A mystery murder

Twenty - Four

There was a few moments of people talking as the trained pulled off and started to gain some speed.  She was on the train to Stockport and Amelia was meeting her there straight from work. The recorded tannoy announced that Stockport was the next stop and the train then came to a stop and she walked don the platform and put her ticket into the barriers. Amelia was waiting for her outside.

Lou then pulled out her phone and typed the Premier Inn hotel address into her maps. She followed the directions off her phone and there was a sign that read 'Premier Inn'. They both walked inside and pressed the small bell on the counter and they heard a small voice inside and an old women turned to greet them with a smile.

"Hello, dears" she said.

"I didn't realise I was expecting someone. What name did you make the booking under?" She said bringing Lou and Amelia inside closing the door.

"Oh sorry" Lou said.

"We haven't actually got a booking."

"I see we'll look for you 2 we aren't booked up"

"I mean we aren't here to stay we just have a few questions for the owner of the hotel."

"Are you?"

"Yes, I own the hotel" the women smiled.

"I have ran it for 20 years and my grandson Jackson is upstairs cleaning the rooms."

"So 5 years ago you were running this hotel?" Amelia said.

"Do you keep the records of anyone who stayed here?" Lou asked.

"It is all done by computer now."

"Sometimes by the telephone."

"So how did you keep track of the reservations you had?" Lou said.

"My grandson did it. Had a spreadsheet printed out for the week." The women shrugged staring out the window.

"Would you still have those reservation spreadsheets from 5 years ago?" Amelia asked.

"No, no. The whole place would be flooded with paper."

"But do you have the documents saved on computer?" Amelia asked.

"Oh no. We threw out the computer as it stopped working" she said.

"Can I ask you something?" Lou said.

Lou then got out a picture of Ryan.

"Do you recognise this man? Has he stayed here?"

The woman then looked at the picture of Ryan.

"Yes" she nodded.

"I know him, he has been here."

Lou's skin had goosebumps due to excitement.

"You remember the man that stayed here with you 5 years ago."

"Do you remember the man he was with?"

"What did he look like?"

"No, it wasn't 5 years ago. He has been here."

"That is not possible that man has been dead for 5 years."

"But I" the woman shook her head.

"But I remember her she has been here."

Lou and Amelia strolled out of Salford station and the town was just dimming. Lou then opened the drivers door and shoved her backpack inside and Amelia took i on her lap in the passenger seat. Lou then started the car and drove away.