Page 38 of Hidden in Memories
“Excuse me, but aren’t you one of the detectives?”
Hanna sits up a little straighter. “I am.”
The man looks around, as if he’s afraid that someone will hear what he is saying.
“I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but ...” Again he scans the area. “Something happened on Sunday that you ought to know about.”
Hanna stands up so they are face-to-face. His forehead is shiny with sweat.
What’s this about?
“I’m listening,” she says encouragingly.
Erik swallows, composes himself. “One of my colleagues who works at reception ... There was a huge row between him and the woman who was murdered in the Silver Suite.”
Hanna is immediately on full alert. Nobody has mentioned a quarrel between Charlotte and an employee—she would definitely have remembered if they had.
“Who was it? Do you know his name?”
Erik is clearly uncomfortable, as if he is torn between a desire to help the police and loyalty to a coworker. “Paul Lehto. He’s worked here for a long time.” Sounding hopeful, he adds, “But maybe you already know about this?”
Hanna shakes her head as she searches her memory. Paul Lehto? She’s read the transcripts of the interviews that have been conducted so far, and he didn’t feature.
“So what happened? Can you tell me more?”
Erik shifts from foot to foot, he seems reluctant to continue. “Well ... it was really busy in the foyer on Sunday, lots of guests had been delayed because of the blizzard, and check-in was pretty chaotic. The woman who was killed tried to push in front of people, and there was an argument. I don’t remember exactly what it was all about, but it was really unpleasant. She and Paul stood there yelling at each other in front of the other guests. You can ask Iris—she was on duty that evening.”
He lets out a long breath; he seems relieved. He’s done his duty and he doesn’t need to say any more.
From the corner of her eye, Hanna sees Daniel approaching. Erik notices too, and steps back.
“I have to go. Please don’t tell anyone it was me who spoke to you. I don’t want problems. At least now you know the situation.”
Before Hanna has the chance to ask him to stay, he disappears through a side door that closes behind him.
Daniel joins her. “We need to go over to the Villa—that’s where Henry Sylvester is staying.”
Hanna is still staring at the door through which Erik vanished. “Did you see that guy I was talking to? His name is Erik, and he claims that Charlotte had a huge row with one of the receptionists on Sunday—a Paul Lehto.”
Daniel raises his eyebrows. “First I’ve heard of it. Who is he?”
“I don’t think Erik was making it up. The way he spoke, very quietly so that only the two of us could hear, suggests the opposite. It sounded as if he found it quite difficult to pass on the information.”
Daniel takes out his phone. “Worth following up. I’ll text Anton, ask him to check out this Paul Lehto right away.” He quickly types a message. “Lucky you were on your own, so he felt able to come over and speak to you.”
Hanna glances at him. Was that a compliment?
“So what are we doing now?” She didn’t understand what Daniel had said about Henry.
“Going to the Villa where Henry Sylvester is staying.”
“What’s that?”
“A separate building for VIP guests. We have to go outside—it’s a few hundred yards down the hill.”
On the way they pass a life-size illuminated reindeer woven from twigs, guarding the entrance. A family is busy loading luggage into their car in the nearest parking lot. They seem to have just checked out, and Hanna picks up fragments of their conversation.
The parents are talking about the murder; she can hear the anxiety in the mother’s voice.
