Page 35 of The Lady Has a Past

“Depends how you look at it. On the one hand, it’s hard to be anonymous here. People staying at a resort like this notice the other guests on the golf course or at the pool. They see them in the bar and the dining room. That’s one of the reasons they come to a fashionable hotel and spa in the first place.”

“To see and be seen.”

“Right. But there is one possible advantage to this particular location.”

Lyra glanced at him. “What?”

“You could bury a body out there in the desert and no one would ever find it.”

Lyra shuddered. “Thanks for that cheery thought.”

She had to admit he was right. Beyond the hotel gardens and the oasis of green that was the golf course, the vast desert valley stretched for miles in every direction. It would be a simple matter to conceal a body in an unmarked grave.

She had taken a few minutes to read the pamphlet titledHistory of Labyrinth Springsthat she had picked up at the front desk when she and Simon had checked in. The small, fashionable town had originally been a stagecoach stop. Later, the arrival of the railroad in nearby Palm Springs had transformed it into a destination for those who first came to take the water cures in the hot springs and then stayed to enjoy the sunshine in midwinter.

Over time, the water cures had lost their appeal. The smart set wanted swimming pools, tennis courts, and golf courses, all of which Palm Springs offered. For years the Labyrinth Springs Hotel had failed to keep up with the times and had been in danger of closing its doors. But the new owner had rescued it. Oliver Ward was right—persuadingMadam Guppy to move her spa to California had been a stroke of marketing genius.

Unlike most of the buildings in town and the winter homes of the wealthy that were scattered around the valley and the foothills, the old hotel had been constructed in a style that was typical of late Victorian spa and beachfront resorts. It reminded Lyra of the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego—a sprawling, fanciful structure trimmed with wide, shaded verandas. The lobby was a grand rotunda lit with a massive chandelier. Gazebos decorated the gardens. Guppy’s spa occupied one entire wing.

The honeymoon suite was on the third floor. Evidently it had not always been intended for that purpose. Lyra had been relieved to discover that there were two bedrooms: a master suite and a much smaller suite on the opposite side of the spacious sitting room that had probably been intended for children or a lady’s maid.

The bellhop had left all of the luggage in the master bedroom. Simon had waited until he was gone before moving his single suitcase and his briefcase into the small bedroom.

The sitting area was furnished with a sofa, two reading chairs, and a fully stocked liquor cabinet. A bouquet of flowers and a bottle of champagne were on the round table in the center of the room. The note on the table readCongratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Simon Cage. Compliments of the Management of the Labyrinth Springs Hotel & Spa.

“Too bad we can’t simply telephone the front desk and ask to be connected to Raina Kirk’s room,” Lyra said. “If she really is in the middle of an investigation, that could destroy her cover. Besides, for all we know she’s registered under another name.”

“Don’t worry, there are other ways to find out if she’s here,” Simon said.

“How? Plant ourselves in the lobby and see if she happens to walk past us? We can’t sit down there for hours. People will notice. And what if she never even checked in? We can’t waste time.”

“You’re not going to panic on me, are you?” Simon asked. He sounded only mildly concerned.

She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not panicking. I’m trying to come up with a plan.”

“Save yourself the effort. I’ve already got one.”

“Is that right? What is it?”

“Let’s go downstairs, have tea on the veranda, and then take a stroll around the grounds. I’ll tell you how we’re going to find out if Miss Kirk is here and at the same time I’ll get a feel for the layout of the resort.”

Lyra gave him a determined smile. “Wewill get a feel for the layout of the resort. I realize you are under the impression that you had to bring me along because you didn’t want me investigating on my own, but I’ve got news for you. We are professional colleagues.”

“Luther told me you were hired on at the Kirk agency as an apprentice investigator.”

“So?”

“So that makes you thejuniorcolleague. I’m the one in charge.”

“Sure,” Lyra said.

She gave him a dazzling smile.

Simon got the man-watching-a-slow-moving-train-wreck look again.

Chapter 16

Here’s what you need to remember, Gerald,” Lyra said. “You are an intelligent, good-looking man with a job. You have a lot to offer a woman. I understand what you’re going through, because I went through a very similar experience, myself, with a man I planned to marry.”

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