Upstairs at the Beresford by Will Carver

Author:Will Carver [Carver, Will]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

ROOM 724

The place is immaculate. The door was locked from the inside and there are no signs of forced entry. There are interior-design magazines on the coffee table. A bowl of lemons on the kitchen counter. Fresh flowers in a vase on the window that is not open. The place looks and smells like it has been recently polished.

Carol goes into the bedroom. She doesn’t know what to expect. A sex swing or crack den. Hidden behind the facade of normality, like the suburban opiate epidemic.

Nothing.

A perfectly made bed. No marks on the walls. The toilets have been bleached. There is no sign of a struggle. In fact, there isn’t much for Carol to do but empty the fridge, a small wardrobe and take out the boxes the Zhaos had already excitedly packed. This room will be ready to rent right after the police have seen it.

Outside, on the window ledge, there is an ashtray. This couple were so conscientious that they would rather collect their ash than flick it out into the air to fall down to the ground half a mile away.

There are a couple of joints in there.

Could it have been that they were carelessly high and fell?

But both of them at the same time?

The distraction could not have come at a better time for those down in reception.

‘Carol.’

She jumps. ‘Jesus fucking Christ.’

‘I never get tired of hearing that.’ It’s Mr Balliol.

‘You scared the shit out of me.’

‘You left the door open.’

She did not leave the door open.

‘Quite the predicament, Carol. A double suicide? We don’t need this.’

‘I know. I know. I can’t control every addict in this building. It’s conference day, sir. They’re going to be sucking and fucking and taking whatever they can get their hands on tonight. I wasn’t expecting the sweet Chinese couple to jump out the window. I mean, look at this place. It’s spotless. It’s like they planned it. This is how they wanted to check out of the hotel.’

‘A tidy house does not mean a happy home.’ He raises one eyebrow slightly.

‘A tidy house does not … a tidy house does not make a happy home? What does that even mean?’

Balliol looks at her as though telling her not to talk to him like that, and she pulls back.

‘The police want to come in here to investigate. They’ve asked me to locate the room. I don’t feel like there is anything to clean up here. Do you agree?’

He nods.

‘Okay. I’ll let the police know. But if we have detectives or forensics or whatever coming up to seventh, I’m going to have to knock on doors and get the rest of the floor to behave themselves.’

‘This is why you are in charge, Carol.’ Balliol smiles at her. He is a beautiful man. Carol misses her dead husband with her entire heart but she is still alive and can understand why Mr Balliol attracts so many women. The money helps but it isn’t always about that.

‘As if I have a choice,’ she throws back to him.

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