Oscar shrugged in a don’t-look-at-me way.
“After the murder, we tried our best to collect some information,” Dru offered. “We didn’t know how long it would be until the police came.”
“What kind of information?” Wagner asked.
“We took a lot of photos of the crime scene,” Dru said. “And we asked everyone what they had seen and heard. I took notes.”
“I see,” Wagner said, nodding. “I’d like to see these pictures and notes. But first we need to have a little talk.”
He clapped his hands together loudly, and the room quieted.
“This hotel and its grounds are officially a crime scene,” he said loudly. “That means no one can come or go for the time being. We’re going to get to the bottom of this. But for now, I’m asking each of you to go to your rooms and lock yourselves in until you hear from me that it’s time to come out.”
There was a communal groan at that.
“This is for your safety,” Wagner said. “I will interview each of you later. My partner is still supervising the crew removing the tree, and it looks like that is going to take some time.”
“Some of us are hungry,” Tyler Park said loudly.
On the other side of the lobby, Dru’s friend and fellow desk clerk, Hailey, grinned. She had a pretty obvious crush on the outspoken snowboarder.
“The young man at the desk will see to it that rations are brought to your room,” Wagner said. “Any questions?”
Hailey looked a little disappointed at that. She probably wanted to bring Tyler his rations.
“When can we leave?” Melody Young asked. The local newspaper photographer was standing beside Mayor Tuck, her arm around the mayor’s curvy waist in a protective gesture.
Dru realized she probably wasn’t the only one who had found romance at the snowed-in hotel.
“You can leave when we get to the bottom of this, and not before,” Wagner said sternly. “Do I make myself understood?”
Young nodded, with a perturbed look on her face.
“Okay then,” Wagner said. “Off to your rooms, all of you. Someone will be around with food shortly.”
Dru watched as the guests shuffled off to their rooms.
“Show him the crime scene photos I took,” Channing told her, handing her his phone.
“Thanks,” Dru replied, taking it.
He nodded and gave her a significant look as he headed upstairs. She had no idea what it was about.
It was odd to watch the man she had begun to think of as a detective turn back into a regular guest now that the police were here. It seemed like he should be the one down here, explaining everything to Wagner.
She took a deep breath and approached the front desk.
Hailey arrived just before her.
“I’m also a desk clerk,” Hailey said to Wagner. “Hailey Woods. I’d be glad to help with the meals.” She smiled up at him.
Hailey’s striking, goth beauty had always seemed almost magical to Dru, and she expected Wagner to fall instantly under her co-worker’s spell.
“Excellent, Miss Woods,” Wagner said, not seeming to notice Hailey at all beyond her offer of service. “Take the young man with you. Stick together.”
“Yes, sir,” she said.
Hailey gave Dru a look as she and Zander headed for the kitchen.
“Now, Miss Holloway,” Wagner said, indicating the two easy chairs by the fire. “Let’s have a seat.”
Dru joined him, feeling nervous, though she had done nothing wrong.
“I’d like to hear everything, beginning with the night of the murder,” Wagner said. “And please don’t leave anything out.”
“I don’t have my notepad with me,” Dru said. “So I don’t have any notes on what everyone said.”
“I don’t care what everyone said,” Wagner said dismissively. “At least, not yet. I want to know what you remember.”
“Okay,” Dru said. “Well, it was the night of the comet.”
“What comet?” Wagner asked.
“Helsing’s Comet,” Dru said. “It’s been all over the news. You can see it well from up here, so the hotel was full.”
“I see,” Wagner said, noting it down.
“It was my shift, so I was outside handing out binoculars,” Dru went on.
“Who else was outside?” Wagner asked.
“Well, everyone,” she replied. “I mean, not everyone, I think Mr. and Mrs. Wilder were… in their room.”
It was probably best to leave out what she assumed they were doing.
“That’s the man who wanted to leave just now?” Wagner asked, eyes narrowed.
“Well, yes, but they didn’t hurt anyone,” Dru said. “They just wanted some alone time.”
Wagner raised an eyebrow.
“They meant to reserve two rooms,” Dru explained. “One for them and one for their daughter. But they mistakenly reserved only one.”
“So you believe the Wilders were having sexual relations in their room during the murder?” Wagner asked, his pen hovering over his notepad.
“Please don’t write that down,” Dru said, feeling miserable.
“Miss Holloway,” Wagner said.
“It’s Dru,” she told him.
“Dru,” he allowed. “This is a murder investigation. Every detail, no matter how small or embarrassing, is important.”
She nodded, pressing her lips together.
“Who else was missing?” Wagner asked.
Dru thought back.
“Their daughter was outside, so were the mayor and Miss Young,” she said. “And Howie, Zander and Hailey, of course.”
“You mean Howard Pembroke?” Wagner asked.
“Yes,” Dru said.
Wagner noted everything down carefully.
“Who else was outside?” he asked when he was finished.
She thought back.
“Hazel and Honey Van Buren were there,” she said, “They’re the ladies who live permanently in the Amethyst Room. They were with Zander.”
He wrote it down.
She tried to picture the hotel log in her mind to account for each guest. He would probably ask her to pull it out in a minute anyway.
She told him about Hugh Channing asking Tyler Park to be in The King and I, and she let him know about Oscar being one of the last ones out, saying something about oversleeping.
She hoped she wouldn’t have to tell him about Viktor.
Viktor had been outside, but he had gone in to grab her gloves for her. That might raise some suspicion.
“What about the victim?” Wagner asked. “Was he outside at all that night?”
“Not that I remember,” Dru said.
“And Johnny Smith?” Wagner asked.
“I did see him outside,” Dru told him. “But he was around the front of the building, near the lobby, smoking.”
“This was after everyone else was out?” Wagner asked.
“Yes. Wait, no,” Dru corrected herself. “Oscar came out while I was talking to Johnny.”
“What were you talking to him about?” Wagner asked.
“Binoculars, for the comet,” Dru said.
Wagner wrote it all down.