The Guest Who Disappeared Into The Night
Shocks
Hotel canteen, 15 July, 12:10 p.m.
Mei-Hua, Bryan and Antoine Roux reach the canteen, with hot cupboards standing along the wall to their left.
All of the other guests, with the exception of Susanna Mårtensson and Ronni Mogensen, are already there and have begun eating Repose Hotel's lunch dish of the day with Swedish meatballs.
While Mei-Hua is fetching her plate with the prepared lunch, she notices that Luca Costa is staring from time to time at Hunter Atkinson with contempt.
The private investigator also sees that Hiromi Arakawa and Stanley Daniels are staring at Hunter as well, but with different expressions.
Hiromi Arakawa
*Looks dreamily at Hunter Atkinson and forgets to eat*
Stanley Daniels
*Looks at Hunter with deep thoughts while shoving a meatball in his mouth once in a while*
Hunter seems to have noticed that people are staring at him and tries his best to ignore them.
But in the end, the famed singer reaches the limit of his patience.
Hunter Atkinson
Hey, Japanese girl.
Hunter Atkinson
Aren't you going to eat your lunch?
Hiromi Arakawa
*Blushes and quickly starts eating her first meatball*
Hunter Atkinson
And you two...
Hunter Atkinson
*Nods at Luca and Stanley*
Hunter Atkinson
I know you're staring at me.
Luca Costa
*Gets startled and jumps in his chair*
Luca Costa
*Turns around and looks at Mei-Hua*
Luca Costa
What do you want?
Pan Mei-Hua
A peaceful meal.
Pan Mei-Hua
You've made your point very clear in the morning.
Pan Mei-Hua
So clear that even Mr. Harris has asked you to stop.
Pan Mei-Hua
So please Mr. Costa, let us all eat our lunch in peace.
Luca becomes furious, but understands that it's no use fighting a losing battle.
Luca Costa
You win this time.
Luca Costa
*Continues eating his food quickly without staring at Hunter*
Bryan Dawson
*Becomes furious and wants to scold Luca*
Pan Mei-Hua
*Quickly stops Bryan*
Pan Mei-Hua
Let's eat our lunch in peace.
Susanna Mårtensson enters the canteen roughly ten minutes later.
Susanna Mårtensson
I hope I'm not too late!
Antoine Roux
You aren't, Miss Mårtensson.
Antoine Roux
*Smiles at Susanna*
Susanna Mårtensson
Please, call me Sanna.
Susanna Mårtensson
All of my friends do!
Antoine Roux
Sanna, isn't "Susanna" your given name?
Susanna Mårtensson
That's right!
Susanna Mårtensson
*Smiles broadly*
Susanna Mårtensson
"Susanna" is my first name, while "Sanna" is for short.
Susanna Mårtensson
I personally prefer "Sanna" since it's easier to pronounce and I don't feel old.
Antoine Roux
Ha, ha, alright then.
Bryan Dawson
Where's Ronni?
Bryan Dawson
I thought he was with you!
Susanna Mårtensson
No, only for a short while!
Susanna Mårtensson
*Quickly changes subject*
Susanna Mårtensson
What are we having for lunch?
Stanley Daniels
Swedish meatballs.
Susanna Mårtensson
Å så gott! (= Oh so delicious!)
Mei-Hua feels that something isn't right with Sanna's comment, but decides not to think anything more of it.
Susanna Mårtensson
*Looks around*
Susanna Mårtensson
Where do I...?
Stanley Daniels
You go to the hot cupboard and fetch a plate with the food already prepared for you.
Susanna Mårtensson
That's it?
Luca Costa
What do you expect, lady?
Susanna doesn't reply to Luca's comments.
Mei-Hua can see that Susanna isn't content with the hotel service since she spends some time in front of the hot cupboard, thinking.
Luca Costa
Is something wrong?
Susanna Mårtensson
It just feels like those "average" school meals of my youth.
Sanna reaches her hand out for her own plate but hesitates for some time.
All of the guests are now looking at her, but they can only see her back.
Stanley Daniels
Just grab a plate and get over here.
Stanley Daniels
If you skip lunch now, then you'll have to wait for several hours for the next meal!
Susanna gives up, takes her plate and returns to the group of guests.
Ronni arrives about fifteen minutes later.
Ronni Mogensen
Am I the last one?
Stanley Daniels
Grab the last plate in the hot cupboard.
Ronni Mogensen
*Looks around*
Ronni Mogensen
So... We're the only ones here?
Ronni Mogensen
Where are our hosts?
Luca Costa
Come on, kiddo.
Luca Costa
Did you expect that they'd have lunch with us?
Gregory Harris
Mr. Mogensen isn't wrong, Mr. Costa.
Gregory and Shannon Harris, together with their employees, enter the canteen.
Gregory Harris
Normally we would have lunch and dinner with you already from the start.
Gregory Harris
But I've an announcement to make.
Everyone stops eating and looks at Mr. Harris.
Gregory Harris
There's a strong storm coming to this area at tomorrow noon, and it will last for several days.
Many of the guests look at each other after hearing the news of the storm.
Susanna Mårtensson
How bad is it?
Gregory Harris
This storm has caused damage to several cities and their infrastructure.
Hiromi Arakawa
Are we in danger?
Gregory Harris
Not directly.
Hunter Atkinson
What's that supposed to mean?
Hunter Atkinson
Are you just saying so to avoid guests from checking out?!
Luca Costa
I hate to say this, but I agree with Atkinson for once!
Isaac Kenley
Everybody calm down!
Isaac Kenley
Let Mr. Harris continue!
Mr. Harris does his best to keep calm.
Gregory Harris
I understand that our hotel hasn't been able to make everyone satisfied up to now.
Gregory Harris
But that doesn't mean we haven't listened to your opinions.
Gregory Harris
While the storm indeed has caused damage to other cities, it's weaker by the time it reaches us.
Hunter Atkinson
Then what's the point of scaring us with that particular news?
Shannon Harris
The point is, Mr. Atkinson...
Shannon Harris
*Stares at Hunter angrily*
Shannon Harris
...That while the storm won't cause any damage to the hotel, it can still affect the transport between the hotel and the city.
Shannon Harris
We're talking about delays and dangers of falling trees among others.
Gregory Harris
The trip back to the city could take more than 5 hours.
Gregory Harris
But the thing that I was worried about the most, was the food delivery.
Antoine Roux
Monsieur Harris, you sound like you don't have enough food for all of us during our planned stay.
Antoine Roux
And now you're telling us that the storm has the risk of causing us to live at the hotel without food?
Susanna Mårtensson
It feels like you buy just enough food for the main meals!
Susanna Mårtensson
I mean, come on, just a plate with prepared lunch?!
Susanna Mårtensson
What if I'm not full?
Stanley Daniels
Well, Sanna has a point.
Thelma Morris
If that happens, young miss, you just come to me and ask for more.
Susanna Mårtensson
But you weren't here at the beginning of lunch!
Ronni Mogensen
Sanna, venligst... (= Sanna, please...)
Susanna Mårtensson
Håll käften, Ronni! Kan du inte se att hotellet bara är en bluff? (= Shut up, Ronni! Can't you see that the hotel is just a scam?)
Ronni Mogensen
Men... (= But...)
Susanna Mårtensson
Ni danskar och er förbaskade hyggekultur! (= You Danes and your damn hygge culture!)
Susanna Mårtensson
Ska vi svenskar hela tiden behöva agera storasyskon åt er och ta striden för viktiga saker, såsom ett fungerade hotell t.ex.? (= Do we Swedes have to act as your older siblings all the time and fight for important matters, like a hotel that works for example?)
Pan Mei-Hua
Snälla Sanna, du får ta och dämpa ner dig lite! (= Please Sanna, calm down a bit!)
Everyone freezes when they realise that Mei-Hua can understand and speak a Scandinavian language.
Gregory Harris
Like I've said before, I was worried about the food delivery.
Gregory Harris
But it's not a problem now.
Gregory Harris
I've ordered lots of food that would last for two weeks.
Gregory Harris
For everyone and the extra manpower that will help us.
Bryan Dawson
Extra manpower?
Isaac Kenley
Yes, Mr. Dawson.
Isaac Kenley
There are volunteers from my village that are willing to help out in the hotel.
Hunter Atkinson
Volunteers, eh?
Hunter Atkinson
Now I feel much safer...
Susanna Mårtensson
What's wrong with you?!
Everyone stares at Ronni in horror as the Dane suddenly becomes pale and begins fighting for air.
Ronni's eyes widen and he can't sit still.
The poor guest is literally fighting for his life!
Susanna Mårtensson
Anyone, please DO something!
Susanna Mårtensson
PLEASE!
Isaac Kenley quickly takes his smartphone and calls for an ambulance.
Mei-Hua quickly runs to Sanna's side.
Pan Mei-Hua
Sanna, har Ronni en adrenalinpenna? (= Sanna, does Ronni have an adrenalin autoinjector?)
Ronni Mogensen
Værelset... (= The room...)
Ronni Mogensen
Pennen... (= The autoinjector...)
Ronni Mogensen
...I værelset... (= ...In the room...)
Pan Mei-Hua
*Quickly turns to Bryan*
Pan Mei-Hua
Find Ronni's autoinjector in room 102!
Ronni Mogensen
Nøglen... (= The key...)
Ronni Mogensen
...Højre bukselomme... (= ...The right trouser pocket...)
Bryan rushes to Ronni's side and quickly empties his right trouser pocket.
The young assistant manages to find the key, and quickly leaves the canteen.
Mrs. Morris also hurries out of the canteen to find antihistamine pills.
In the meantime, Mr. Harris can only watch the horrific scene in front of him, unable to do anything.
He remembers an anonymous warning which he has received two days ago.
A warning - or rather a threat - which he hasn't told anyone, including his own wife.
???
"Are you sure you can protect all of your guests?"
Gregory Harris
This isn't happening!
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