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My sleep was plagued with strange dreams of raccoons staring at me through the window while a killer tried to break into my room. I woke up feeling like I’d worked all night and then was slapped with the smell of a bouquet of flowers from Mason. Argggg. I was in a fog so I crept around in slow motion letting Porsche sleep. A hot shower helped clear the last bits of the dream away.
I had just enough time to talk with Kylie and Zack before going into my conference for most of the day. Porsche was just up and making coffee in the single serve in-room coffee maker by the time I was rushing out the door. I didn’t see Kylie anywhere in the breakfast café and Zack was swamped. I promised myself I would track them down when I had enough free time.
I went to the conference main meeting room and claimed a seat in the second row. The large room had rich polished woods from the tables to the paneling, along with comfortable padded seats and stylish lighting. Nice carpeting helped muffle noise from scraping chairs and foot traffic. The setup was a basic classroom setting with rows of tables and chairs with a middle aisle. The wood frames with gold fabric were stylish and sound absorbing removable panels between rooms. They would likely remove these panels between several rooms to accommodate our luncheon.
In spite of the warm fabrics and polished woods, it felt like being in a box inside an isolated hotel. I recognized a tickle of claustrophobia that even the few multi-paned windows with limited visibility into a frozen snowy white world didn’t alleviate.
More attendees were filtering in and the tables were slowly filling up. I found fresh coffee and breakfast goodies at the back of the room. I could have let out a cheer at the sight, but it would have been anemic at best. I also discovered Kylie bringing in a second tray of breakfast items.
“Oh, hi ma’am. At least all you conference attendees will be busy during the day. The worst thing about this blizzard is how everyone will get antsy and bored. Well, I guess the worst thing is being stuck, but you know.” Her perky youthful voice was almost too much for me after my troubled sleep. The noise level had crept louder and I felt I was talking too softly to be heard by others.
“Kylie, I needed to chat with you.” I strolled over to a quiet corner out of hearing from others who were milling around.
“Ma’am, is there a problem? “
“I don’t know if you are aware of my meeting with Detective Larson last night.” I left it as not quite a question.
Her mouth quirked up into a half smile. “Oh, the staff are all talking about it alright. We didn’t think you were his type.”
“I don’t know about that, but he’s going to be rather busy with public safety demands with the blizzard. He asked me to assist him by keeping my eyes and ears open for any information on a few people regarding the other night.” I kept my voice to a confidential level.
Her eyebrows went up.
“I was hoping to enlist your help for the next few days. We’re interested in certain people and their whereabouts that night and early morning. Anything you might pick up on in a conversation. Do you think you could tell me and I can compile the information and give it to Detective Larson?”
I held my breath while she considered. It seemed like ages, but her eyebrows finally settled down to normal. She puckered her mouth in that old hmmmmm, I don’t know about this expression.
“Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you at lunchtime.” She spun around and went back to the refreshment tables, grabbed two empty carafes and left to refill them.
I loaded a plate with the dish Kylie had delivered labeled “Baked French Toast Bagel with a maple glaze” and some black coffee. I sat in my seat and ate the small bites of baked and coated bagel. I was fretting over whether the Resort Irregulars idea was going to blow up in my face and barely caught the announcement from a conference volunteer.
“...total snowfall from yesterday until midnight has been twenty-two inches. It continues to snow, but the temperatures are expected to drop making it too cold to snow by this afternoon. Predictions include increased winds as well. So folks, it looks like we’re here for a while. They can’t get the roads cleared with the blowing snow and dropping temperatures would be deadly if a car gets stuck on the road.”
"Not to mention the danger of a car getting struck by a snow plow when they come through.” An audience member added.
The woman sitting next to me leaned over, “I’m from New Mexico, is this typical weather?” I estimated she was in her late forties. She had shoulder length golden styled hair, basic makeup, manicured nails, and wore a dress with a matching blazer that gave the impression of feminine yet professional. Her voice was measured and assured.
“Not particularly. But the Rocky Mountains certainly get their share of snow and storms. This weather system is a combination of factors.” I was used to hearing snowstorm horror stories growing up in the state. People still talk about the Christmas blizzard of 1982.
“On the local weather, they called it an Albuquerque Low. I was surprised by that name. I wanted to defend New Mexico’s honor somehow.” She smiled to soften her words and I suspected she was trying to strike up conversation more than anything else.
“It’s only named that because the storm, a low-pressure system, swings down to Albuquerque area then directly up to us in Colorado. Those storms tend to pack a wallop with a lot of snow. Nothing against your state, I promise.” I hadn’t seen her around before. I couldn’t help but consider her as a potential source of information, for both my career and my murder suspects.
I held my hand out, “Julienne, management trainee from Colorado Springs.” She shook my hand and a toothy grin blossomed.
“Tammy, assistant manager from Santa Fe.” We exchanged cards.
I sucked in my breath. Dawn’s Waterfall Spa Resort was a smaller resort but consistently received perfect ratings from guests and had been featured in a hotel management magazine for their customer satisfaction. Plus, the property sounded beautiful, peaceful, and rejuvenating with their yoga and exercise classes. I wanted to visit there someday rather than the large Santa Fe resort with golf and a casino.
“I read the article on your property. I have dreamt of staying there when I get to Santa Fe.”
“And I want to visit your sprawling resort as well.” She crooned with enthusiasm.
“How long have you been in resort management?”
“Oh goodness, I hate to give my age away, but a good twenty years now.”
I had a good feeling about Tammy, she had an air of competency and quiet authority that was reassuring. She was a successful woman in resort management and probably had seen many changes in the industry over the years that I could learn from.
People were moving to the workshop they wanted for the first session of the day. I was headed to the Hospitality Computer Applications session but didn’t want to stop chatting with Tammy.
“Would you mind if we sat together at lunch? I would love to discuss this career path with you.” There, I invited myself. You always hear about finding a mentor, but how to go about it isn’t covered as much. I hope I didn’t seem like I only wanted to pick her brain.
“And I’d love to get some insights from a younger generation.” She smiled in return and I did a little happy dance internally.
Two morning sessions done and we were all back in the large room set up with round tables that crammed ten people together. My sessions had been chock-full of information. But my rough night and the emotional strain of the last day left me with a sluggish mind.
I spotted Tammy and joined her at a table close to the speaker’s podium. Lunch was a buffet and Kylie and Zack both were tending the food setup. The buffet was at the back of the room making it less convenient to talk to Kylie and Zack as the crowds descended.
I excused myself from Tammy and rushed up to Kylie.
“Can we talk before lunch gets underway?”
“I have to be quick, they’re keeping us busy since we’re stuck here too.” She didn’t sound happy.
I followed her to the end of the buffet table as she got the meat cutting station ready.
“Did you think about our discussion?” I jumped in, she would either help or not. If she said no I hoped she wouldn’t tell Detective Larson. Porsche said she would corner – I mean meet with – Larson and share what information we gathered last night. Maybe he would go easy on us if she were dazzling him.
“I saw your friend with Larson this morning. I guess you guys are helping him. I’ll pass along anything I hear.” I was equal parts relieved and excited.
Guess Porsche was charming the detective as she planned. The man didn’t have a chance. I tried not to smile or jump like a kid for Porsche. No happy dance in front of everyone, it’s rude after a murder. I felt Porsche going for a more serious man was a good sign.