Voberg and Blackstone escorted her to the hall. Blackstone nodded to the uniformed officer. “Tape it.” The young officer nodded and pulled a small roll of crime scene tape from his pocket.

Jean walked with the detectives to the elevator. “Your last day here,” Voberg said as she pushed the elevator button. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to get a new room and lie down. My back is killing me.”

“Good plan. Don’t tell your reunion buddies your new room number.” Voberg got on the elevator when the doors opened. “Did you see anyone in the hall when you went to the coffee shop?”

“No.” Jean followed the detectives into the car. “No, not at all.”

They rode in silence to the lobby. “You don’t think there is a camera in the hall somewhere, do you?” Jean asked.

Voberg’s eyebrow went up again. Blackstone nodded and stayed on the elevator while Jean and Voberg got off. The doors closed, and Blackstone was on his way back up to Jean’s floor. “Is there anyone you trust, here?”

“My ex is here. We were in the same unit. I trust him.”

Voberg stared. “I wouldn’t trust my ex. Why trust yours?”

Jean shrugged as they walked to the desk. “He totally betrayed me, but we’ve been talking this weekend. I’m getting over my mad, I guess.”

“Huh. Well, different strokes, I guess.” At the registration desk, she showed her badge. “The manager, please.”

The young woman hurried off. In a moment she came back, trailed by a man in a very nice black suit with a red tie. “May I help you?”

Voberg gave the young woman a look and she drifted off to the other end of the registration desk. “Yes. Miss Hays has been attacked in one of your rooms. I want her in a new room, different floor. And the room number to be kept private. No giving it out to anyone but me and your necessary staff.”

He nodded. “I’ve read my Chief of Security’s reports.” He looked at Jean. “I am so sorry for your trouble. We’ll comp your entire stay in an effort to make the remainder of your stay as comfortable as possible.”

He typed into the console in front of him. He handed her a key. “Suite 18A.”

Jean was surprised. That was one of the high roller suites on the top floor of the hotel. “Thank you!”

“Anything you need, call me directly.” He handed her his card. “If I’m not on duty, I’ll make sure whoever is will take care of you.”

“Thank you! I appreciate your kindness.”

“Detective, anything else?”

“That will be all. Oh, I’d like to see the tapes for her old room hall from midnight until eight-thirty this morning.”

“Of course. I’ll get Mr. Drell on that immediately.”

“I’m going to escort Miss Hays to her suite. I’ll talk to Drell when I get back.”

“I’ll let him know.”

Voberg and Jean went back to the elevators and rode to the top. The elevator required Jean to use her room card to unlock the 18th floor elevator door. Once out, the hall was plush and luxurious. The room unlocked easily and Voberg went inside first. Then called Jean in.

Jean was stunned. The view from the wall of windows was of the Las Vegas strip. The carpet was plush enough to sink into. There was a giant TV screen in front of a white leather sofa. A door to the left of the tv led to a bedroom bigger than her own with more pillows on the bed than she’d ever seen. The bathroom off of the bedroom was marble with gold fixtures. At the other end of the living room was a dining area, then a kitchenette with stove, refrigerator, cupboards with plates, bowls, and utensils and the fridge was stocked with some of the fanciest food Jean had seen. “Wow.”

“Nice,” Voberg said. “I’ve never been in a high roller suite either. Fancy.”

“I can get used to this.” Jean got a glass and poured some water from the refrigerator water dispenser on the outside. “Nice.”

She went into the living room and sat on the sofa. “That’s better. Good support for my back, here.”

Voberg nodded. “Stay here. I’ll keep you posted. We should be able to see something on the surveillance tapes.”

Jean got back up. “I’ll lock it up after you leave.”

“Good. Rest. I’ll call you.”

“Thank you, Detective.”

At the door, Jean let Voberg out. “What about my little chart?”

“Blackstone has it. We’ll do some digging.”

“Appreciate it.”

She closed the door and saw there were two extra ways to lock the door. One was a chain, the other the same sort of bolt in her old room. She used them both, then went to lie on the sofa. It had been entirely too much walking.

Jean woke when her phone rang. “Yeah.” Her voice was froggy.

“Jean, it’s Dwight. I woke you. I’m sorry.”

She sat up. “That’s all right. Where are you?”

“Back with your candy. Where are you?”

“You’ll never believe it. I’ll come down. I could use a little lunch.”

“I’m in the lobby.”

“Be right there.”

Jean got up, splashed her face and went down. She found Dwight on the same bench she’d used this morning. “Hey.”

Dwight stood up. “Hey yourself. You have a new room?”

“Yep. You won’t believe it.”

He handed her the bag with the candy. “Delivered.”

“Thank you.” She sat down. “I need to get some clothes and pajamas. How are you getting around?”

“Taxi. I didn’t want to spend money on a rental car.”

“You can drive me. My car is in the garage. Let’s find a Walmart, then lunch.”

“As you wish. What about the chocolate. It’s going to melt in the car.”

“Yes. Come with me. I’ll show you wonders.”

In the elevator he asked, “What did the cops say?”

“Nothing. They’re looking at videos and doing background checks on people.”

“That’s disappointing.”

“Yep. They may not solve this till after we’re home.”

The elevator chimed and stopped. She showed him how to unlock the elevator, then into her suite.

“Holy cow!” Dwight stood in the middle of the room and slowly spun around. “How much did this cost?”

“Nothing. The manager is comping me the whole stay.”

Dwight rubbed his jawline. “I’m stunned.”

“Me too.” Jean had to giggle. “I mean, really? This is too much.” She put the candy on the coffee table and went to the door. “Let’s go. I have shopping to do.”

After getting one more outfit to wear home in the morning and a nightgown and some toiletries, Jean was ready for lunch. “Let’s go to one of the celebrity chef restaurants. Bobby Flay’s maybe.” She got on her phone and did a search. “It’s in Caesar’s Palace.”

“Great, let’s go.”

Jean had a lovely lunch. She’d forgotten how charming Dwight could be. He had her laughing over some of the city projects he’d been doing. She shared how she’d made friends with Karen and some of the adventures they’d had.

“Sounds like you’ve settled into Greyson.”

“I have. I like being in a small town. I have good friends, interesting volunteer work. What more could I ask?”

“Maybe fewer visits to the hospital. Jim’s kept me up to date. He was really upset.”

“I know.” Jean shook her head. “He’s very protective.”

Dwight smiled. “Like mother, like son.”

Jean rolled her eyes. “Thanks.” She paid the tab and they left.

As they pulled out of the garage, Jean pointed to the left. “Look! Isn’t that Fletcher walking down the street?”

Dwight looked. “It is. I wonder what he’s doing on the back streets?”

“Let’s follow him.”

“Really?” He stared at her in astonishment. “You’re already hurt, and you want to follow him?”

“Yes. He’s my main suspect.”

A horn behind them made Dwight sigh and turn right. He pulled over to the curb. “Now what?”

“Wait until he makes a turn and follow, but not too close.”

Dwight grunted, shaking his head. When Fletcher went right around the corner, away from the strip, Dwight eased the car up to the corner. Fletcher was already half-way down the block.

“This area is kind of creepy. What’s he doing back here?” Jean said. “You think he’s meeting that guy Brandon was talking to at the candy factory?”

“No way to tell. If he goes into a building, we’ll be out of luck.”

“Let’s hope it’s a diner or some other public place, then.” Jean drummed her fingers on her thighs with nervous energy. Maybe she’d find out who murdered Justin. “Go, go,” she said as Fletcher made a left. “Don’t lose him.”

Dwight pulled up to the corner. Fletcher was looking at a small piece of paper and checking building numbers. “Looks like this is a new place for him,” he said. They watched as he crossed the empty street and went into the third building down the block.

“Drive by. Let’s take a look.” Jean leaned forward.

“This is what you do in Greyson?” Dwight drove forward, slowly.

Jean looked out of her window. “It’s an office building of some sort. Darn it. We’ll look suspicious if we go in there.”

Dwight pulled up to the next intersection and made a U-turn. He parked two buildings down from the one Fletcher went into. “We’ll wait a bit. See if he comes out.”

Jean nodded. “Good. Maybe we’ll see who he’s working with.”

Next Chapter: Chapter Sixteen