“Too late,” Ida Belle moaned.
I turned my head sideways a little and squinted so that I wouldn’t have to take in the photos with perfect vision, then closed the Internet browser and shut the laptop.
“Maybe,” Gertie said, “we should keep a copy of those pictures. For security purposes.”
“What security purposes?” I asked.
“The kind where she stops bothering us,” Ida Belle said.
I considered this for a moment. Getting Celia off our butts would be awesome, and I had no problem with a little blackmail, especially if Celia was the target, but it wasn’t worth the other risks. “No,” I said finally. “I can’t email them because it could easily be traced.”
Gertie opened her Bible and pulled out a USB drive. “I thought just in case.”
I looked over at Ida Belle, who shrugged. “It’s a lot less risky than shooting her,” she said.
I took the USB drive from Gertie, opened the laptop, and squinted again. Once the pictures were saved, I handed her back the drive, shut everything down on the computer, and stuck it back in the box where Gertie found it.
“Since we’re here,” Gertie said, “why don’t we check on the audit?”
“Check how?” I waved a hand at the table. “This place is a mess. We wouldn’t even know where to start.”
“She’s right,” Ida Belle said. “Besides, Celia’s laptop is the only one in the room, but I’m willing to bet they’re not using an abacus to tally this stuff up. I bet the auditors take their laptops with them when they head up to their rooms at night.”
Gertie looked disappointed but didn’t disagree. “Then I guess all that’s left to do is find Winky and make sure he’s not carrying on with another woman.”
“I’m not following him around all night,” Ida Belle said. “We locate him once, and if he’s sleeping or drinking or dancing with chickens, I don’t care. As long as we see him alone, our job is done.”
“Shirleen doesn’t expect us to follow him all night,” Gertie said. “We just need to watch him long enough to report back about something that he did, and I think Shirleen will be all right with that.”
“Great,” I said. “So where do we find Winky?”
“Shirleen said the entrance to the maintenance room is at the back of the lobby behind a screen,” Gertie said.
“Let’s hope the desk clerk is still sleeping,” Ida Belle said.
I nodded. “And not with Winky.”
Chapter 7
I crept down the hall and peered around the wall at the desk. The clerk was nowhere to be seen and the sign still read “Back at 10:15.” I waved to Ida Belle and Gertie and we all hurried across the lobby to the back, where a worn set of panels with Chinese dragons on them stood. On the other side of the panels was a door stamped with the word “Maintenance.” This was the place.
I tried the handle, but it was locked. I gestured to Gertie, who handed me the key. I unlocked the door and pushed it open an inch, peering inside. The room was about fifteen by twenty with tables on each side that held appliances in various states of repair. A desk on the back wall contained stacks of paperwork and a lamp, which was the sole source of light in the room.
I slipped inside, Ida Belle and Gertie close behind, and pointed to another door in the back corner.
“Probably the storeroom,” Ida Belle whispered.
“Let’s see if he’s in there,” I said.
“And if he is?” Gertie asked. “What do we say if he catches us?”
“We could start with we’re looking for the desk clerk,” I said.
“That’s a valid point,” Gertie said. “I hope he’s not dead somewhere.”
“So do I,” I said. “Especially since there’s a security camera in the lobby. If someone dies here, the police will look at everything.”
“Let’s get this over with and get out of here,” Ida Belle said. “Aside from some good blackmail pictures, this has been a total bust.”
I headed for the door but when I got within a foot of it, I heard a noise. I drew up short and turned around to face Gertie and Ida Belle, one finger over my lips. I pointed to the door and inched closer, pressing my ear against it.
Either the hotel had the cheapest doors money could buy or the couple on the other side of the door was fairly loud. I was betting on both. Either way, I had no doubt what was going on inside. Gertie and Ida Belle listened for a couple of seconds, then stepped back.
“Looks like Shirleen was right,” Gertie said. “I suppose we can sit in the lobby until they come out, then snap a picture.”