Silver Bells at Hotel Hell (Mercy Watts Mysteries Book Thirteen) by A.W. Hartoin

Author:A.W. Hartoin [Hartoin, AW]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A.W. Hartoin

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

My keycard let me into the skywalk and the automatic lights went on one by one down the length of the tube. They were dim, not the usual bright lights that went on during the day.

I got five steps in before I knew something was off. It was always cold in there, but that time it was off the hook freezing and the noise was louder. There was a clank and at the end, by the other door, I could see snow blowing in great swirling gusts. I ran down and found one of the windows hanging open out into the storm. The windows weren’t designed to open fully. That window measured about five feet wide by two feet tall. Metal chains kept the window from opening fully, but one of the chains was broken and it hung cattywompus. If the other chain broke, the whole thing would swing down and slam into the lower glass, no doubt damaging it if not shattering it.

The wind shifted and the window slammed shut, rattling the frame of the skywalk and making me yelp. I reached for the handle to lock it but stopped myself just in time. Evidence. Of what, I had no idea.

I got out of that tube and walked into Gérard’s reception area. Like the skywalk, the lights went on automatically, but they were also dim.

Just what every woman wants, walking into a dimly lit area alone.

I put my hand in my pocket to grab my Mauser and yelled, “Stephanie! Stephanie!”

Nothing.

I looked behind Gérard’s desk in case for some bizarre reason she’d curled up behind there. Sleeping pills, especially Ambien, did funny things to people. Aunt Tenne took them for a while, but they freaked her out. She’d get up in the morning and all her kitchen cabinets were emptied onto the counters. She didn’t remember doing it and it really scared her. She thought someone was getting in and doing it. Mom spent the night to reassure her and got some primo video of Aunt Tenne singing A Spoonful of Sugar helps the Medicine Go Down and cleaning out her cabinets. Her voice was flipping stellar. Nobody knew she could sing until Mom captured it, including Aunt Tenne.

I checked the storage room, but it was locked. The area with all the tables where adventure seekers could eat was empty.

“Stephanie! Stephanie!” I cupped my hands around my mouth and headed for the ski shop where the security office was and stepped on something. A sharp pain shot through my foot.

“What the hell?” I looked and there was a little triangle of glass embedded in my foot. I plucked it out while biting my lip. It’s hard to say which was worse, going in or coming out and that triangle wasn’t alone. There were a few other slivers scattered around. I was just unlucky to hit the biggest. I looked at the lights overhead. They were intact. Then I looked to my right. It took a second. The door to the café was in an alcove about two feet deep and in shadow.

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