to help. 'Can I send for anyone?'

  Dodie nodded, but made sure her voice was weak and trembling. 'I'm OK, thanks, just a little faint for a moment. I don't think I'll use the sauna this morning. I seem to have developed a headache, too.' She took a deep breath and allowed her voice to strengthen. 'Tell me, is there a chemist in the village? You do live there, I believe?'

  'Sure, I couldn't stand living in. But if you want pills, Miss Joan can give you something for your head.'

  'No, I have what I need. It's not that. But I forgot to bring my favourite shower gel, and I though the local chemist might have it.'

  'Don't you like the ones we provide?'

  For a wonder he sounded offended, yet Dodie hadn't thought he had any affection for The Crags, judging by his lack of enthusiasm for his job.

  She caught at his arm. 'Please, don't tell Miss Sheila! They're OK, but I'd hate her to think me ungrateful. I just prefer one type. Your wife probably has her favourites, so you'll understand.'

  'I'm not married. But I could ask if they have the one you want next time I'm there, if you like.'

  This was surprising. Dodie hadn't thought he was someone to do favours for the guests, but presumably he would expect a tip. This might be a way of encouraging him to answer more questions.

  'That's kind of you.'

  'No problem, I live just a few minutes away.'

  'It's a jasmine scented one.' She gave him the name of the most expensive kind she could think of. It was unlikely a small village chemist would stock it. 'If they have it, I can drive down and buy some.'

  'No problem, I'll get you some.'

  And she'd have to give him a tip the same price as the shower gel, she thought. Please don't let them have it. She'd taken a decided dislike to the man, but had to pretend to be grateful.

  'When do you next go to the village?'

  'I have lunch at home most days, so I can get it for you today.'

  'Could you bring it up to my room? If you can get some, that is. I really think I'm going to spend the afternoon resting.'

  'I can't do that, I'm afraid, I never go into the guest wing,' he said, sounding virtuous. 'As I live out I don't use the staff sitting room much either.'

  'Leave it with Felicity then, please, if you can get me some, and I'll see you to pay in the morning. Perhaps by then I'll feel up to using the sauna.'

  'Felicity isn't here today, it's Tuesday, but I can leave it in the office with Miss Sheila.'

  *

  Back in her room she found the maids packing her belongings.

  'We're just taking them up to your new room, Mrs Fanshaw,' the older one said. 'It's number 305, at the end of the corridor, and has a lovely view of the sea.'

  Dodie shivered. Well, she needn't look. 'Do you ever work up there, to enjoy it?' she asked.

  'Only to fill in when they have their day off. I'll wait there until you come up, to give you your key. Don't forget to check we haven't left anything behind, and bring whatever is in your safe.'

  Dodie swiftly checked, then took her belongings from the small safe and, telling herself she needed the exercise, climbed up the stairs. It was only then she realised how high the ceilings of the bedrooms were. They had to match the height of the rooms in the main house, of course, because of the connecting doors. But sixteen steps to each flight were too many. Victorian architects had no consideration for the maids who had to carry hods of coal and trays up all these stairs all day long. Thank goodness for the lift, which she would use the next time.

  On the top corridor she found her maid standing in the doorway of room 305, talking to another girl.

  'Hi. This is Rosie. She and Mandy look after this floor.'

  Dodie tried to steady her breathing as she reached into her purse. 'Thank you. Your name is Pat, isn't it?' she said as she held out a coin.

  Pat backed away, shaking her head. 'Oh, thank you, Mrs Fanshaw, but no, we are not allowed to accept tips. We share whatever guests leave amongst us. There's a tip box in the office.'

  That, Dodie thought as she went into her new room, was not likely to be Terry's attitude. Did the Sankey sisters find it hard to get staff here? Jamie had said they paid their staff well, and the therapists had salaries, they did not have to depend on charging their clients for whatever sessions they had. For the guests, everything, all the therapies, were free, which was why the terms were so expensive. The therapists all lived in, apart from Susan, the hair stylist. She assumed they'd been recruited from big cities, for the local area would be unlikely to contain such talents, but probably the maids were mostly local, and some of them might not enjoy living on site.

  She took a quick glance out of the window after she had put her money in the new safe and keyed in the code. It was a windy day, and there were high waves with many white horses. Just looking made her feel cold. She quickly drew the curtains, took a brief shower and went down for lunch.

  *

  It was the custom for the guests to congregate in the drawing room before meals, and several of them were sipping tonic or mineral water. Dodie wondered if there was any way she could smuggle in a miniature bottle of gin, and contrive to slip it into the tonic Frank
was handing round. Elena, who was seated with a small group near one of the windows, grinned at her and Dodie mentally shook her head. It would not do. Her daughter knew her too well, and would disapprove, saying she was not entering into the spirit of detection. Though considering all the fictional detectives who spent their time in pubs getting drunk, surely the odd G and T would not be out of place.

  Dodie considered joining Elena, until she realised the window overlooked the cliff top, and the waves, huge and threatening, could be seen beyond. She found a chair with its back to the window and collapsed into it. The two women seated opposite smiled at her. They were both in their fifties, both tall and slim, both grey-haired. In fact, they could be twins, or at least sisters.

  'You look exhausted. Have you been in the gym?'

  'No,' Dodie said, 'just climbing two flights of stairs.'

  'But I thought you were on the ground floor? I saw you last night, going into one of the rooms.'

  'Oh, that was temporary, until one of the upper rooms was free. I like the view,' Dodie added mendaciously.

  'Glorious, isn't it? If this wind drops tomorrow, which the BBC weatherman says it will do, we mean to take the cliff walk. Why don't you join us? It's only a couple of miles along the coast, there's not a great deal of climbing, and it's easy. Then we can turn back and come through the village.'

  'It sounds delightful, but I'm afraid I have sessions booked tomorrow morning, and,' she added desperately, when she could see they were about to offer to fit in with her programme, 'I need to wait for an important phone call in the afternoon.'

  'What a shame. Another day, perhaps, while the weather holds. How long are you staying?'

  'About a week, maybe longer. I haven't decided.'

  To Dodie's relief lunch was then announced. The guests moved swiftly into the dining room, where the small tables for two or four diners were scattered in the spacious room. By lingering, Dodie managed to avoid the two energetic walkers, and take a seat at another table. Elena stayed with her companions, and Dodie was joined by two women she had not spoken to previously, who looked like mother and daughter, and one of the few male guests, a good looking man who introduced himself as Tim Barratt.