Page 38 of Grayson’s Challenge

“Spoken like a true Californian.” She smirked.

“Let’s do this,” Cooper said with a nod at Virginia as he approached the rustic reception, while Virginia headed for the restrooms.

Behind the front desk, three staff members were working, two were young women, one an older man.

“Hi, ma’am,” he said with a broad smile, addressing the pretty woman with the dark pixie haircut.

She smiled back at him. “Checking in?”

“No, I’m afraid I’m supposed to meet up with my two friends, who were staying at your hotel, but I’m two days late because of the storm…” He sighed. “Thing is, we were supposed to go to a cabin together, but I don’t know where that cabin is, and how to get there. And there’s no cell phone coverage, so I can’t get a hold of them.”

“Oh, yes, the storm knocked out our cell tower for a while, but it’s back already.”

He grimaced. “Still can’t reach them. I wonder if you have any idea where they were heading?”

“You said they were guests here?”

He nodded.

“Names?”

“David and Zach Montague.”

“Oh, I think I remember them. Americans, right?”

“Yes, from New Orleans.”

She typed something on her keyboard, and Cooper inhaled deeply. He picked up Virginia’s scent close by. It now was strongest near the receptionist. Virginia had made herself invisible and stepped behind the woman to look over her shoulder into the monitor.

“Hmm. All I can see is that they checked out early in the morning of New Year’s Eve.”

“Did they mention where they were going?”

“I’m afraid I wasn’t on duty, when they checked out.”

Cooper glanced at the two other staff members. “Maybe one of your colleagues checked them out?”

She looked at the screen and shook her head. “Franz checked them out. I’m afraid he’s off duty today.”

“Thanks for trying.”

He walked away and waited near a corridor leading to the restrooms. It took a few minutes until Virginia came out of the ladies’ room and joined him.

“I got her password, and used a computer in the office behind the front desk. She’s right, they checked out the morning of New Year’s Eve. I found a charge for a car service for the day of departure that the concierge arranged for them.”

“Excellent. And the two women from New York that invited them to that cabin? Any trace of them?”

“No. I checked every female who checked out on New Year’s Eve. There weren’t many. None were Americans in the right age range.”

“Let’s check with the car service. They should have a record of where David and Zach were dropped off.”

They’d just crossed the street, when Virginia’s cell phone rang.

She looked at the display. “It’s Pearce.” She answered it. “Hey, Pearce. You’ve got good news for me?”

Standing close to Virginia, Cooper’s sensitive vampire hearing picked up Pearce’s voice.

“I have no records of two women from New York having checked into any hotels or bed-and-breakfasts in Gstaad.”