The Perfect Impression by Pierce, Blake (essential reading TXT) 📕

“Did you ever see them argue?”

“No, they were model guests.”

“Really,” Jessie pressed. “I heard they were drinkers, especially SteveCrewe and his friend Richard Ferro.”

Barksdale shrugged.

“I mean, their whole group liked to drink and get a little rowdy,” heconceded. “But that’s kind of the point of a place like this. You can have somerevelry in a safe environment. The whole town is walkable, so there are no DWIconcerns. The locals expect a little raucousness from visitors. But the Crewesand their friends never caused problems, never left their suites in disrepair.They always paid their bills on time and tipped well. For a hotel, that’s aboutas good as you can get.”

“They never harassed the staff?” she asked.

“Not to my knowledge,” Barksdale said, though he seemed less definitivethan during his previous answer. “At least nothing that was brought to myattention. We cultivate a real kinship between our guests and staff. Maybe thatcan get misinterpreted on occasion. But it’s never been an issue with theCrewes, the Ferros, or their friends.”

Barksdale said the words forcefully. And while Jessie didn’t think hewas outright lying to her, she definitely got the sense that he was holdingsomething back. She was debating whether to push more when there was loud thumpbehind her.

She turned around to find Tommy the bellboy crumpled in a heap on theground where he’d been standing moments earlier.

CHAPTER NINE

Peters was already rushing to Tommy when Jessie started moving in thatdirection. By the time she reached the two of them, Peters had his finger onthe kid’s neck to check his pulse.

“He’s alive,” he told her when Jessie bent down beside him.

“Let’s get him on his back,” she said.

As they unfurled his limbs, Jessie looked over at Barksdale, who wasstanding above them with a worried look on his face.

“Do you have a nurse on site?” she asked.

“No. But one of our front desk clerks, Leena, is training as an EMT.”

Tommy moaned as his eyelids fluttered. Dooley emerged from the WrigleyBallroom, his eyes filled with concern and frustration.

“He mentioned that he hadn’t had anything to eat since before his shiftstarted at six last night,” he offered with trepidation. “He said he felt alittle weak.”

“Hopefully he just passed out then,” Jessie said, turning her attentionback to Barksdale. “I need to use your jacket as a pillow. And please radio forLeena to come up.”

“That will leave the front desk unmanned,” he said.

“Bigger issues here, Vin,” she said, trying not to lose her patience. “Gotrade places with her. That will give you a chance to call your security guysand get those rooms released. Please go now.”

Barksdale left, already barking on the radio as he rushed back to thestairs. Peters slid the night manager’s jacket under Tommy’s head. Deputy Heckappeared out of nowhere with a glass of water.

“How are you doing, Tommy?” Jessie asked softly.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “Got dizzy all of a sudden.”

“That’s what happens when you don’t eat and remain standing for eighthours,” Peters said. “I think it’s time for your mandated, involuntary break.”

He put the glass to Tommy’s lips. The kid made a feeble attempt to sip.

“Do you think we can try to pull you up to a seated position?” Jessieasked.

Tommy nodded weakly. Peters and Heck each grabbed him under the arm anddelicately lifted him so that his back rested against the wall.

“Is he okay?” Stone, who had just stepped out of the Catalina Ballroom,asked.

“We’re getting there,” Jessie told him.

“Good, because people in here are getting restless again. They thoughtthe interviews would get started right away. The mother with that baby iscrying to herself at a corner table.”

Jessie heard footsteps coming up the stairs and turned around. Leenawas running toward them with a small medical kit in her hand. When she arrived,she knelt down beside Tommy and pulled out a blood pressure cuff. While sheworked, Jessie stood up and addressed the others.

“It looks like Leena has this under control,” she said crisply. “And we’vestill got work to do. Stone and Dooley, please return to your respective ballrooms.Deputy Heck can help Leena out with anything she needs. Detective Peters and Iare going to resume the interviews. Sound okay to everyone?”

No one argued, though Dooley looked hesitant to abandon Tommy.

“I’ve got him, Will,” Leena said gently, finally verifying that Dooleywas the guy’s last name.

The guard nodded and returned to his assigned ballroom. Stone did thesame. Deputy Heck remained by Tommy, keeping a steady hand on his shoulderwhile the aspiring EMT did her thing.

“You cool starting with the new mom?” Jessie asked Peters. “I’ll takethe Landers and move on from there.”

“Works for me,” he said.

With both Tommy and Deputy Heck indisposed, they had to collect theirown interviewees. While Peters approached the mother, Jessie looked at hernotes, then up at the group.

“Can Barry and Marin Lander raise their hands please?”

To her chagrin, a couple seated together lifted their arms in the air.After all her efforts to keep witnesses separated, they were right next to eachother, seemingly without a care in the world.

She had originally planned to determine who to interview first based onwho appeared more likely to cave under questioning. But there didn’t seem to bea point to that now. In the time they’d been in here, they’d almost certainlydiscussed what happened multiple times. By now, their memories of the eveninghad likely merged inextricably.

“Come with me, please,” she sighed, unable to hide her disappointment.

They got up and walked toward her, both apparently oblivious to howthey’d undermined the investigation. As they approached, Jessie tried to setaside her frustration and study them. If she could get a sense of them beforethe questioning began, it might help her shake them off their predeterminedstories.

Barry Lander was a pleasantly bland guy. Shortish, with light brownhair that was just starting to recede, he looked to be about thirty-five. Hewas trim and looked like he worked hard to put a layer of muscle on his slightframe.

Marin Lander was his inverse. She was as tall as Jessie and extremelyskinny, which gave her face an elegant, if slightly severe appearance. Shelooked like a European runway model who existed on rice cakes and