Mayes, Casey - A Deadly Row

“Are you having any luck?”

“Not yet, but I think I’m wearing him down. If you don’t mind my saying so, that husband of yours is the best cop I’ve ever seen.”

“He used to be,” I said evenly.

“I know he’s retired, but I can’t imagine it ever gets out of your blood, you know?”

“I’m doing my best, though, to help see that it does.”

Steve grinned at me. “You keep fighting your battle, and maybe one of us will win.”

“Good luck with yours,” I said.

He smiled, and then returned to his phone call. “It’s not going to happen,” he said as he shot me with his finger.

As I made my way out of the station to our car, I wondered if what he’d said was true. Was Zach always going to be a cop, until it ended up killing him? With his pension and my income from the puzzles, we were comfortable, but it was the excitement that Zach missed, and I knew it. The only problem was that the more he worked, the greater chance there was that he’d put himself in danger. I’d come close to losing him once, and that was something I never wanted to face again.

THE BELMONT WAS EVEN NICER THAN I REMEMBERED,one of Charlotte’s finest hotels. A nicely dressed man in a suit was waiting at the front entrance with a mobile rack, and he unloaded my car snappily. As he wheeled it to the front desk, I started digging into my purse for a tip, but he held his palm up.

“Everything is being covered,” he said.

“Even tips?”

“Absolutely, Mrs. Stone.”

“How in the world did you know my name?” I’d heard of good service before, but this was a little over the top.

“The hotel owner himself told our staff to be on the lookout for you, and we’ve been waiting for your arrival ever since.”

I started for the front desk when he held out a paper sleeve containing room keys to me. “You’re already checked in, so we can go straight to your suite.”

“Suite? A room would be fine.” The last time Zach and I had stayed in a suite had been our honeymoon.

“I suppose I could move you, but it would cause us all a great deal of headaches, what with the paperwork and everything we’d have to change.” He smiled as he said it, so I decided to go with the flow. “Also, the owner would be unhappy with us if we allowed it, and none of us want to cause that. We would consider it a great favor if you’d accept this offer.”

I laughed. “I’m too tired to fight you on it,” I said.

He hit the top button on the elevator, and it was all I could do not to say anything. When the door opened, I stepped out and saw in the long hallway, there were only four rooms on the top level.

As he started to open the door to Suite Three, I said, “You’re not really a bellman at all, are you?”

“My name is Garrett, and it’s my pleasure to serve as the manager of the Belmont,” he said. “If you need anything, all you have to do is ask.”

He started inside, but then he stopped when he realized that I wasn’t following him in.

“Is there something wrong?” he asked me. “I thought we’d already settled your situation.”

“This is more than we need, and I want an explanation before I move another step.”

He looked distressed as I stood in the hallway, but I was firm in my insistence that I wasn’t moving. I knew that Charlotte couldn’t afford this kind of luxury, and I doubted that Grady could either, unless he was grand-standing. I had no problem with my husband getting paid handsomely for his work. He was good at it, and he deserved whatever the market would bear. But I didn’t want to take advantage of anyone in the process.

“I’m waiting,” I said.

The manager appeared to go through a handful of options when he finally shrugged and reached for his cell phone. After dialing, he surprised me by handing it to me.

“Hello?” I said tentatively.

“Is this Savannah Stone?”

“It is,” I admitted.

“I understand there’s a problem with your accommodations.”

What on earth was going on here? “No, sir, no problem. It’s just nicer than my husband and I need. May I ask your name?”

“Of course. Sorry about that. Garrett is literal when it comes to instructions, and I’ve trained him well not to reveal anything about me that he doesn’t have to. My name is Barton Lane, and I own the Belmont, among other things here and there around the world. I would appreciate it if you would be my guests while you’re here in Charlotte.”

“Mr. Lane, it’s most generous of you, but it’s not necessary.”

“Young lady,” he said, his voice booming so loudly over the phone that I could swear I saw Garrett flinch, “I’m unaccustomed to having my wishes ignored.”

“Wow, it must be really nice living your life. It happens to me all of the time.”

I wasn’t sure what reaction I expected, and from the look on the hotel manager’s face, I must have just committed an unforgivable act of treason. The thing was, I’d never sworn an oath to Barton Lane.

What I got was laughter, a sound so foreign in the man’s voice that I was certain he rarely used it. “I like you, Savannah. May I call you Savannah?”

“Absolutely, and I’ll call you Barton.”

If I kept this up, Garrett was going to need a team of paramedics to revive him. As it was, he looked like his head was about to explode.

“Savannah, it would please me for you to use this suite, and anything else my hotel has to offer.”

“Is there any reason in particular you’re being so nice to me?”

“The second victim, Cindy Glass, was my personal secretary,” he said plainly, all joy gone from his voice. “I want her death avenged, and from everything I’ve heard, your husband is the only man capable of catching the killer.”

“Thank you,” I said. “He’ll do his best, and please know that we appreciate your generosity. It’s very sweet of you, Barton.”

“Think nothing of it. If you need anything, or would like to get in contact with me, Garrett will take care of it. I hope someday we’ll have the pleasure of meeting face to face under better circumstances.”

“That would be nice.”

“Now, if you will, give me back to Garrett.”

The hotel manager took the phone, and as he kept repeating, “Yes, sir. Of course. I understand,” I looked around the suite. My gaze was drawn outside before I even looked at the furnishings. The skyline of Charlotte, in all its glory, was laid out before me, and I couldn’t wait for Zach to see it. We loved the mountains, but Charlotte had a lure for us as well, and here in the clouds, we could see the Queen City’s beautiful architecture from a perspective few people had ever enjoyed.

I was still standing there taking it all in when I realized that Garrett was off the phone.

“Is there anything else I can get you?” he asked.

“No thank you. I’ve got to get us settled in, and then I’m going to rejoin my husband at police headquarters.” I looked around the room and took in a sitting area with furniture nicer than anything I’d ever owned in my life. The style was Queen Anne throughout, with shades of burgundy and black everywhere.

“I’ll take care of settling you in then, if you wouldn’t mind,” he said.

“Who exactly is Barton Lane?” I asked. “Forgive me, but I’ve never heard of him before.”

“He’d be delighted to hear that, since he prides himself on his privacy. I’ve spoken to him half a dozen times since I became manager, and that was fourteen years ago. Mr. Lane has a policy that as long as the job is being done efficiently, there’s no need for direct supervision, or even contact, for that matter.”

“I’m sure you’re very good at what you do,” I said.