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?“Assemble the suspects? What are you talking about?”
?“I need you to go to the conference welcome desk to see if there is a room that we can use at 5:00 PM.”
?“What are you going to do then?”
?“Reveal the killer!” she said with her now-familiar wicked smile. “Mark, this is what I want you to do…”
* * *
?I kept my head down as I reached the welcome desk, which was manned by one middle-aged lady in glasses who looked as if she had been there all day.
?“Hi!” I said.
?She raised her head, gave me a dirty look, then recognized me and brightened.
?“Mr. Watkins!” she gushed.
?I put my index finger to my lips and glanced about.
?She looked at the crowd as if they were bugs. “Oh, yes, the ‘fans’ have been looking for you.”
?“They think I’m a murderer.”
?“Oh, pish! I can’t believe that for a minute.” She gave a sneer to the people who milled about. “Then again, these folks will believe anything.”
?She leaned forward from behind the table. “Normally, the conference is pretty much over by Sunday, but with the murders—this is the busiest Sunday we’ve ever had!”
?“I guess that’s good?”
?“Not when I’m here all alone,” she griped. “Candy was a big help, poor thing. Did you get a chance to meet her?”
?“Yes,” I acknowledged while I nodded my head, “lovely girl.”
?I decided it would be bad form to bring up the fact that I was drugged by her and it was suspected I shot her.
?“But now, it is so busy and I have no help!”
?“Only a few hours more…uh—” I glanced to try to read her name tag.
?“Alice,” she said, as she noticed my attempt.
?“Ah, yes!” I confided. “Is there, by any chance, a meeting room that would be free at 5:00?”
?She shrugged. “All of them, I suppose. We technically have the meeting rooms until 6:00, but all the events end at 5:00.”
?“And the Marketplace closes?”
?“Yes, the whole thing shuts down and I get some rest!”
?I smiled. “Is there a room I can use? I mean, to have an informal…uh…meeting?”
?“Well, of course, Mr. Watkins, for you.” She looked at a list and then at a tablet computer she had behind the desk.
?“Regent is done at 4:00. That might be the best choice,” she said and looked up at me. “Are you having an impromptu writer’s workshop?”
?“Something like that,” I agreed.
?“How exciting!”
