Page 23 of Cougar Point

I’m not disappointed when she says, “Should I have an attorney?”

“You’re not a suspect, Missy, so no, you don’t need an attorney.”Yet. Neither Connie nor Rebecca have said anything about a champagne bucket.“We don’t know if there was anything wrong with the champagne. Was there another bottle in the room? An empty bottle.”

“Of champagne? Yes. I took it. I didn’t want the day maid to think your mom was a…you know.”

Rebecca can’t stop herself from saying, “No. I don’t know. If you know something about my mom, you’d better tell me.”

The smug look on Missy’s face tells me she’s enjoying punching Rebecca’s buttons. I don’t have a clue why that wouldbe. Rebecca gets up and goes to the windows and stands, arms across her chest.

“How long have you worked here?” I ask, knowing it may not be much longer.

“A year now. Roger said I hadpotentialand promoted me. I’ve been a part-time night manager for six months.”

Roger?I want to ask if she and Roger are a thing but I don’t want her to tell him I asked.

“Were you the one that found the note under Mrs. Marsh’s door?”

“I did rounds at midnight and found it. It wasn’t there when I delivered the champagne earlier and I didn’t see anyone in the elevator or in the hallway, so I can’t tell you who left it. The note was right up against her door so I knew it was for her. I knocked but there was no answer. I pushed it partially under her door for when she was, uh, able to read it.”

I throw Rebecca a cautioning look to let it go.

“I guess I shouldn’t have touched it but I was afraid someone would find it and throw it away. In hindsight, I should have been the one to bring it to the front desk.”

“How could you have known to do that? You couldn’t. Right? So when did you give the note to Roger? Mr. Whiting. Your boss?”

“I didn’t bring it to the desk.”

“You didn’t read it?”

“I told you I didn’t.”

“Back to Thursday night, Friday morning. Did anything unusual happen during your shift?”

“What do you mean by unusual?”

“Something not usual, Missy. Attention getting.”

Her lips tighten and she cocks her head. “There was one thing.”

“Okay.”

“I went up to make sure Mrs. Marsh was okay. This was before I made rounds so it must have been after eleven o’clock.”

“Why was that necessary?”

“Well—and you’re going to be mad about this too, but I swear it’s the truth.” Rebecca has turned from the window and is staring daggers at Missy, and Missy seems to be fighting back a smile. “Mrs. Marsh sometimes leaves her room and sits on a bench at the end of the hall. I’ve found her asleep a few times and helped her to her room.”

“What are you trying to say? That my mom is an alcoholic? That’s bullshit and you know it.”

Missy feigns being chastised. “I’m sorry. I told you it might be upsetting.”

“Did you have to help her Thursday night?” I ask.

“No. I wasn’t sure she was okay. Just a feeling. So I knocked and didn’t get an answer. I knocked when I found the note during my rounds. I guess the note was left between those times. Anyway, when she didn’t answer my knock I thought she might be asleep. I finished making rounds and went back to the office. I only wish now that I had let myself in. I’m sorry, Miss Marsh.”

“Is that everything, Missy?” I ask.

“That’s it.”

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