Beautiful But Bad (1962) by Robert Colby

Author:Robert Colby [Colby, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781440539251
Publisher: F+W Media
Published: 2012-12-14T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

‘Give me the room number of Mrs. Mildred J. Talbot,” said Bryan to the room clerk at the Dupont as Pauline stood by.

The clerk went away, came back.

“Sorry, sir, she checked out two or three hours ago.”

“Any forwarding?”

“No, sir. I looked.”

“Has her room been cleaned yet?”

“I’m sure it hasn’t, sir.”

“Well, this lady was visiting Mrs. Talbot earlier and she may have left her cigarette lighter in the room — a gold combination lighter and watch, quite valuable.”

“Yes but that’s not the point,” added Pauline. “It was given to me by — well, it has a sentimental attachment.”

“I understand.” The clerk smiled. “I’ll send a boy up to hunt for it.”

“I wonder if we could go along?” Bryan asked. “The lady might have a better idea where she mislaid it.”

“Certainly. I’ll have a bellhop for you in a minute.”

The boy arrived with a key and they followed him across the lobby to an elevator. The car stopped at nine and they went down the hallway to a door. The bellhop opened the door and they went in.

There was a small sitting room, a bedroom and bath. The bed was made and there was little evidence that anyone had used the rooms.

Pauline began a search of the sofa, lifting pillows, then getting down on her knees to peer around the floor beneath. While the bellhop poked around tables and chairs, Bryan wandered into the bathroom and, finding nothing, moved on to the bedroom.

One closet — empty. A night table drawer — empty. A vanity and dresser — empty. A waste basket — containing one brown silk stocking, with a beaut of a run, and a piece of grey paper of the type used to wrap his father’s watch. These he tucked in his pocket. After an exploration under the bed, he made a careful examination of the rug. He found two black hairs and these he placed in an envelope before returning to the sitting room.

“Any luck?” he asked cheerfully.

“No, sir,” the bellhop answered. “Not yet.”

“I must have lost it somewhere else,” said Pauline with a little shake of her head to indicate she had found nothing of interest.

Bryan crossed to the desk — underneath, an empty waste basket, on the desk, nothing. The drawer held only the hotel stationery. He searched the rug and, after discovering another strand of black hair which he added to his collection, said, “Better give up, it’s not here. Somehow, we’ll locate Mrs. Talbot She may have taken the lighter with her.”

He gave the bellhop a couple of bucks and told him he wanted to talk with the switchboard operator. The boy guided them to her cubbyhole and departed.

“Do you keep a record of outgoing calls?” he asked the girl.

“Yes, sir. If the calls are fairly recent we would have a record. I make out a slip on every number called.” “And what happens to those slips?” “They go on to auditing.” “How soon after you write up the slip?” “When I finish my trick, unless a customer checks out.

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