Memories Are Worse

Chapter 12

Sam and Robin got off the stage and joined their prisoner backstage.

"Bravo. That was wonderful" said Mr Smythe.

"Thank you, mister. I expect our song reminded you if you've heard our music" said Robin.

"I'm afraid not, Boy Wonder. But your song might have done something for my memory" said Mr Smythe.

"What? What?" said Sam. 

"Sergeant... my fiancee always warned me about hurting myself" said Mr Smythe.

"What'd you do, boss her on how to love you?" said Robin.

Mr Smythe laughed. "That, I can't say. But I can say that I loved her so much... she always feared I was overdoing it."

"Hmm. This is interesting. But what does that have to do with her murder?" said Sam.

"I don't know. But I feel as if it might help" said Mr Smythe.

Meanwhile, Jeremy and Andy had just gotten to the hotel they were staying at. 

They were checking in with a fancy-dressed blonde man and his tall, black-haired wife at the front desk.

"Welcome to the Bottrell Hotel. I am its manager, Sir Edmund Bottrell. This is my wife" said the guy.

"How do you do? I'm... Andrea McNally. This is..." Andy began.

"Jeremy! Clyde" Jeremy interrupted. 

"A great pleasure. Now state your business" said Lady Bottrell. 

"We'd like to spend a couple of nights here, madame. I made a reservation this morning" said Jeremy.

Sir Bottrell looked at the paperwork in front of him. "So you did. I will show you to your room."

He led the couple down a dimly-lit hall. 

Jeremy looked at a gigantic portrait on the wall. 

It was a portrait of five people, one being the same red-haired woman as the one in his TV. 

"Andy?" said Jeremy.

"Yeah?" said Andy.

Jeremy took her hand and showed her the picture.

"Sizelle" said Andy.

"Pardon?" said Jeremy.

"That's Sizelle Mejia" said Andy.

She compared the hand-picture of her murder victim to the one in the portrait.

Jeremy had a look himself, and he did see an uncanny resemblance. 

"It can't be..." he said to himself.

"Sir Bottrell, are you familiar with the murder of a certain Sizelle Mejia?" said Andy.

Sir Bottrell turned around and saw the picture she was holding.

"Why, yes" he said.

"Did you know her?" said Andy.

"Mejia was my desk clerk. She was like a daughter to me. She was to be married before her murder. That's why she's pictured with that family. They were wedding planners" Sir Bottrell explained.

"Then you must know who killed her. The sergeant is hot on their trail" said Andy.

"I apologize, madam, I don't know. But I do know that it was a tragedy. The killer shot poor Sizelle three times in the back, frightened her fiancee to death" said Sir Bottrell.

"But... what happened to her fiancee?" said Jeremy.

"No one knows. Soon after the murder, he disappeared and never returned" said Sir Bottrell.

Andy wrote all of this down.

"Thank you sir. I'll tell the sergeant all of this when I get home" she said.