Chapter 26
Carolyn (November 1957)
...
After the incident with the spirit board, Carolyn noticed that Nancy continued to be on edge. She seemed to look over her shoulder a lot more and Carolyn felt that she acted more timid when they were not in their room. Nancy would swear that she felt like she was being watched.
"I'm telling you, Carolyn. There's somebody following me. They're watching. I don't know why but I can feel them watching me." Nancy sounded nervous and Carolyn wanted nothing more than to put her mind at ease.
"Nan, I'm sorry," Carolyn replied. "Do you think it's a person we know?"
"I don't know." Carolyn watched Nancy run her fingers through her hair. She was getting more and more stressed. "It could be a person. Makes more sense than a ghost."
Carolyn nodded. "Well, who in this hotel would be stalking you? Maybe it's Roger pulling some sort of prank."
Nancy shook her head. "No, it's not Roger. I see him reading at the front desk when I'm down in the lobby and I still feel like I'm being watched."
Carolyn thought for a moment. "Maybe we can do a little following of our own."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean we can figure out who's following you," Carolyn said. "Every time you're out in the hallways or down in the lobby, there must be at least one person who is consistent. Someone that seems to be there at every convenient moment."
"Well, Roger is there in the lobby all of the time, but it isn't Roger," Nancy said as she brushed her hair over her ear.
"Maybe it's someone else on the staff?"
Carolyn watched Nancy's eyes light up. "What if it is?"
"What reason would someone on the staff have to be watching you?" Carolyn thought for another moment.
"Maybe they're in love with me," Nancy laughed.
"Oh, hush," Carolyn said. "You're already spoken for."
"You mean it?" Nancy smiled.
"Of course," Carolyn replied and then gently kissed Nancy. "They can love you all they want but it won't be as much as my love for you."
They sat together for a moment before Carolyn proposed a plan.
"What if, tomorrow after classes, we go down to the lobby to sit and chat with Roger? And then I can keep an eye out for any suspicious love-struck stalkers?"
"That's a good idea. Thank you."
The next day after classes were over, the ladies proceeded with Carolyn's plan. They left their room and descended the stairwell to go into the lobby. Roger was at the front desk as usual. Carolyn was surprised that Roger didn't have his face buried in a book. She did see one on the desk waiting to be picked up.
"Hello, Roger," Carolyn said to him and they approached the desk. "I see you're not reading today."
Roger laughed. "I'm feeling quite ill today so I've been reading in shorter bursts. What brings you to the lobby today?"
"We think someone in the building is stalking me," Nancy whispered.
"What?" Roger said, surprised.
"Yes, Nancy feels like she's being watched," Carolyn added.
Roger looked around the lobby. "Do you have any idea who it may be?"
Nancy shook her head. "I thought it could've been the ghost of that murdered politician." She laughed.
Roger chuckled. "Well, I don't think it would be the ghost. They say he can't leave the room."
"We think it could be a staff member," Carolyn said.
Roger thought for a moment while continuing to look around the lobby. "Well, there was a new hire recently. A young woman was hired as a housekeeper."
"Do you recall if she's frequently in the lobby when I am? Or is she assigned to floor C often?" Nancy asked as she leaned on the front desk, hoping Roger could put her mind at ease. Carolyn looked over her shoulder and noticed that the lobby was a little busier than usual. She scanned the large and elegant room to see if she could find anything out of the ordinary. Then, she saw a young woman dressed in a female staff uniform. She was vacuuming at the far end of the lobby.
"As a matter of fact," Roger said, "she's frequently in the lobby when you are. And she asks to be assigned to floor C often. She's over there vacuuming right now." He subtly pointed in the housekeeper's direction.
"Her?" Nancy asked after looking over her shoulder.
Roger nodded. "She's been looking over here constantly ever since you've walked up to speak with me. Now that I think about it, she has gone up to floor C, several times, right after you leave the lobby to return upstairs."
"Why would she be watching me?" Nancy wondered.
Roger shrugged. "I haven't a clue."
"Do you think you could find out why?" Carolyn asked Roger.
He nodded. "Of course. I'll be subtle about it."
Nancy took Roger's hand. "Thank you."
Roger smiled.
Later in the evening, after the girls had retired to their room, Carolyn heard a knock on the door. She looked over to Nancy's bed and saw that Nancy was fast asleep and then she went to answer the door. Carolyn was greeted by Roger who waved silently. She invited him into the room.
"Did you find out anything?" Carolyn whispered.
Roger nodded and looked over to a sleeping Nancy. "Will you wake her?"
"No, she was pretty tired today. Whatever you tell me, I'll tell her in the morning."
"That woman's name is Maggie and she's working for Nancy's father."
Carolyn was stunned and couldn't speak for a moment. "How can you be so sure?"
"She used the telephone earlier and I listened in on the conversation," Roger said. "She was speaking with someone and was speaking about how Nancy was doing. She said 'Your daughter seems to be doing quite well,' and she was reporting Nancy's activities. I don't believe the manager or the mistress is aware that there is a spy."
"I can't believe this," Carolyn said. "Her father really has no faith in her. How is he unable to trust her that much?"
Roger shook his head. "It's terrible. Her whole life is monitored."
Carolyn's eyes went big. "She didn't follow you up here, did she?"
"Of course not," Roger chuckled. Her shift ended a couple of hours ago and she left. I'm sure of it."
"Imagine her reporting to Nancy's father that a strange boy was going into her room at night."
"That wouldn't be a good look."
"Well, thank you for telling me," Carolyn said. "I will tell Nancy in the morning. I'm sure the news will devastate her."
"I fear that she will become enraged and confront Maggie," Roger said.
"Oh, she will. I'm sure of it."