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?She then tied up the little bag and stuck it in her purse.
?“Why’d you do that?”
?“I am a suspect as well,” Sheryl said. “I want to dispose of these somewhere else, in case the police search my room.”
?“Hmm.” I was impressed. “But we still have the problem of getting the key to my room.”
?“According to Winsley, we could just go to the welcome booth for a spare, which is an interesting concept.”
?“How so?”
?“If there are copies of all the participants’ keys at the booth, anyone could have carried you back to your room.”
?“But if the killer needed a key to get into my room, he only needed to reach in my pocket for mine. I’m still trying to figure out how I ended up with Candy’s key. Do you think this was done to further implicate me?”
?“Perhaps. Or both keys were dropped, and the wrong key returned to your pocket.”
?“My head hurts,” I told her, and rubbed my temples with my thumbs.
?“Then we must take action,” Sheryl suggested. “The next step will be to get you a working key and take a look in your room. Maybe we can find a clue there. Give me a moment.”
?She reached into the hotel closet and pulled out a gray pantsuit on a hanger.
?She gave me the oddest look as if making a decision, then stepped into the bathroom. I sat on the chair to wait, but she was only a few short minutes. She had changed clothes, touched up her hair, and I believe put on a little makeup. She looked fresh and ready to face the mystery.
?And not bad at all. To say I was attracted to her was easy, but why did I lack the nerve to act on it? She had stayed at my condo, and when I saw her in Susie’s nightgown at the door to my bedroom, I felt an overwhelming desire for her.
?And then I froze.
?I was never meant to be a Romeo. I’m just a middle-aged guy who hasn’t had to attempt a seduction in over twenty years. I don’t have the skill set.
?Just the longing.
?She grabbed her purse with the plastic bag containing our discarded gloves and shoe covers as we headed for the elevator.
?As we rode down, I asked, “Should I get the key from the welcome booth or the front desk?”
?“The front desk, definitely,” Sheryl decided. “Give them the one you’re holding.”
?“Is that wise?”
?“It’s the best choice,” Sheryl said. It was amazing the change that came over her when she moved into the role of the detective. Her decisions became clear and her mode of expression emotionless. “They will erase the encoding and give it back to you.”
?“I could just throw it out,” I said.
?“If you return the key as if an honest mistake were made, it would be less suspicious than if we try to dispose of it.”
?“Are you sure we won’t need to get into Candy’s room again?”
?“I think I have all we need.”
?The elevator opened to the lobby and we stepped out.
?“I’m going to take care of this,” Sheryl said and indicated the plastic bag. “Then I want to check on that cameo and a few other things. Meet me in the Marketplace.”
?I nodded and we parted.
?At the front desk, a lovely young lady in a blue uniform smiled as I approached.
