Page 59 of Nightcaps at The Beach House Hotel

“He said he’d be sure to talk to Robert Anderson. He told me that Lily left the hotel early this morning for a flight to New York.”

We studied one another and then I rose. “I’m going to check on the Presidential Suite. Do you want to come?”

“Yes,” said Rhonda. “I want to get there before the hotel staff to make sure nothing is stolen or messed up. At least, Lily paid her bill.”

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As we stood outside the Presidential Suite, I gathered my nerve to go inside.

“Ready?” asked Rhonda.

I nodded.

Inside the entry, all was quiet and in place.

We walked through the living room, dining room, and kitchen, satisfied things were in order.

“We’d better check the master bedroom suite,” I said.

We walked into the room.

The bed covers were thrown back and onto the floor. An open box of trojans was sitting on the bedside table, A towel stained with something that looked like coffee was thrown on the floor.

Rhonda went to the closet. “Just as I thought, both hotel robes are gone. Lily must have taken them. We’ll charge that to her credit card.”

I checked the bathroom. The beautiful shell-shaped dish that would hold several days’ supplies of toiletries was gone. In addition to the usual amenities by the sinks, we provided a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a comb for emergencies in one of the vanity drawers. They too were gone.

“Guess she took whatever she could,” said Rhonda. She stepped into the bedroom and gazed around. “Funny thing, she’s erased any idea of a ghost here.”

“She took that too,” I said, feeling the same way.

“Let’s put her on a list of people who are banned from the hotel,” said Rhonda. “She was trouble from the beginning. Thank goodness, Vaughn stayed out of her mess.”

“He finally texted Lily and told her he would not deal with her again,” I said. “He’s going to be upset by the photo in the paper. What he does about it is up to him. I’m not going to get involved.”

“Maybe it’s better left alone,” said Rhonda. She walked over to the window in the master bedroom of the suite and looked out at the scene below. “We can’t let one person harm what we’ve accomplished.”

“You’re right,” I said, coming up beside her. “I love sharing the hotel with people who appreciate it.”

We went to the office, and I quickly checked the billing for the wedding party and then rose. “Vaughn told me he’s going to have to return sometime this week and I want to spend as much time with him as possible.”

“I get it. Rita is off, so I need to return home to take care of the kids. Will is stressed from work, and I want him to be able to relax.”

“What about that vacation you had set up? Now is the right time to take it.”

“We’ll see,” said Rhonda. “He’s already grumbling about time away from the office.”

A knock sounded at the door.

I got up to answer it. “Tina! What are you doing here?” I asked, waving her inside.

“It’s the newspaper article this morning. I’m sorry, but I can’t stay here. I’ve already received phone calls from several papers and magazines in the area for interviews. The reason I came here was for privacy while I lost a few pounds and got into shape for my next role.”

I hugged her. “I’m sorry. We’ve already talked to the person responsible at the newspaper. It seems that Lily assured the new reporter that everything was okay. Even so, the reporter’s boss should’ve known she had to call us before releasing private information about any guest here at the hotel.”

“Aw, honey, we wish it hadn’t happened,” Rhonda said to Tina. “What are you going to do?”

“I’ve booked a flight to California for this afternoon. And I’m taking Abbie. She’ll complete her contract with me.”

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