“Why would those two be here? And why would they be together?” Annette wondered.
It was already 4:00 a.m. so Annette decided to shower and do a little investigating before she met Jack and Kat in the lobby at 8:00. The plan was for them to compare notes before meeting with the detective at 9:00 at the Roadside Cafe.
When she first heard and then saw the couple by the pool near her patio, her first instinct was to quickly move to a corner of the patio where she couldn’t be seen by the two. She could no longer see the couple, but she could hear them.
“I want to see her. I need to see her,” Annette heard. “I should have made it happen a long time ago.”
“I’m really afraid this is going to end badly,” the other voice answered. “I hope you have a plan to get us out of here. “
“I have told you!!” The other one said angrily. “We aren’t going anywhere. Now go home. You have to be at work in a couple of hours. I’m going to my room. I’ll be in touch later.”
Annette watched as the man walked to his room. She had moved closer to the front of the patio with the goal of getting his room number. He put his key in the lock, but before going inside, he turned around and looked in the direction of Annette. Did he see her? Did she have reason to be afraid?
“We’ll wait another five minutes,” Jack said. “That will barely give us time to get to the Cafe to meet the detective at 9:00. You go to her room and knock on the door and I’ll check with the front desk to see if they have seen her.”
“Excuse me. I’m concerned about my co-worker. She was supposed to meet her cousin and I in the lobby at 8:00. Her name is Annette Morris and she’s in room 114,” Jack said.
“And your name is?” The desk clerk asked.
“My name is Jack Stein. I’m also registered here.”
“As a matter of fact, Mr. Stein, she was here about an hour ago and left you a note. Yes…here it is.”
Jack opened the envelope and began to read the note just as Kat returned. When he finished reading it, he handed the note to her.”
Jack,
I saw Paul and I’m going to find out why he’s here. Don’t wait for me, I will get to the cafe as soon as I can.
Annette
“Do you have any idea who Paul is?” Jack asked Kat.
“Not a clue.”
“I probably shouldn’t share this information,” the desk clerk said, but we have a guest registered here by the name of Paul Morris. I wonder if they’re related… Paul and Annette I mean… They have the same last name.”
Kat and Jack decided to go on to the cafe. This was something they thought the detective should know about.
When they arrived at the Roadside Cafe, the detective was already there. They showed him Annette’s note and told him they didn’t know Paul Morris, but he must in some way be related to Annette.
Sandy, the waitress came over to fill their coffee cups.
“I’m not sure if you know this,” she said. “But Annette and I have become friends and we’ve talked a lot since all of this began. Edith Morris was an evil person who deserved to die.”
“It appears so,” Kat said. “How long have you worked here, miss.. ?” Kat asked as she added cream to her coffee.
“My name is Sandy…I’ ve been here a long ten years,” Sandy answered.
“Do you know who Paul Morris is?” The detective asked.
Sandy hesitated a moment before answering. “Yes,” she said…he’s Annette’s stepfather,”
Those 70ish Girls 