Hotel Nigh

Chapter 29

The Sixth and Final Lodger's Exposed Secret
Danny Price: Revealed

Melina and I were swift.

We entered the door to go past the reception where we were greeted immediately by a small corridor. There were two rooms. One on the left and one on the right. It was only when we heard a scuffle of something that we pounced to the door on the right which happened to be Mr. Perry's office. I presumed the room on the left was his bedroom.

The scuffle that had been audible must have included the wooden chair, the wooden desk and Danny. He was sat at the chair, hands bound in handcuffs to the desk. It didn't appear too secure because I knew, because of his army training, he would be able to lift the table up and escape, but then I saw the handcuffs on each ankle to each leg on the chair, but the defeated expression upon Danny's face made me wonder whether he had surrendered by now.

Shocked to see us, Danny grunted and turned away. Mr. Perry seemed relieved at our presence and beckoned us into the room. It was then when I noticed Elliot in the far corner, cheeks blazing red and sat on another chair, though he was devoid of handcuffs. Mr. Perry was hovering over Danny as Melina and I stepped past the threshold of the room and closed the door behind us.

"You're going to start from the beginning," Mr. Perry growled aggressively at him, "and then when the police get here, you'll repeat it all again just for them."

Danny glared at him, but then his face broke out into a smug grin. "The army life didn't suit me." He paused as if waiting for someone to add their own opinion, but then continued. "I discovered the necklace when I first applied for this job. I was desperate for money at the time and if getting hired at a place like this meant I would have money, I'd endure it. But then I found out about the necklace when I was researching the hotel for my interview. It intrigued me." He said nothing more on the matter. His candour, however, astonished all us by the expressions on our faces.

Mr. Perry grunted at his insulting response about the hotel, but that was the least of my concerns right now.

"What happened?" I asked, turning my attention to Mr. Perry.

"I saw him coming up from the dining room and I asked him what he was doing. It seemed odd for him to be down there, especially when he is always in his room at this time or at least behind the bar when he's working. So, I asked him what was up, and he said he forgot something in the kitchen. Then I said I had something to show him in the office. Hotel stuff – numbers." His face contorted into a grimace of some sort. "Despite the hotel being busier than ever, it still seems like we haven't profited considerably."

"Did that take a while?" Melina questioned.

"Yeah," he answered lowly. "When I was almost finished, Elliot came barging in and said Danny was the one being all the murders and that you and Jason had realised and phoned him. Did the first thing I thought of: punched him."

My lips drew up into an uncontrollable smirk as I glimpsed down at Danny who was staring impassively at the carpet. I bet he didn't think he was going to be apprehended by Mr. Perry and Elliot considering his objective was presumably to kill Melina and I, resulting in him finding the necklace and keeping it for himself.

"How'd you get out?" Danny asked, slowly turning to Melina and I, though his expression was still emotionless.

"Where were you?" Mr. Perry asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's what I'd like to know."

I informed him of the search we did in the room WISH before explaining about the trapdoor in the pantry that led through to a room in the basement via a small tunnel. He wasn't anticipating that announcement, I realised when his eyebrows shot up. He didn't know about the room, the box, the second room, the map... none of it, until I had informed him of it.