Page 3 of Too Busy for Love

‘So you would have been twenty-six when you started?’

‘Twenty-seven. It’s my birthday today.’

‘Of course it is. Many happy returns. Forgive my ignorance, but is it normal for hotel managers to be so young?’

‘No, but I have more experience than most people my age. My parents own a small hotel in Ludlow, so I’ve grown up in the business. My degree is in hospitality and I’ve been working in the industry from the moment I graduated.’

‘Where were you working before Hotel Dufour?’

‘I was assistant manager at The Old Stable Yard in Islington.’

‘Hm. I don’t know that one.’

‘It’s not there any more. It went under.’

‘Check it out, will you, DS Hollis?’ DI Winter instructs, and he writes it on his pad.

‘OK, so how did you get the position at Hotel Dufour? Did you approach Eileen, I mean Madame Dufour, or did she approach you?’

‘When I found out that The Old Stable Yard was closing, I signed on with an agency that specialises in the hospitality industry. They sent my CV to Madame Dufour, among others. She interviewed me and contacted me a couple of days later to offer me the position. It was a step up from my previous job, the pay was good and onsite accommodation was included, so it was a no-brainer.’

‘And you didn’t have any suspicions about her? Nothing about her seemed off in any way?’

‘No. I mean, she’s a little old-fashioned, I suppose, but she runs a tight ship.’

‘Old-fashioned? Can you give an example?’

‘She insists that the beds are made up with sheets and blankets. I suggested to her once, early on before I knew what she was like, that most people slept under duvets these days and they might prefer them. Plus it would make life easier for the housekeeping staff.’

‘That sounds reasonable. What did she say?’

‘She was furious. She told me there was no way her guests were going to sleep on glorified dog beds, like animals, and she wasn’t in business to make life easier for the housekeepers.’

‘Never a truer word spoken,’ DS Hollis mutters under his breath.

‘Let’s turn our attention to the housekeepers for a moment,’ DI Winter continues. ‘How many rooms do you have in the hotel?’

‘Forty-eight.’

‘And, if I understand correctly, there are twelve housekeepers. That seems a lot to me. Is it?’

‘It is a lot, but we usually have to turn the rooms over twice a day, so it’s a greater workload than most hotels.’

‘I assume part of your role is supervising the housekeeping staff?’

‘No. They’re under Maria, the head of housekeeping. I spot check a bedroom every so often, but Maria is very protective of her domain, so I have to be careful not to tread on her toes too much.’

‘Is that usual?’

‘No, but Madame and Maria go way back, apparently, and Madame trusts her implicitly.’

‘So, just to clarify,’ DI Winter continues in her conversational tone. ‘Maria is in charge of the housekeeping staff and, beyond the odd bedroom inspection, you have nothing to do with them?’

‘That’s correct.’

‘Tell me about your clientele,’ she says. ‘Are they mostly repeat customers, or are they mainly one-offs?’

‘A lot of them are regulars.’

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