Curse Conundrum: A Deliciously Unputdownable Cozy Murder Mystery (A Maid Ivy Cozy Mystery Book) by Hazel Smith

Author:Hazel Smith [Smith, Hazel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-02-13T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

Ivy stared at the laundry room. It was the first time she had been back here since finding Andrew Wallace half thrown into a laundry basket a few days ago.

The room seemed normal, as if nothing had ever happened. Ivy took a deep breath and finished crossing the threshold. Once she walked past the spot where Wallace’s blood had dropped the other day, it wasn’t so intimidating anymore.

Ivy pushed her cart full of used bed sheets and towels and began unloading it, moving quickly and with the practiced gestures of someone who could do this with her eyes closed. Even after her promotion, she hadn’t wanted to give up that part of the job. It was her way to be in touch with the hotel, and her maids’ work.

She fell into a rhythm, letting the repetitive motions soothe her mind into forgetting the day's events a little.

As usual, it was only short-lived.

She gasped when the door opened abruptly and swivelled back in a flurried state.

“Oh, it’s you,” she said, sagging back in relief, a hand over her heart.

“Of course, you silly goose! Who did you think it was? Jack the Ripper?” Diana asked, waggling an eyebrow.

She seemed to sense, as soon as she said it, that the joke landed badly. “Ah, never mind me, pet. How are you doing now?”

Ivy shuddered, shaking off the stress of the disruption. “I caught Andrew Wallace’s agent, Nadia Brooks, sneaking back into the hotel.”

Diana gasped and closed the door, leaving them alone in the room. “Was she here to cause Barney, d’you think?”

Ivy frowned, giving her the time to catch up to Diana’s rhyming slang and her memories of Kat’s explanations of it.

“Um, trouble, you mean? Not actively, but her motives weren’t noble. She was trying to hire Seamus O'Malone as a new client of hers.”

Diana scratched at her forehead. “That other author? Hmm, sounds like she’s been having ulterior motives all along, the sneaky minx.”

“That is one way of putting it,” Ivy sighed as she folded a towel into a perfect square.

“Which reminds me,” Diana said, perking up, “Inspector Clayburn is here again. Came to arrest someone, I believe.”

“What? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Diana shrugged. “Sorry, luv, I had tubs to scrub. Just thought of it now that I saw your pretty face.”

“Thanks for the info,” Ivy called as she rushed out of the room, leaving her cart there, and she ran to the lobby.

It seemed empty, save for a guest making his way out of the restaurant. Ivy looked around for a clue. There was no bird, no abandoned business card. Only Drew at the door standing like a proud sentinel.

“Ivy, come here!” he whisper-shouted.

Ivy frowned but still trotted until she could stand before him, close enough she could whisper back:

“What is it? Did you see something?”

Drew nodded. “You bet I did. Or rather, I heard. Suppose we could both have a wee look outside?”

He raised a conniving eyebrow and didn’t wait for Ivy’s answer to hold the door open for her.

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