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As I took in the view from my hotel balcony, I couldn’t help but smile. Six months ago I was close to being homeless, jobless and bankrupt. Now I’m here in a luxurious five-star hotel, looking across the bay and enjoying the lap of luxury. Too bad it can’t go on forever; I’m here for business – and a little revenge.

Turning round, I surveyed the room service attendant. She was currently sat in a comfortable chair, firmly bound and gagged. The chair faced the balcony so she wouldn’t be seen from the door. I checked myself in the mirror, making sure I had my room service outfit on correctly. Readjusting my wig, a black shoulder length bob cut. I loaded up the room service trolley with the items I would need, before quietly slipping out into the corridor, leaving the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door knob. Time to get to work!

---

They say that crime doesn’t pay, that the police will soon catch up with the criminals and bring them to justice. Well, that may happen on TV but in real life not all crooks are caught. You see, I tried for years to have a perfectly law abiding life and failed miserably. Six months ago, I was recruited into the Thieves Club by a friend of my late father, who had worked with them for most of his life.

I was sent on a job to prove my skills; very little time to plan and prepare, the most basic of instructions and I came out of it having earned two hundred and thirty thousand pounds for a few hours work. It was the start of a new career for me, and it looks to be quite lucrative.

Joining the Thieves Club has been interesting. Harry Smithson, a family friend and now my mentor, had been teaching me skills such as pick-pocketing and lock picking. Gramps, the Club Fence had been teaching my how to quickly apprise items such as jewellery and antiques; I’m no expert but now I can at least make an informed guess when picking up a few valuable items.

The Club soon laid out what it expects from its members. For example, we’re not allowed to carry weapons to the job, neither are we supposed to cause physical injury to our targets. I even received some training in rope and gag use to make sure I knew how to inconvenience someone while leaving them comfortable. They put me in the ropes to start with so I’d know what it felt like; a fascinating experience to be sure.

The rule which surprised me the most was that we were not allowed to go out and steal whatever we wanted. Every job had to be planned and approved by someone called ‘The Fixer’. I haven’t met this person yet, though Harry says they know plenty about me. Harry’s taken me out on a few easy jobs with him; part of my training and to help get me some experience, he says. I’ll just keep on following his instructions; I know I still have a lot to learn.

---

Our Club is hidden in an office block in the centre of town. It maintains a legitimate front, a group of computer programmers make various games and apps for mobile phones. It turns a good profit, and means we have a clean and respectable place to do business. Harry told me once that warehouses, while being the typical choice, tend to be too obvious.

I was on my way into ‘work’ that morning, rushing a bit so just bought the local paper without even glancing at the headlines. Harry wasn’t there so I sat in the lounge with a cup of coffee and started reading. Well, I nearly choked on my coffee when I saw the front page. It featured a huge photograph of Hotel Grande; I worked there for a short while, though had to leave about eighteen months ago as my past, or rather my father’s past, caught up with me. A guest’s property went missing and, with my history, I was the number one suspect. My supervisor, Cody Lewison backed me all the way, saying I was a model employee but Jemima Daniels, the Hotel Manager, had it in for me.

Of course, the real culprit was found but from that day onwards, Jemima did everything she could to make my life difficult, even tried to transfer me away from Cody so I had no one to fight for me. I had my hours cut and was given the worst shifts; then rumours about me began to circulate and I’d had enough. When I handed in my notice I was told to leave the premises immediately. The next thing I heard was that Cody had been fired for insubordination. He was good at his job and was soon offered a management role but it meant he had to move to move away and I lost contact with him.

“Several of the cast of hit show ‘Worthington Manor’ will be staying at Hotel Grande next month while they film some scenes in nearby locations.” Jemima Daniels, Senior Hotel Manager of Hotel Grande revealed. “It will be a huge boost to the local tourist trade and of course, shows Hotel Grande is worthy of its recent upgrade to five star status. Our clientele expect comfort, security and privacy, not to mention all their needs being met. It’s no surprise that celebrities want to stay here!” I threw the paper down in disgust, just as Harry walked in.

“Hi Jess, what’s got you in such a mood?” He grinned and sat down next to me.

“This article about the Hotel Grande!” I shoved the paper across the coffee table to him. “I worked there; that bitch Jemima hounded me out of the job once they found out about my father.” Slouching back on the sofa, I scowled at the thought. “I would love to show that snot nosed madam she’s not as clever as she thinks she is!”

“Funny you should mention this; our Fixer wants to see us about a job there.” Harry looked thoughtful. “He said you might be the perfect choice.”

“The Fixer?” I looked up in surprise. “What would he want with me? I’ve not finished my training yet.” I suddenly felt nervous.

“Don’t worry, he probably just wants to pick your brains, since he’ll know you worked there. He knows all our strengths and weaknesses, it helps him plan jobs to suit members.” Harry grinned. “Come on young lady, time to do some work.”

---

Harry led me to a spacious office area on the fourth floor. I’d never been up here before; it was by invitation only. Moments later, I was ushered into a boardroom to meet the man who planned all the Club’s big heists, not that you would believe it to look at him; a small, middle aged man in a grey suit and tie. He looked like a bank clerk.

“Ah Harry, thank you for coming so promptly. This young lady would be Jessica Wilcox?”

“Pleased to meet you.” I said, trying to hide my nervousness.

“Take a seat and we’ll have a chat.” The Fixer waved at a couple of chairs. “Jess, I understand you worked at Hotel Grande for a time. How well do you know the hotel?”

“Quite well I suppose. I worked on reception for most of the time, helped the concierge and room service team, then when the manager was trying to push me out she would put me on housekeeping duty and laundry services so I saw most of the hotel.”

“Do you remember the layout of the hotel?”

“Mostly, though the place was well signposted, including the staff areas. Jemima organised it after several staff got into trouble for lateness or not working fast enough. They complained that they couldn’t find their way around and so the signs were put up so they wouldn’t have an excuse for tardiness.”

“That’s good. Would they remember you, do you think?” The fixer leant forward, taking a good look at my face. “I mean no offence, but your appearance, while pretty, is quite unremarkable; no distinguishing features, you see.”

“Um…I…well, Jemima might recognise me; I didn’t exactly leave on good terms. Any of the long serving staff might know me but it’s been eighteen months since I worked there and because of the shifts people work it’s hard to get to get to know most of the staff properly.” I thought back to the things Cody had told me before he left. “I heard that there had been quite a few changes of staff over the last year. Basically, if you don’t agree with Jemima’s management style, you’re out!” I couldn’t hide the bitterness in my voice and both Harry and the Fixer picked up on it, exchanging knowing glances.

“Before we came upstairs, Jess was saying how she’d like to get some payback against Jemima.” Harry grinned. “I think she could do it too.”

“So do I.” The Fixer pulled a note pad towards him. “So Jessica, how about it? We know which celebrities are coming and they make for profitable targets. I have the beginnings of a plan here but as you would be our choice for doing the job, I want your ideas too.”

“Well sir, if there’s a chance to get back at Jemima Daniels, I would definitely be interested!” I grinned. “And I can think of a few ways to do this too.”

“Really? Well, let’s have a brainstorming session then.” The Fixer picked up a pen and smiled at me. “By the way, ‘sir’ is much too formal. Call me Felix!”

---

A few weeks later

“A gentleman by the name of Stanley Porter is asking for you, Miss Donahue.”

“Ah, my publicist has arrived; I’ll be right down.” I checked my appearance in the mirror before I left the hotel room. Gone was my long, light brown hair; it had been expertly cut much shorter, dyed blond and elegantly styled. Instead of my usual jeans and t-shirt combination, I wore a smart, soft, cream trouser suit and had a hat to match. The final part of my disguise was a pair of spectacles, stylish but with plain glass lenses. My appearance was nothing like my normal self, which of course was the whole point. I left my hotel room and went down to reception.

I’d been booked into the hotel under the name of Jean Donahue and given the impression that I was there to convalesce after a short illness. I had told them I was a writer and left notepads in my room to prop up my disguise. Stanley Porter was Harry Smithson, who looked very debonair in his navy suit and tie. Our appearance was of two wealthy, professional people and this paved the way for me to make discreet enquiries about the hotel; I’d told them I was researching my next book. Harry and I normally talked outside of the hotel but today was the day that the celebrities arrived and he wanted to go through the targets with me.

“Ah, my dear Jean, you look beautiful as ever!” Harry took my hand and kissed it before leading me to a sofa where a lavish afternoon tea was waiting for us.

“Stanley, darling, it’s so good to see you!” I greeted him warmly and sat down next to him. We relaxed in the sumptuous leather seating and I eyed the tier of sandwiches and cakes. “My, but you’re spoiling me.”

“You’re worth it!” Harry grinned and I smiled back. “Now, how is your research going?”

“Very well, though I will need a few things, if that could be arranged.” I handed Harry a list. “If you could organise these materials, I will provide the rest when needed, probably in a few days’ time.”

Harry ran an eye down the list, his eyebrows raised. I’d requested he order me some clothing to match what the room service staff wore; the uniform was the same as when I’d worked here and I knew which supplier they used so that part was easy. The part that was causing the surprise was the request for five large bottles of expensive champagne and five boxes of luxury chocolates. He looked up at me and I nodded.

“That’s my way in.” I explained quietly. “I was going to use bouquets but they would have been too memorable for the staff, whereas I can easily sneak these items in.”

“Very well.” Harry looked down the rest of the list and grinned when he saw ‘rope and duct tape’. “Planning to put that training into practice?”

“I’ll need to, if I’m going to obtain the pass card I need.” I spoke softly, keeping an eye on the hotel lobby in case any of the staff came over. “I’ve had plenty of time to observe the hotel in general but I want to see if anything changes once our target arrive. Then I can make my move but it will have to happen fast.”

We sat quietly, enjoying the food and coffee while I outlined my plan. I had discussed several options with Felix and was now able to decide on the most suitable approach.

“Oh look, here they come.” Harry glanced to the entrance where there was a sudden explosion of sound, most of it of the moaning variety.

“Simmons, make sure all my bags are taken to my room. Audley, you will make sure that my make-up artist has somewhere warm to work; I will not sit on another draughty set while she fumbles about!” A tall woman, beautiful but with a sharp tongue, breezed into the hotel reception, near to where we sat and stalked straight up to the front desk, shrugging her coat off to reveal a very bright multi-coloured dress. “You there, you’re expecting me. I’d like the key to my room and some sandwiches and coffee sent up there straight away. I’ve had a long journey and need to rest. Audley will register for me.” The woman snatched the key card and swept towards the lifts, with Simmons following, carrying several large bags and towing a suitcase.

“Wow, what a horrible woman.” I whispered. “Robbing her will be a pleasure.”

“That’s Suzanne Mortimer for you.” Harry whispered back. “Spoilt little rich kid, used to getting her own way. Rumours say the director was pleading with the writers to kill her off but she draws too many viewers for them to write her out of the series.”

“Did you see that necklace?” I had spotted the ugliest piece of jewellery I had ever seen. A variety of large and small stones, set into gold.”

“Yes, not to my taste but worth around a hundred thousand pounds.” Harry grinned. “Grab it if you can.”

“Here come the rest of them.” I saw three men and a woman walk into the reception area. The woman looked like a duchess, older than Miss Mortimer and wearing much more sedate clothing. The three men were young and casually dressed. We watched them registered and collect their keys, the hotel porters seeing to their luggage.

“Much more down to earth types.” I observed.

“The men are, though the woman carries herself more like a duchess. That blond one is Peter Cattick, the dark haired on is Vernon Albright and the bald one is Kenneth Fortham.” Harry had shown me photos of the actors but, away from the cameras and fancy clothing, they looked quite different. “Hello, what’s going on with her?”

Harry had spotted the lady, which must be Adrianne Bullimore, pulling out a small case and putting it on the reception counter.

“I will require these items to be stored in your hotel safe.” Mrs Bullimore “My jewellery is priceless and I would prefer it to be locked away securely during my stay.”

“Of course, ma’am.” The receptionist filled out a ticket, got a signature and picked up the phone. Within a minute, Jemima Daniels stood there, all smiles, bowing to the actress and assuring her that the hotel would take the best care of her property.

“That’s her, my old boss.” I had to force myself to keep my anger from showing. “I want to make sure that the hatchet falls on her, not the staff in general.”

“I know you have a score to settle but remember, the job comes first.”

“It will be part of the job. Arianne Bullimore had just given her very finest jewellery to the hotel for safe keeping.” I turned to Harry and chuckled. “The hotel safe is located in the Senior Manager’s office and I will need her keys to access it.” I looked back at Jemima and nodded to myself. “Yes, I can do the job and have my revenge, all at once.”

---

After Harry had left, I went back to my room but ‘absentmindedly’ got off at the wrong floor so I could see where the celebrities were. It wasn’t hard to find them, I just had to follow the voice of Suzanne Mortimer, who was complaining loudly.

“It’s a disgrace; we should have had the whole floor to ourselves. We’ll be plagued by autograph hunters and paparazzi the whole time we’re here.”

“Miss Mortimer, I promise you that the hotel takes the privacy and safety of its clientele very seriously.” I heard Jemima’s distinctive posh drawl and edged closer to the argument.

“We want some security added to this floor. If you are unable to provide it, I’m sure the producers can arrange something.” An older, female voice spoke.

“Mrs Bullimore, the hotel security arrangements are perfectly adequate, I assure you.” Jemima sounded like she was losing her temper. “We have security guards in the lobby and you need an access card to use the lift or the stairs. No reporters or uninvited guests can get up here.”

“Even so, I would prefer to have some security on this floor.” One of the male actors spoke; I didn’t know which one it was. “I will ask the production company to organise a couple of fellows to watch our rooms discretely.”

“As you wish, sir. Now, once you are settled in, please accept a complimentary dinner in our restaurant, whatever time suits you.” Jemima’s brusque voice made me wince; she would end up taking that rage out on the staff.

As the celebrities agreed a time, I quietly slipped back to the lifts and went up to my room, where I called Harry and invited him out to dinner.

---

“I envy you, you know?” Harry said. “You get to relax in this lovely hotel and eat like a queen!”

“All in the name of work.” I laughed. It was true though, it was a very nice hotel.

“So what’s the reason for dinner?”

“I want to observe our targets and it’s easier to linger over the meal if I’m with someone.” I smiled as Harry pouted. “And your company is always good too!”

“Fair enough. So what have you learned so far?” Harry stopped his mock pout as the waitress came to take our order. I waited till she had left before answering.

They’ve arranged for two of their own security guards to come in and watch the rooms.” I shrugged. “That will be fine for me, they won’t know all the staff and so I’ll have an easier time in getting past them.”

“Good point. So when are you going to do the job.” Harry glanced towards the door to the restaurant where a familiar voice was complaining. “Here they come.”

“So many people; no this won’t do at all!” Miss Mortimer was addressing the head waiter. “Don’t you have a private dining room for distinguished guests?”

“Suzanne, you’re making a scene.” Vernon Albright took her arm and steered her to the reserved table. “This is a busy hotel, you’ll just have to put up with it.”

As luck would have it, they were seated near enough to us that we could hear every word of their conversation, though having to listen to Suzanne Mortimer was enough to put people off their food. With her manner, I was amazed she was as so popular.

We listened to them talk as we ate our meal. Most of it was shop talk, a discussion about how the filming was progressing punctuated by Suzanne complaining about everything. It wasn’t until they were having dessert that they started talking about their schedule.

“They want to get these locations shot as quickly as possible.” Vernon said. “I have the schedule here. Looks like we’ll be on set at different times over the next few days.”

“We’re not filming together, old chum?” Kenneth reached over to take the schedule. “Oh, it seems they want to film some of the shorter scenes with us. What about the scene with us all?”

“That’s on Wednesday; apparently the location won’t be available till then.” Peter shrugged. “The hall is owned by a Trust who objected to having to close to visitors. Wednesday is the one day they don’t open to the public so we have to film everything then. We’ll be up at the crack of dawn.”

“Damn, I hate those early morning starts.” Arianne scowled. “Wednesday will be a very long day.”

”We could refuse, you know.” Suzanne piped up. “Tell them it’s too much to do in one day. They can hardly make the show without us.”

“It’s a tempting idea, but if we cause too many waves, we’ll be written out.” Kenneth grimaced. “You’re young enough to find more work but some of us are getting on in years and the demand for more mature actors is pitiful.” He looked up as a couple of gentlemen got up from their table, holding cameras. “Oh damn, here we go!”

“Ah, the lovely cast of Worthington Manor! How about a few pictures for tomorrow’s papers?”

“Certainly not!” Suzanne raised a hand as the camera wheeled towards her, pushing it away.

“Oh, come on, love. A nice picture will please all the local folk!”

“Get out of here! Someone call security, please!” Kenneth called out.

I exchanged a glance with Harry, who nodded. We’d been lingering over coffee but with the press in the hotel, we didn’t want pictures of us, especially myself, appearing in print. It was too risky. We went through to the quiet lounge next door and sat in a corner. Having ordered some drinks, it was time to give Harry my timescale.

“It’s going to happen on Wednesday morning.” I stated. “They are all going to be on location, so the rooms will be empty and I can have free reign to search through their stuff.”

“How are you going to get the stuff out?” Harry wondered.

“I’ll pack it in my case and check out of the hotel once I’m done. I can change my check out date tonight; tell them work is calling me back; give them some flattery and it won’t seem suspicious. Those items I requested, could you have them ready for Tuesday lunchtime?”

“Sure; you want me to bring them here?” Harry glanced back to the dining room, where four burly security guards were throwing the photographers out.

“No. I imagine security might get beefed up a bit now. I’ll meet you at Coffee Corner for lunch on Tuesday.” I grinned, happy now that the job was about to get underway.

---

My suspicions were correct. The following morning, a note from Jemima had been pushed under the door, stating that due to security concerns, they would not be allowing anyone who was not staying at the hotel, to use any of the facilities, including the lounge and restaurant. When I had come up to my room last night, the five celebrities had been making quite a fuss and I almost felt sorry for Jemima, who had been called out of her office to deal with them. Judging by the crowd at the front desk, the note had not been popular with several of the guests. More complaints for Jemima to handle.

I spent Monday hanging about the hotel; sat in the coffee lounge with my notebook. When anyone came over, they saw shorthand notes and assumed I was preparing for my next novel; I’d said as much last night when organising my check out day. I watched the security guards stop anyone who wasn’t a guest there. Hotel patrons were allowed through without any problems, though new arrivals were treated with a little distrust in case they were paparazzi in disguise. Jemima wasn’t taking any chances; I’d seen her that morning, looking rather harassed and angry and figured she was regretting having the celebrities here. Over the course of the day I saw her take her temper out on several members of staff, mostly for minor issues. Jemima Daniels hadn’t changed a bit since I worked for her and I was looking forward to teaching her a lesson.

---

On Tuesday, I went shopping in the morning then met Harry for lunch, who had all the items I had requested.

“Felix says the cost of these will come out of your share.” Harry warned me as he handed me the bags.

“That’s okay, I’ll make more money than I spend setting all this up.” I took the bags and slipped them into larger, department store bags, using my purchases to disguise them and stop the bottles from clinking together. “Harry, could you pick me up from the station tomorrow?”

“Sure, though I’ll have to deal with the outside cameras before you arrive.”

“Great, I’ll see you then. I’ll ring when I’m on my way.”

As I’d expected, being a known guest of the hotel meant I was waved straight through without my bags being checked. Once in my room, I stowed everything away carefully and went to dinner. Again, I was seated near the celebrities and could hear them whinging about their day. There was no mention of a change in the schedule so I reasoned the job could go ahead. After dinner, it was an early night, ready for a very busy morning.

---

I was up before dawn, getting ready. I had dressed in the uniform of room service; black trousers, a red blouse and black and red waistcoat. I slipped a bathrobe on over this and phoned down to request breakfast in my room.

While I waited, I gathered together everything I would need and put it out of sight of the room door. The rest of my belongings were packed into my suitcases, ready for a quick departure. When the knock on the door came, it was just half past six.

“Room service!” A female voice called out. I opened the door and held it back so she could push the trolley in. “How are you this morning, ma’am.”

“Just splendid!” I replied as I closed the door and picked up the rope. The girl never saw it coming; one minute she was uncovering the dishes, telling me about the breakfast she had brought up, the next she found a coil of rope had been dropped over her shoulders and pulled tight near her waist, trapping her arms against her body. I quickly wrapped the rope around her again and gripped it tight.

“Hey, what’s going on?” The girl tried to twist away but I pulled the rope backwards, keeping her off balance as I had been trained to do. I pulled her towards a comfy chair and gently but firmly pushed her into it. Despite her struggles, I succeeded in wrapping more rope around her and the chair, firmly binding her. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I need something from you.” Satisfied that her upper body was well restrained, I turned my attention to her feet. “Your name tag, pass card and any keys you carry.”

“Why?” The girl stared at me and I finished restraining her.

“Well, it would make robbing this hotel a bit difficult without them.” I smiled at her as I took the items I needed. “Are you comfortable?”

“Well, yes actually but I want to be untied right now!” She blushed and looked down. “Please?”

“I’m sorry, I need to keep you here for now but I‘ll be as quick as possible. Consider this a paid break; I know you and the rest of the staff are kept very busy and you get no gratitude from Mrs Daniels for all your hard work.”

“She is a witch!” The girl, Mandy it said on her nametag. “She’s making me work extra hours despite me telling her I had holiday booked this week. I’d leave but I can’t find a job anywhere that pays as good as this one.” Her bitterness seemed to have overcome her fright and I decided to use that to my advantage.

“Rotten luck, but perhaps when I’m done things will improve for you and the rest of the staff.” I checked out the breakfast and selected a croissant and coffee. “Oh sorry, would you like some breakfast?”

Mandy shook her head. “We’re not allowed to eat on duty.” She grinned suddenly. “Well, since I’m obviously not working…..could I have a croissant? I’ve always wanted to try them.”

“Sure.” I held one out for her to bite into. “I know your boss rather well and want to get back at her for how she treats her staff. Tell me, what will she be doing this morning?”

“She’ll be in her office catching up on paperwork.” Mandy said between bites. “She said it was piling up since the celebrities arrived and started making demands. They’ve been giving her a hard time.”

“That’s good. Does your pass card let you in there?” I watched Mandy shake her head. “A key,
then?”

“No, she won’t let anyone in unless she’s there.” Mandy scowled. “Usually it’s so she can yell at us.”

“Well, I’ll see what I can do about that.” I promised. “You won’t get into trouble over this. Now, unfortunately, I will have to gag you.” I pulled out a scarf, one of the things I’d bought yesterday and tied a knot in the centre. Mandy stiffened for a moment but allowed me to place the knot in her mouth and tie it in place. “Thank you Mandy, I promise you won’t be like this for long.”

Stepping out onto the balcony I looked down to the main entrance, in time to see the film crew’s vehicles pull up and a couple of the crew enter the hotel. From previous observations, the celebrities would be leaving the hotel in about ten minutes.

I removed my bathrobe, seeing Mandy’s surprise as I revealed my uniform. She watched as I pulled out a black wig, a stylish bob cut which changed my appearance dramatically, then removed my glasses. It only took a moment to pin her nametag in place and remove the breakfast things from the trolley. Quickly, I placed the five large bottles of champagne on the top and put large boxes of expensive chocolates on the bottom of the trolley, covered by the tablecloth. Then I added my bag and duct tape, using a cloche to hide it, placing it on the top shelf of the trolley. I also turned on the TV to keep Mandy entertained.

With a final check in the mirror and, with a wave to Mandy, I pushed my trolley out of the room, leaving the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door handle.

---

My first job was to get buckets of ice for the champagne. Remembering there was a room service station on this floor, I used the pass card to slip inside the storeroom. It took very little time to fill five buckets with ice and place the bottles in the bucket. I also fixed a ribbon and small card on each bottle, on which I had written ‘With compliments of Hotel Grande’ and signed it ‘Jemima Daniels’. The station also held a selection of glasses so I took a few champagne flutes too.

I went back into the corridor and headed for my room. It was just before seven o’clock, and people were waking up. I could hear muffled voices and showers running. While the corridor was still quiet, I slipped back into my own room, waved at Mandy who seemed to have decided to relax; I swear she tried to smile at me. Looking over the balcony, the film crew had gone.

Back into the corridor, I pushed my trolley to the lift and headed down a floor to where the celebrities were staying. The rooms were obvious, their own security patrolled the five doors on the east side corridor. Moving towards the first door, not knowing which celebrity had which room I decided to start with the nearest one. As I was about to swipe my card at the first door, I heard security call out and a burly looking guy hurried over.

“Hey, what are you doing? All the actors are out of their rooms.” He looked at my name tag as I turned round, smiling.

“Mrs Daniels sent me. I’m carrying gifts for our celebrity guests, from Mrs Daniels herself as a thank you for their patronage.” Smiling, I swept my hand over the bottles. “I have champagne and chocolates for them, with orders to leave them in each room.”

“I need to check your trolley, miss.” The guy checked the champagne, noting that the bottles were well sealed. “Won’t the ice melt before they get back?” He bent down to check the bottom of the trolley.

“No, the bucket acts like an insulator, helping to make the ice last.” I replied, hoping to distract him so he didn’t ask about the cloche. “Besides, I heard them say they would probably be finished by lunch so this will be a nice surprise for them.”

“Those are some expensive chocolates!” He straightened up and smiled at me. “Go ahead, I’ll tell my partner that you’re cleared to enter the rooms.”

I grinned as I entered the first room; the guards either didn’t care or didn’t even notice the cloche, even the chocolate only got a cursory glance.

---

Five minutes later I left Kenneth Fortham’s room, with his assorted valuables and good wad of cash. I left the flowers and chocolate on the table in full view and removed his breakfast things. One of the guards saw me exit the room and nodded politely.

Ten minutes later, I’d seen to the other gentlemen’s rooms, collecting a good amount of money and property from both of them. It appeared that the actors had breakfast in their rooms this morning and I was glad as I was using two of their cloche’s to hide the valuables, wrapped in socks so they didn’t rattle.

The next room belonged to Arianne Bullimore. I didn’t find a lot here, just a couple of pieces of jewellery. It wasn’t surprising as I knew her really good stuff was in the safe, though I did find some small pieces and a little cash. I removed the breakfast things to my trolley and was placing the champagne bucket when the door opened unexpectedly.

“Girl, what are you doing in my room?” I turned to see Mrs Bullimore staring at me. “I already had breakfast.”

“I was asked to bring you a gift from the Senior Manager, Mrs Daniels.” I stammered. “I’m sorry to intrude, it was not my intention to cause offence.” I hung my head and held my breath.

“Oh, well, carry on then, girl.” The actress threw her coat and scarf across a chair, revealing a demure peach skirt, white blouse and a very fancy necklace. She sat down and turned on the TV. I retrieved a box of chocolates and some rope from the trolley, glad I had hidden away the stolen goods before she came in.

“Not filming today, ma’am.” I kept my tone conversational as I placed the chocolates. “You seem a little riled, if you’ll forgive me for saying so.”

“Blasted director changed the filming schedule at the last minute. The boys are still there but myself and Miss Mortimer came back to wait in comfort.” The woman shrugged. “I don’t know, this location filming has been a farce from start to finish.”

“I’m sorry ma’am, what bad luck.” I placed the chocolates and turned to see the actress still watching the TV. Working quickly, I looped rope over her head and shoulders, pulling it tight around her arms and wrapping it round her upper body a couple of times before she could react.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Arianne wriggled around, bringing her hands together in front of her and trying to lift the ropes.”

“I think I’m tying you up ma’am, so I can rob you.” I gripped her wrists with one hand and passed the rope around them. “Mrs Bullimore, I would prefer not to hurt you, so if you cooperate it would be better for us both.”

“I suppose you think you can intimidate me, young lady? Well, you’re wrong. What’s more, our guards are right outside.” Arianne tried to wriggle free but found I’d got a very good grip. I pulled the rope tight and tied it, before starting to wrap the rope around her waist again, tying it off securely.

“Well ma’am, you could scream but these rooms are sound dampened so unless your guard is right outside the door, it’s unlikely he will hear you.” I spoke quickly as I reached for the woman’s discarded scarf, tying a knot in the centre. “But since you’re the sort of lady that seems to like snapping at people I think gagging you is the best option here. Open up!”

Arianne scowled at me and opened her mouth to protest but found I was quick enough to stuff the knot between her teeth. I tied it off behind her head and fetched more rope.

“You know this hotel has a very nice spa; I would recommend giving it a try, it would really relax you.” I began binding her ankles together. “I’m sure after your experience today the hotel would be only too happy to give you a complimentary treatment.”

“Mpfff!” Arianne grumbled into her gag.

“Suit yourself.” I finished her ankles and moved up to just above her knee. “Now, are you in any pain anywhere?”

“Mpfff!” Arianne shook her head and scowled at me.

“Right, then I’ll leave you to your TV show, but first…” I removed her jewellery carefully and stowed it in my bag. She looked quite reproachful at me but I just smiled. “Goodbye ma’am.”

---

Entering the corridor, I saw the security guard coming out of Miss Mortimer’s room. He was closely followed by a shoe, which bounced off his back, before the door slammed shut. I picked it up and put it on my trolley. The guard shrugged in a ‘on your head be it’ manner as I approached the room. Smiling sympathetically, I knocked on the door.

“Room service!” I called out.

“Go away, I didn’t order room service.”

“It’s a gift from the hotel, ma’am. Chocolates and champagne.”

The door opened and I pushed my trolley in, Suzanne Mortimer slamming the door behind me. She watched me lift the ice bucket and pointed to the coffee table. “Put it there.”

“Yes ma’am.” I placed the ice bucket and turned the champagne bottle so the label was visible. It was a very expensive make and it drew her eye immediately. Placing the glass next to it, I returned to my trolley.

“Hmm, very nice. To what do I owe this pleasure?” Miss Mortimer scowled. “Is that manager of yours using this as an apology for all the problems we’ve had?”

“Couldn’t say, ma’am.” I pulled out the luxury chocolates and placed them next to the ice bucket. “Can I take your breakfast things, ma’am?”

“Yes, yes, please take them.” Suzanne waved at me dismissively and sat down to open the chocolates. “Oh, and put my shoe back in my wardrobe, would you?”

“Of course, ma’am.” I took the shoe and went to open her wardrobe. Inside I saw her jewellery box and handbag. Smiling to myself, I collected her breakfast tray, slotting it onto the bottom of the trolley so I could get at my binding materials without raising suspicion.

Reaching inside my bag, I couldn’t feel any more rope but there was a large roll of duct tape left so I pulled that out. I jumped as I heard a loud ‘pop’ behind me; Suzanne had opened the champagne and was drinking it straight from the bottle. She was sat looking at the chocolates, her back to me as she placed the bottle back down and so I pounced. Grabbing her shoulders, I pushed her sideways onto the couch and slapped a piece of tape over her mouth. She raised her hands to remove it and I grabbed her wrists and held them firmly.

“This is a robbery, just do as I say and you won’t be hurt. I want your wrists behind your back, now!” I started to guide her wrists back and, though she resisted a little to start with, it wasn’t long before I had her wrists crossed behind her back, with a thick band of duct tape wrapped around them. I started wrapping the tape around her upper arms and chest, much to the actress’s disgust.

“Mpfff, mpfff, pff … you’ll damage the material!” Suzanne had managed to loosen the tape gag, but rather than shout for help, she chose to admonish me for ruining her rather tacky orange blouse.

“Well, with all the money you’ll get for selling this story to the newspapers, I’m sure you can buy more.” I laughed as I finished taping her arms and moved to her ankles. She wriggled about a lot and in the end I had to push her face down on the couch and sit on her to bind her ankles and thighs. The silver tape clashed horrible with her purple trousers and white knee high boots. “If you’ll take my advice you’ll visit Angelina’s Boutique before you leave town; they have a great personal shopper who will help to find you something more stylish and suitable than what you’re wearing.”

“How dare you!” Suzanne snarled. “I’ll have you know…mpfff!”

Smoothing down the tape I’d replaced over her mouth, I grinned as I added several more strips, being careful not to catch her hair in it. With my target silenced, I finished binding her legs and helped her to turn over.

“There we go. Comfortable?” I saw no signs of pain or discomfort, just a look of outrage and hate. “Right then, I’ll be as quick as I can then I’ll leave you in peace.” Taking the jewellery from Suzanne then collected my bag from the trolley, I collected her money and jewellery from the wardrobe, including the vulgar but expensive necklace I’d seen her wearing when she checked in, then quickly searched elsewhere. Susanne Mortimer was well known for wearing a lot of jewellery and I found some hidden in her suitcase. From our research, I estimated there was around a quarter of a million pounds worth of jewellery. This had been a worthy operation, just for Suzanne’s valuables but I was determined to add to it by robbing the hotel safe too.

Glancing at my watch told me it was a quarter to eight; time to get moving. Switching on the TV, I waved goodbye to Suzanne who was glowering at me. She was wriggling on the couch but you could see her trying to get free without ruining her clothing, which hampered her attempts of escape. Stowing my bag at the bottom of the trolley, I ventured into the corridor, making sure the door closed and locked behind me.

---

“You survived then?” The security guard who I’d spoken to earlier wandered over, smirking.

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t bother her for a while, she’s in a really foul mood. Maybe she’ll be calmer once the champagne and chocolates get to work.”

“I hope so, she’s a total cow when she’s like this. I think I’ll go and patrol down the other end of the corridor for a bit.”

I grinned at the guard as he walked away then pushed the trolley to the lift. Minutes later I was back in my hotel room.

First, I checked Mandy was okay; she seemed quite relaxed and was enjoying watching the TV. She turned her head and watched me unload the trolley, her eyes widening when she saw all the jewellery, watches and cash. I heard her chuckling and joined in.

“Not bad for an hour’s work. Now I just have to pay a visit to Jemima Daniels and I’ll be on my way.” I left Mandy’s name tag, pass card and keys on the table next to her.

I opened my suitcase and slipped the stolen goods inside, making sure they were wrapped and secure, hidden in my clothing so they wouldn’t tinkle and give me away. There was plenty of space in my large handbag, in readiness for Mrs Bullimore’s jewellery but I’d padded it out with scraps of materiel and some duct tape. I didn’t want any sharp eyed reception clerk seeing me enter the office with an empty bag but leave with a full one.

Slipping into the bathroom, I changed back into my disguise of the sophisticated writer I had been pretending to be. The room service outfit and wig went in my case. Checking I had everything, I waved goodbye to Mandy. Pulling my cases after me, I headed to reception.

---

“Good morning Ms Donahue. Are you checking out?” The clerk smiled as I approached the desk.

“I wish I could stay longer but work is calling me back.” I handed over a credit card, one supplied by the Club which wouldn’t be traced back to us. “Would you mind calling me a taxi? I need to go to the railway station.”

“Of course, ma’am. Is there anything else I can help you with?” The clerk was following the usual script; I remember doing this myself and had counted on this practice still being followed.

“Well, actually, I would like to have a quick chat with Mrs Daniels before I leave. The service has been wonderful and I would like to tell her in person just how much I have appreciated you all.” I laid it on thick, knowing positive feedback was likely to get me access to Jemima’s office.

The clerk nodded and rang through. Moments later, Jemima stood there, all smiles and beckoned me through. I left my cases with the clerk, who offered to watch it for me and just carried my bag into her office.

---

“You have enjoyed your stay Ms Donahue?” Jemima asked as she sat down at her desk.

“I really have; your staff are very attentive and the service has been exemplary.” I smiled at her, hoping she wouldn’t remember me. “They’ve been very helpful while I’ve been researching life in a hotel.”

“Well, they are all well trained and I oversee them myself.” Jemima flushed with pride. “We want to do the best for our guests.”

“And the hotel does this very well. However, there is one aspect I would like to bring to your attention. Your management style leaves a lot to be desired and I hate that your staff have to put up with your bullying behaviour!” I kept my voice even, though I was sure my anger and hate of the woman was coming through.

“I…what? How dare you!” Jemima snapped. “I am the Senior Hotel Manager and will not be …..”

“Oh be quiet!” I stood up, pushing Jemima back into her chair and holding her there. “While I’ve been here, I’ve seen you treat staff appallingly, you’ve been rude to guests and staff continually complain about you behind your back.” I pulled out the roll of duct tape with my free hand. “I know you only got to your position by undermining the other candidates and you drove out anyone who you thought could threaten your authority here, or dared to stand up to you.”

“I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous!” Jemima snarled.

“No? What about Cody Lewison, or Jessica Wilcox?” I let go of Jemima’s shoulder as the older woman sagged in the chair, obviously shocked. Quickly, I began binding her arms and chest to the back of the chair.

“How’d you know about them?” Jemima shook her head. “The staff have been gossiping, I guess. Cody Lewison was a disruptive, insubordinate member of staff and we’re well rid of him.” Jemima scowled. “Jessica Wilcox was a thief; oh, she made it look like someone else did the crime and we couldn’t prove anything but she is the daughter of a thief so probably followed in his footsteps. Once she knew we were onto her, she left our employment and good riddance to her.” Jemima suddenly realised I was binding her and started to struggle. “Hey, stop that!”

“Jemima Daniels, you are a barefaced liar.” I snapped off the tape and pulled off a strip, smoothing it across Jemima’s mouth. “I know exactly what happened and while I’ve been here, researching my book, I’ve talked to several helpful members of staff who told me exactly what goes on in the hotel.”

“MPFFF!” Jemima struggled widely, her face full of fury. I got busy with the tape again, first adding a few more strips to Jemima’s mouth, then wrapping each of her wrists to the armrests before taping her ankles to the chair support.

“Right, that should hold you for a bit. Now, your keys….ah yes.” I found them in a desk drawer and moved to the safe. “You know, you should really have replaced this old safe if you thought that there was thieves about.” Inserting the two keys I turned them, then pulled the handle.

“MPFFF!” Jemima grunted as she struggled. She stilled when I pulled out the jewel case of Mrs Bullimore and her face went white.

“Oh yes, I’m taking these.” The case was small enough to fit in my bag and I removed some of the cloth to accommodate it. “What else do we have? Hmm, it seems that someone else took advantage of your security.”

I took out a small case and slipped it into my bag. I couldn’t tell what it was and didn’t have time to pick the lock. Turning back to the safe, I found the cash tin. Opening it, I found several hundred pounds and so slipped that into my purse.

“Right, time for me to go. Oh, one last thing, I have a letter for the owner of the hotel; I’ll leave you to guess what the letter is about. Hmm, better give it to your receptionist, I don’t want it getting lost ‘accidentally’. Goodbye Jemima.”

I slipped back outside and collected my suitcases from the receptionist and handed over the letter. She promised to send it on then called over the porter to help me with my bags, as my taxi had just arrived. Thanking her, I followed the porter to my taxi, gave him a generous tip and waved goodbye as the taxi drove away.

---

“...following the daring theft at Hotel Grande yesterday, police are still baffled. After robbing several high profile guests as well as raiding the hotel safe, leaving the guests, a room service girl and the hotel’s senior manager tied up, one of the guests, who was posting as a writer, disappeared in a taxi. Police know she was dropped off at the railway station but she never entered the premises. Unfortunately the outside CCTV cameras had been vandalised the day before and so there was no footage of where the thief went. These pictures, from the hotel CCTV, is all we have. If you have any information, the police would like you to get in touch.”

Turning off the TV, Felix laughed. “Well done, Jess!”

“I hear that, after the anonymous letter was delivered to the hotel owner, several guests came forward to complain too. Officially, Jemima Daniels has decided to move on following the theft, but the owners have actually sacked her.” Harry squeezed my shoulder. “You did it, kiddo.”

“All in all, it was a profitable job.” I grinned, thinking about the generous sum of money that would be going into my bank, showing as a performance bonus. Pushing back my hair, which had been restored to its usual light brown and length, courtesy of some expensive hair treatments by a ‘company’ stylist, I relaxed. “And a fun job, too.”

“Well they won’t all be that much fun.” Harry warned me as he handed me a glass of champagne.

“I know, but I’m still looking forward to my next job.” I raised my glass and grinned. “Cheers!”