The Guest Who Disappeared Into The Night
A hotel threat
CHAPTER 8 - A HOTEL THREAT
Mr. Harris's office, ground floor, 15 July, 1:31 p.m.
Mei-Hua and Bryan follows Mr. Harris into his office.
No one utters a word until Mr. Harris closes the door behind them.
Pan Mei-Hua
Mr. Harris, if I may be so bold...
Pan Mei-Hua
Something is troubling you, isn't it?
Bryan looks at first surprised at Mei-Hua, and then at Mr. Harris.
Gregory Harris
*Gives a small laugh*
Gregory Harris
It seems Miss Pan notices every little detail!
Gregory Harris
Yes, that's correct.
Gregory Harris
There's something that troubles me.
Gregory Harris
But before I continue...
Gregory Harris
Miss Pan, I've heard that you're a private investigator.
Gregory Harris
Are the rumours true?
Pan Mei-Hua
Yes, they are.
Gregory Harris
Then what I'm about to tell you is strictly confidential.
Gregory Harris
I haven't even told my wife about this.
Gregory Harris
Can I trust that you both work with professional secrecy?
Both Bryan and Mei-Hua nod silently.
Bryan Dawson
Yes, Mr. Harris.
Bryan Dawson
We're obliged not to disclose any confidential information from our clients.
Gregory Harris
So you mean that once I've told you about my problem, I'd become your client?
Pan Mei-Hua
That's not what Bryan meant.
Pan Mei-Hua
We haven't promised to take any case during our vacation.
Pan Mei-Hua
But since you've brought us to your office and asked us about our professions, I take it that you wish to consult us about a problem.
Gregory Harris
That's correct.
Pan Mei-Hua
Then in that case, your confidential information will stay safe with us.
Pan Mei-Hua
So, Mr. Harris.
Pan Mei-Hua
What's troubling you?
Gregory Harris
The hotel...
Mei-Hua can see that Mr. Harris actually doesn't want to tell her about his uneasiness, but that he's forced to do so because he doesn't have other options.
Pan Mei-Hua
What about the hotel?
Gregory Harris
The hotel has received an anonymous threat.
Mr. Harris had tried his best to tell the truth casually.
But still, both Mei-Hua and Bryan could notice that Mr. Harris's voice trembled.
Bryan Dawson
How is this possible?
Bryan Dawson
I mean, your business is quite new, right?
Bryan Dawson
Why would anyone---
Pan Mei-Hua
One thing at a time.
Pan Mei-Hua
Let Mr. Harris finish!
Gregory Harris
*Looks nervously at the duo*
Gregory Harris
I know this sounds very strange, Mr. Dawson.
Gregory Harris
But I'm telling you the truth.
Gregory Harris
Yes, Repose Hotel is quite a new business.
Gregory Harris
But I have reason to believe that someone wants to sabotage it.
Gregory Harris
I don't wish to accuse anyone.
Gregory Harris
But I suspect that someone among the guests wants my business to fail.
There's an awkward silence after Mr. Harris has stated his suspicion.
Pan Mei-Hua
Can you please take it from the beginning?
Pan Mei-Hua
I must apologise, but I don't think I follow.
Bryan Dawson
Why do you suspect the guests?
Gregory Harris
Alright, let's go back to the beginning.
Gregory Harris
My wife and I used to have other occupations in the past.
Gregory Harris
We loved our jobs in the beginning...
Gregory Harris
But in the end, we got fed up with our stressful lives as employees and wanted to leave the hamster wheel.
Gregory Harris
So, with the help of our parents, loans and our own savings, we had enough money to buy a large house.
Gregory Harris
You see, both of us had this secret dream of running our own hotel in the countryside, since both of us love nature.
Gregory Harris
And so, we finally have found and bought this house, 5 hours of travel time from Gloxmouth by bus.
Mei-Hua nods as to acknowledge that she understands Mr. Harris so far.
Bryan, however, seems to be in doubts.
Bryan Dawson
So... Do you and your wife have an education regarding hotel manage---
Pan Mei-Hua
Please forgive my assistant, Mr. Harris.
Pan Mei-Hua
He can be blunt sometimes.
Gregory Harris
No, no, no, I totally understood what he really meant.
Gregory Harris
I'll be fully honest with you, Mr. Dawson.
Gregory Harris
Both my wife and I have never studied hotel management at a university.
Gregory Harris
But we've taken some online courses.
Gregory Harris
We thought that our life experiences along with those courses would compensate for our lack of a real university degree in hotel management.
Gregory Harris
I hope that you both don't mind about that.
Gregory Harris
After all...
Gregory Harris
Even if we don't want to admit it.
Gregory Harris
But I guess you'd rather treat Repose Hotel as a roadhouse.
Pan Mei-Hua
And I'm sure Bryan won't mind either.
Bryan Dawson
*Nods in agreement*
Pan Mei-Hua
Mr. Harris, I did feel when we first arrived that Repose Hotel was more of a roadhouse than a hotel.
Pan Mei-Hua
Yes, you're understaffed and it does seem that you've ordered less food than what is needed.
Pan Mei-Hua
But you've done your best.
Pan Mei-Hua
With the current price you take for the rooms, I feel that I can't complain.
Pan Mei-Hua
What about you, Bryan?
Pan Mei-Hua
*Stares at Bryan seriously*
Bryan feels embarrassed when Mei-Hua stares at him so intensely.
After all, it was Bryan who decided that the duo would spend their vacation at Repose Hotel!
Bryan Dawson
I guess I can't.
Gregory Harris
Miss Pan, Mr. Dawson, I can't thank you both enough for being so patient with us.
Pan Mei-Hua
Don't mention it.
Pan Mei-Hua
So, about the threat...
Gregory Harris
Things didn't go so smoothly as I had hoped when we bought the house at the beginning of June.
Gregory Harris
From what I understand from the seller of this house, there was a buyer who was...
Gregory Harris
...Let's simply say that the buyer really wanted to purchase it.
Gregory Harris
The seller told me that she had been contacted several times by this person.
Gregory Harris
And each time she had done her best to turn down the person's offer.
Pan Mei-Hua
I suppose you don't know who the person was?
Gregory Harris
Unfortunately, I don't.
Gregory Harris
The seller didn't want to bother me with those "petty details."
Gregory Harris
And to be honest...
Gregory Harris
I doubt the seller would be able to identify the person anyway.
Bryan Dawson
Because those "petty details" would have helped a lot right now!
Pan Mei-Hua
Mr. Harris, why wouldn't it be possible to identify this potential buyer?
Gregory Harris
That's a really good question.
Gregory Harris
But you see, the seller is an old lady who is more than eighty years old.
Gregory Harris
She does neither see nor hear well anymore.
Gregory Harris
Even if the person had told her their name every time they spoke on the phone, it wouldn't be possible for her to identify them in real life.
Gregory Harris
Besides, I think they would try to hide their real identity anyway.
Pan Mei-Hua
Why do you believe so?
Gregory Harris
The seller told me that this person offered her payment in cash.
Gregory Harris
They wanted to avoid a bank transfer.
Bryan Dawson
But this doesn't make any sense.
Bryan Dawson
Even if the potential buyer could go through with the trade, they must reveal their identity to the authorities anyway!
Gregory Harris
I really don't have a good explanation to that.
Gregory Harris
After we had bought the house, I've received unpleasant messages and calls.
Gregory Harris
Sometimes someone can call me in the middle of the night just to breathe at the mouthpiece.
Gregory Harris
The caller didn't say anything at all.
Gregory Harris
Sometimes I receive letters and e-mails from an anonymous sender with threats.
Pan Mei-Hua
What kind of threats?
Pan Mei-Hua
And what do you exactly mean with "an anonymous sender"?
Gregory Harris
Let me show you the latest message.
Gregory Harris
This one is from two days ago.
Mr. Harris takes out his smartphone and opens the e-mail client.
He shows Bryan and Mei-Hua the e-mail with the anonymous threat.
???
"Are you sure you can protect all of your guests?"
Mei-Hua understands now what Mr. Harris meant with "an anonymous sender".
The sender has used a temporary e-mail service.
Even if Bryan is skilled with computers, he wouldn't be able to track the sender down.
Bryan Dawson
*Looks at Mr. Harris in horror*
Bryan Dawson
Mr. Harris...
Bryan Dawson
About what happened today...
Gregory Harris
Yes, that's correct.
Gregory Harris
One day with the guests hasn't even passed yet.
Gregory Harris
And now, we've had a quarrel between at least two guests and another guest is currently suffering from an unknown severe allergic reaction.
Gregory Harris
Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence, Miss Pan?
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