Gold chuckled, and his lips turned up in a wide smile.
“Marco made me a fortune last year. Whoever wins it this year will guarantee a banner year for their agent too. I would like that agent to be me. These hot romance novel covers, worldwide conventions, and all the publicity generated for themodel competitions just get bigger and bigger. The contest takes place in three days, so I’ll be doubly grateful if you can get them here by then, in competitive shape.”
“Of course,” Crystal said breathily.
Crowe sniffed the elevator air. The scent of money seemed to permeate it. Or was that Mr. Gold’s cologne? Chanel Egoiste, he believed. Ninety-nine dollars for a small bottle.
Joell caught the manager’s eye and held his gaze.
He inserted a finger in his collar and loosened the tight shirt around his neck.
“I’ve really got a lot riding on this. It’s more than just pride and money,” Gold was saying. “I, uh… I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I was so confident of winning this year, I went and made a stupid bet I can’t afford to lose.”
“Oh? Wh?—”
The elevator doors whooshed open, and they followed Mr. Stewart down the hall.
Gold looked embarrassed and glanced at the manager.
“I’d rather not get into that right now. If you can find them, I won’t have to explain the details at all.”
Joell interjected. “If there’s any information that will give us a lead and you really want these guys returned, you’ll spill it.”
Crowe saw what they were doing. Good cop, bad cop.He should have spotted it sooner. Maybe his eighth life was making him complacent.
“I’ll ah…” He jerked his head up toward the hotel manager. “I’ll fill you in later.”
Stewart let them into the room and stood outside as Crystal and Gold went in.
Joell closed the door, staying in the hall with him.
“So, tell me what happened, Mr. Stewart. When did you first hear they were missing?”
“Not until I arrived this morning.”
Joell crossed her arms and cocked her head.
“I guess you’re not that important, then. Most hotel managers would be called the minute it was discovered.”
“I—I um…”
“I, um, what?” Joell demanded. She narrowed her eyes. “What are you hiding?”
“Nothing!” Stewart sounded a mite too defensive.
“I don’t believe you. If you really are the manager of a hotel this size and something this significant happens, I think you’d demand to be told every single detail. And since this is my investigation, I demand that you tell me what you know—everything.” Lowering her voice, she ground out, “You’ll be sorry if you don’t.”
The manager’s skin took on a pink sheen as if he were starting to sweat.
“It’s my first week on the job since the other manager quit.”
Joell rolled her eyes. “Dandy.”
“I’m sorry, but I have so much going on at once, I don’t know what to do. The head chef is yelling because his budget was cut and he has to change the whole menu. I just had to fire a bartender for drinking on the job, and his girlfriend quit too. Now I need to hire two more as quickly as possible, and of all the things for the hotel to run low on… Toilet paper! Those spring break idiots toilet-papered the world when they were here.”
“So, when did you last see them?”
“The spring breakers?”
