Chương 4
6:47 p.m.
Daniel looked up.
“I checked the service log,” she said. “That’s when I first saw your daughter in the corridor.”
He unfolded the page.
Marisol had written down what she remembered in short, careful lines.
Lucy escorted from ballroom by Evelyn Mercer.
Child crying.
E. Mercer instructed staff not to open ballroom doors for child.
Child asked for father.
At approximately 7:05, Marisol offered to bring food.
E. Mercer refused.
At 7:42, child requested bathroom. Marisol escorted her.
At 8:03, Marisol gave child water.
At 8:21, another attendant moved used room-service cart into corridor.
At approximately 8:35, child began eating leftover dessert.
Daniel stopped reading.
His hand shook once.
He placed the page flat on the table.
“Why did you write this?”
Marisol looked at Lucy before answering.
“Because tomorrow someone will ask me what happened, and I don’t want to remember it differently because I’m scared.”
Daniel looked at her uniform.
“What are you scared of?”
She gave him a tired expression.
“Your mother.”
Daniel said nothing.
Marisol continued, “She knows the general manager. She knows the ownership group. The foundation holds events here every year. She was very clear that no staff member was to interfere.”
Lucy was winding noodles around her fork.
Daniel kept his voice low.
“Why didn’t someone call me?”
“I asked your daughter if she knew your number. She doesn’t.”
“I’m six,” Lucy said.
Marisol nodded solemnly. “That’s true.”
Daniel almost smiled.
Marisol said, “We asked Mrs. Mercer.”
“And?”
“She said you were aware.”
Daniel looked at Lucy.
Lucy looked at her noodles.
Marisol’s expression changed.
“I’m sorry.”
Daniel folded the statement.
“No. Thank you.”
“I also told my supervisor.”
“When?”
“About fifteen minutes ago.”
“After we left?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Marisol glanced toward the lounge entrance.
“Because when you walked away, Mrs. Mercer told me I had misunderstood the situation and should not repeat my misunderstanding.”
Daniel knew that phrasing.
His mother had been speaking like that for decades.
Never You are lying.
Always You are confused.
Never I did not say that.
Always You seem to have taken it the wrong way.
Daniel tucked the statement into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
“Will your supervisor back you?”
Marisol hesitated.
“That’s not the same question as whether he believes me.”
Daniel nodded.
No easy allies.
That felt true.
Marisol turned to Lucy.
“Your shoe is with lost and found.”
Lucy frowned. “But it’s mine.”
“I know. They’re cleaning the sauce off it.”
“Oh.”
Marisol looked at Daniel. “I’ll make sure you get it.”
“Thank you.”
She started to leave, then stopped.
“Mr. Mercer.”
“Yes?”
“I should have brought her food anyway.”
Daniel looked at her.
Marisol’s jaw tightened.
“My manager tells us never to contradict guests in front of other guests. I kept thinking I was going to do it in five minutes. Then ten. Then after the next service run.” She rubbed one thumb against the edge of her palm. “I kept waiting for someone with more authority to do the obvious thing.”
Daniel understood that too well.
Marisol left.
Lucy said, “She gave me water.”
“I know.”
“She was nice.”
“She was.”
Daniel’s phone lit again.
This time the message preview showed his mother’s name.
You are frightening people and creating unnecessary drama. Call me before this becomes something it is not.
He stared at the words.
Lucy asked for more Parmesan.
Daniel handed it to her.
He did not answer his mother.
After dinner, they took the elevator to Daniel’s room.
He had reserved a suite because Evelyn had insisted everyone stay overnight after the event. Lucy’s small overnight bag was already there, neatly unpacked on a luggage rack by the wall.
Daniel noticed that immediately.
Her pajamas had been folded on the bed.
A stuffed rabbit sat beside them.
Someone had arranged all of it while Lucy sat locked in a service corridor.
The ordinary neatness made him angrier than the ballroom.
He locked the door.
Then he checked the lock.
Then he checked it again.
Lucy watched from the bed.
“Grandma has a key.”
Daniel turned.
“What?”
“She has keys to all our rooms.”
“No, she has her room key.”
“She said she had everybody’s.”
Daniel went to the phone and called the front desk.
“This is Daniel Mercer in 814. I need all existing keys to this room deactivated except one new key issued directly to me.”
There was a pause.
“Sir, I can send security up.”
“Please do.”
Lucy changed into pajamas while he waited.
She came out of the bathroom wearing yellow pajamas printed with tiny black stars, his wool coat still around her shoulders.
“You can take that off now.”
“I like it.”
“It’s enormous.”
“I know.”
He let her keep it.
Security arrived with a manager named Thomas Keene, a compact man in his fifties with the expression of someone whose evening had deteriorated by email.
“Mr. Mercer.”
Daniel opened the door but did not invite him in until he saw the replacement key.
Thomas handed it over.
“We’ve invalidated prior room credentials.”
“Was anyone else issued access to this room?”
Thomas hesitated.
Daniel said, “I need a factual answer.”
“Mrs. Mercer requested access to the family block earlier today.”
“And received it?”
“For logistical purposes.”
“To my room?”
“She was coordinating gifts and floral deliveries.”
Daniel looked at him.
Thomas exhaled.
“Yes.”
“Please document that.”
“We keep electronic records.”
“Document that I asked.”
Thomas glanced past him and saw Lucy on the bed.
His face changed slightly.
“I also understand there was an incident downstairs.”
“Your employee wrote a statement.”
Thomas’s eyes flicked back to Daniel.
“I’m aware.”
“Is she in trouble?”
“No.”
Too fast.
Daniel waited.
Thomas adjusted one cuff.
“I’ve told Ms. Alvarez to finish her shift away from the ballroom floor.”
“That sounds like trouble.”
“It’s intended to reduce friction.”
“For whom?”
Thomas looked tired.
“Mr. Mercer, I’m trying to handle this appropriately.”
Daniel leaned against the doorframe.
May you like
“So am I.”
“I have security reviewing corridor footage.”
