“Will do. Don’t fall asleep at the wheel.”
I smiled. “If my eyes start drooping, I’ll get you to hum to me.”
“Oh, come on, my humming isn’t that bad.”
“You should listen to yourself one day.”
“I’m very offended by that remark,” he said, not quite able to stop amusement staining his voice.
I laughed again. “Talk later.”
I pulled out my phone to update Ginny, then had second thoughts. Even if shehadtalked her way out of an overnight stay at the hospital, she’d likely be drugged-up and asleep. Better to just talk to her over breakfast.
I started the car, turned the music up, but before I could move, lights swept across the rear window. A car came out of the underground parking area, turned left, and sped away. Lowell, I realized, going home while forcing me and Jack to work on.
Bastard.
I reversed out then headed back across town to the penthouse suite the four women had hired for their hens weekend. After parking in the near-empty street, I walked back to the building—a newish round tower whose height dominated the area. The entrance was discreet and also locked, so I pressed the nearby buzzer.
A heartbeat later, a tinny voice said, “Herschel Street Suites, how may I help you?”
“Hanna Kang, Black Lantern Investigator. I need to know if Francesca and Marnee Ashworth are currently in residence.”
“I’m afraid I can’t give that information?—”
I peered through the dark glass and saw him standing behind the desk. “Listen, I am not being dramatic when I say this is a matter of life and death?—”
“I’m sorry, but you’re not police and it’s after hours, so I can’t?—”
“Fine. I’ll get the police here.” I left my finger on the comms button so the guard could hear my conversation then double tapped the earwig. “Jack, can you call in the cops? Oh, and wake a judge and get an immediate search warrant for the entire building.”
“Hang on, hang on,” the guard growled. “I’ll call management.”
Jack chuckled. “Way to work a situation, Hanna.”
I smiled and didn’t reply. We could get both items if we needed them, but the latter, at the very least, would take some time, and I really didn’t want to be hanging about here any longer than necessary.
For a good five minutes, nothing happened. Just as I was beginning to think the guard hadn’t actually made the call, the doors opened and a rather harried older-looking man in jeans and a sweatshirt appeared.
“What’s all this about a possible life-and-death situation?”
I flipped open my ID and held it out. He frowned at it for several seconds, then said, “Why is the Society involved and not the police?”
“We’ve been called in as a personal favor. A threat has been made against Monica Ashworth—daughter of Tane Ashworth, personal advisor to the prime minister. She and three friends are staying here in the penthouse suite. I need to know if any of them are currently here and, if so, I need to talk to them as a matter of urgency.”
He hesitated. “I will need to confirm your ID with your boss.”
“Sure.” I dug Lowell’s business card out of my handbag and handed it to him. And hoped with all my heart the manager caught Lowell just as he was falling asleep.
The call was made, and the two men spoke for several minutes. I couldn’t really hear what Lowell was saying, but the tone of his voice was displeased—andthatpleased me greatly. Which was bitchy, but hey, I was running on empty and in dire need of rest and/or coffee, and that always brought out the inner bitch.
The manager hung up, then stepped to one side and motioned me to enter. “Please, come in. I’ll escort you up to the penthouse.”
“Thank you.”
I followed him across to the elevator. He swiped a card across the reader and a few seconds later, the lift appeared. He repeated the process inside, and we were soon zooming up to the penthouse on the seventy-fourth floor. The doors swished open; he stepped out and went left. The sign on the wall opposite said there were only two suites up here, and given the direction we were moving, Monica’s obviously faced the river.
He stopped at the door and pressed the discreet button above the card reader. From inside came a soft chiming, but there was no response. He tried again, and got the same result.
