He shook his head.“No.But if I were him I’d try to unload this place right away—it hasn’t really worked out like any of us imagined.”
Even though he was in front of me and couldn’t see my reaction, I nodded.He glanced over his shoulder as he climbed.“If he does sell, I think this is my shortest length of employment.”
“What about that time you worked at that kids’ pizza and game place when you had to wear the pig suit?”I smirked.
Oliver stopped at the top of the stairs and shuddered.“Oh gosh, Porky’s Pizza.Yeah, you’re right.I worked less time there.I hated that job.”
“I remember being so jealous of you.You were, what, fifteen?And it was what I considered an acting gig.”
He grinned at me.“Yeah, you’re right.I considered it an acting gig at the time too.Unfortunately, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the other people who wore that suit.That thing smelled so bad.I couldn’t hang with it.”
I couldn’t blame him.That was pretty gross.He stopped in front of a door labeledThe Harbor View Room.
“Whose room is this?”I asked.
“Daphne’s,” he said.
I nodded.“Alright.Let’s start here.”
He pulled a key out of his pocket, and I assumed it was his master key.It dangled from a small, adorable owl keychain made of yarn.
“That keychain’s totally cute,” I said.
He held it up and let it sway in the air.“Millie made it for me.”
“She could sell those.”
“Right?She has a real talent.”
“She does.”
It took us a moment to realize we were wasting valuable investigation time admiring Oliver’s elderly friend’s handiwork.He shook his head slightly and focused back on the door, sliding the key into the lock.Seconds later, we were inside the room.
“Whoa,” I said, taking in the chaotic mess.
Daphne clearly wasn’t packed and ready to leave any time soon.Clothes were strewn everywhere—on the floor, on the bed.A damp towel dangled off the closet door knob.
“Wow.She’s living like a rock star,” I muttered.“I don’t think she’ll notice if we go through her stuff.”
Oliver made a face as he picked up a silk and lace top with his forefinger and thumb that had been draped over one of the lampshades.
“Okay,” he said, shaking his head slightly.“You start on that side of the room, and I’ll take this side.Do you even know what we’re looking for?”
I shrugged.“Not really.I mean, we don’t exactly have a murder weapon or anything.I’m just hoping there’s something… incriminating.”
We began picking our way through the disaster.
“Did she think she was coming here for, like, a month?”Oliver asked as he sifted through a massive pile of clothes near the bed.“I swear, she has more clothes in here than I own.”
I knew that wasn’t true.Oliver was a clotheshorse.He had an outfit for every possible occasion.
“Whoa.Whoa, wait.I think I found something,” Oliver said, waving me over to his side of the bed.“I don’t want to pick it up in case it has, like, DNA on it or something.”He poked at the clothing sprawled across the floor, separating it with the tip of his shoe.
I leaned forward, squinting.“Is that a letter opener?Why would she bring a letter opener with her?”
We both hunched closer to inspect it without laying a finger on it.I glanced sideways at him.“I mean, it might be something, but no one’s been killed with a letter opener, right?”
Oliver tilted his head, studying the object.“Wait… I think that was already in this room.”
