Listen to Your Heart (12 page)

“Sorry. I should have known better than to
question your motives. What happened, do you know?”

Adrian shook his head. “I’m not sure.
She wasn’t making much sense, but I got the impression that it was something to
do with Rob; something about it not being a date. Karen brought her down on the
gondola and I took it from there.”

Dale gave him a knowing look. “And you
just happened to be in the area, I suppose.”

A blush crept up his neck. “Sort of.”

“How fortunate.” She kissed him on one
cheek, then the other. “Thank you, Adrian.”

He wandered off and she turned to
Chance. “Would you do that for me?”

He circled her waist with his arms and
pulled her close. “What, take off your clothes?” His eyes sparkled. “Gladly.”

She gave him playful slap. “No, you
goof. He obviously waited around when I told him she’d gone up top. Isn’t that
sweet?”

“Oh, I’d wait for you.” The playful tone
went out of his voice and he searched her face. “But then I think you already
know that.”

She nodded. “I do. Now kiss me
goodnight. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

* * *

Morgan had never had a hangover before,
but she recognized it the moment she opened her eyes. The insistent throbbing
was almost more than she could stand. She sat up slowly and looked down at
herself. She still had her slacks on, plus her bra. Had she fallen asleep
before she could finish undressing? She lowered her head and spotted her winter
boots. One sock was tucked neatly inside each one and she frowned. She never
wore her socks more than once and never, ever put them back in her boots.

“How are you this morning?” Dale stood
in the door, ready for work. “Would you like a glass of water and a couple of
aspirins?”

Morgan didn’t seem to hear her. “Look at
my boots,” she said. “I never put my socks back in my boots like that.” Faint
memories, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, started to come together, and she
winced. “Did Adrian bring me home? He did, didn’t he?” She noticed the tea cups
and cookies on the bedside table. “He was here in my bedroom?”

Dale decided to put her out of her
misery. “He brought you home, yes.”

Things were coming into focus. “Good
thing he was walking past the gondola and saw me.”

“Yeah, right.”

She looked up at Dale’s comment, but the
movement sent stabbing pain into her temples. “What are you saying?”

“Lord, Morgan. You can be so dense
sometimes.” Dale took a breath. “He was waiting for you.”

“He was?” She looked down at herself
again. “Did he see me like this?”

“He took your blouse off. And your
boots.”

“He didn’t need...”

“Morgan, you were all wet.” She picked
up the crumpled blouse, then dropped it again. “He was sitting here looking out
for you when we got home.”

“He was?” Morgan recalled the look on
Adrian’s face last night as he looked down at her. There was something in that
look beyond friendship and a faint smile played around her lips as she
considered the possibilities. Maybe things weren’t looking so bleak after all.
“That was nice of him.”

Dale waited a few beats before she spoke.
“So what happened with Rob?”

Morgan gave a short laugh. “I think I’m
cured of that particular ailment, and guess what? I don’t mind at all.”

“Well then, something good came out of
all this.” The doorbell rang and Dale checked her watch. “That’ll be Chance. Do
you think you’ll be all right by yourself?”

“I’ll be fine.” She stood up to prove
her point. “I’ll be just fine.”

* * *

Karen was behind the front desk when
Morgan arrived for her afternoon shift. The room clerk gave her a sympathetic
smile as she went into the back room to hang up her coat and put on her shoes.
“How are you feeling?” she murmured, checking to make sure that Mr. Wynn-Jones
wasn’t around.

“Better than this morning.” Morgan had
consumed several cups of tea and a couple of pieces of toast, but that was all.
“Thank you for helping me out last night.”

“You’re welcome.” She gave her a sly
look. “Wasn’t it nice that Adrian was just walking by?”

Morgan wasn’t sure how to respond.

“As if I believed that.” Karen grinned.
“But it was sweet.”

Morgan looked over at the concierge
desk, but Klaus was there by himself, engrossed in conversation with a guest.

“He’s out for a late lunch.” She grinned
again and for the first time Morgan noticed that she had a dimple, much like
Chance’s. “For some reason he thought it necessary to stop by and tell me.”

“It’s getting kind of complicated.”
Morgan looked away.

“Because his family owns the hotel?”

Morgan looked at her, speechless.

“Tyler told me.” She lifted her
shoulders in a casual shrug. “He knows somebody who worked in the kitchen at Klosters.”

Morgan gave a short laugh. “I’ve only
known about it for a couple of days. He told me that eventually someone would
come along who knows him.”

“I don’t think Tyler plans to tell
anyone.” She worked on the computer for a few moments. “Is that going to change
anything between you two?”

Morgan considered the question for a
moment. “We’re still getting to know each other but I’m hoping it doesn’t.”

“Well good luck. You guys are cute
together.”

“Cute?”

“Yeah, cute. Nothing wrong with that, is
there?”

Morgan had to smile. “No, I guess not.”

The front desk telephone rang and Karen
answered. “Front Desk, how many I help you?”

Morgan sensed the change as Karen frowned,
and called up the account for Suite #326 on the computer. “No, Mrs Glasser.”
She glanced over at Morgan. “I’ve been here since this morning and I haven’t
seen him.” She held the phone away from her ear and Morgan suppressed a smile.
“Yes, I’ll call you immediately if I see him.”

“That was Mrs. Glasser. She just came in
from shopping and her little boy is missing. She’s having a fit.” She thought
for a moment. “I think I should go tell Adrian.” She didn’t wait for a
response, but walked briskly across the lobby in the direction of the
restaurant.

“Have you heard?” Mr. Wynn-Jones startled
her by entering the front desk area from the side door. “The young Glasser boy
is missing.”

“Yes, we heard. Karen has gone to tell
Adrian.”

“That’s not necessary. He can’t do...”
He stopped in mid-sentence. “Yes, I suppose that’s a good idea. He can help
search.”

At that moment Adrian and Karen entered
the lobby. Adrian acknowledged Morgan with a quick glance, then spoke to Mr.
Wynn-Jones.

“Shall I accompany you upstairs, sir? I’d
like to hear what Mrs. Glasser has to say and perhaps I could help search.”

“Yes, of course.” The manager puffed
himself up. “Come along.”

As they neared the elevator, Adrian
turned and made a subtle gesture with his cell phone.

“What was that all about?” Morgan turned
to Karen. “Did you see that?”

She nodded. “Check your cell phone. I
think he was trying to tell you something.”

Morgan went into the back room, dug out
her phone and smiled. Back at the front desk, she showed it to Karen. “He must
have put his number in last night.”

“I guess he was trying to signal you to
call him if you hear anything.” She turned away to answer the phone.

At that moment a handsome but obviously
distressed man raced up the outside steps and across the lobby.

He looked around frantically. “I’m Peter
Glasser. Has my son been found yet?”

Morgan spoke calmly. “I don’t know, sir.
Mr. Wynn-Jones has just gone upstairs to see your wife.”

He turned away without another word,
strode to the elevators, and punched the button impatiently. A soft ‘ping’
announced the arrival of the car and he stepped inside.

* * *

“But what if he’s been kidnapped?” Sylvia
Glasser had worked herself into a full-blown panic. The frightened nanny
cowered in the corner of the room, having received a thorough dressing-down in
front of Adrian and Wynn-Jones.

“I don’t think that’s very likely, Mr.
Glasser.” The manager did his best to calm her. “That just doesn’t happen
around here.”

“Well, it could!” She turned on him,
eyes blazing. “There’s always a first time.”

“He’s right, Mrs. Glasser.” Adrian
stepped forward.

Her angry gaze flicked from Adrian to
Mr. Wynn-Jones. “I won’t have some room clerk second-guessing me! Who the hell
are you, anyway?”

Peter Glasser burst through the door.
“Adrian! Is that you?” He extended his hand and clapped Adrian on the back. “I
didn’t know you were in Whistler. What can you tell me?”

Wynn-Jones blanched in the face of this
familiarity, but he pushed forward. “We think your son has been missing for
about half an hour. Possibly longer.” He glanced over at the nanny. “The nanny
says she last saw him during her favourite talk show.”

Peter Glasser took in the suite with one
sweeping glance. “Where are his toys?” He turned to his wife. “I thought you
were going to buy him some toys. The kid is bored to tears. It’s no wonder he’s
run off.”

Adrian took a few steps away. Peter must
be angry indeed to berate his wife in front of others. His phone vibrated in
his pocket and he walked over to the window and answered. “Yes, Morgan?”

“Adrian, don’t say anything, but I think
I might know where Brandon is. It might be nothing, so I don’t want to get
their hopes up, but he talked about hiding in the linen closet.”

Adrian shot a quick glance at Peter,
then turned around again. “Can you get up there right away and look for him?”

“I’m in the service elevator now. If I
find him shall I call you back, or just bring him to the suite?”

He clutched the phone. “Bring him to the
suite.”

Morgan stopped at the unmarked door and
fumbled with the emergency master key. It was dark inside and her hopes of
finding the child faded. To be sure, she flicked on the light switch and moved
farther into the room, between the rows of shelving.

“Brandon?” she called. “Are you in
here?”

A rustling noise on the other side of
the shelves drew her attention and her heart leaped into her throat. She ran
around and found the child blinking at the bright light.

“Hi there,” she said, trying to keep the
relief out of her voice. “Shall we go back to your room?”

“Okay.” He grinned up at her. “Can I
have some ice cream?” His small hand slipped into hers.

“Let’s ask your Mom and Dad, okay? They
were worried when they couldn’t find you.”

They walked down the long corridor and
turned left to the corner suite. The door stood open, and she saw Adrian
speaking to the Glassers. Mr. Wynn-Jones stood by, trying unsuccessfully to appear
in charge. The child brightened. “That’s my Daddy!” he cried, letting go of her
hand and hurling himself at his father. “Daddy!”

Adrian watched the joyful reunion for a
moment, then raised his gaze to Morgan. “Come in,” he said, gesturing with his
hand. “I’d like you to meet Peter Glasser. Peter’s an old friend of the family.”

Morgan extended her hand. “Hello, Sir.”

“Call me Peter.” His smile was brilliant
now that he had his son back. “Thank you, Morgan. I knew something was up when
Adrian asked us to wait a few minutes before we started searching.” He placed a
hand on Adrian’s shoulder. “I forced him to tell me why you thought you knew
where Brandon was.”

Sylvia Glasser had the good sense not to
comment.

Morgan looked down at the child. “We had
a date for ice cream a few days ago, didn’t we, Brandon?”

The child nodded vigorously. “Want to go
for ice cream now.” He tugged at his father’s slacks. “Please, Dad?”

“Not now, son. We have to talk about how
you’re not going to hide in the linen room anymore.” He turned to the nanny.
“Jacinta, please call room service and order some ice cream for the boy.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Sylvia Glasser pushed forward. “What I
want to know is why the door to the linen room was left open. Your housekeeping
people need to be reprimanded for this.”

Morgan fumed silently. The woman was
trying to divert attention from her failure to buy the promised toys.

Adrian dropped down to his haunches
beside the child. “Tell me, Brandon. Was the door standing open when you went
inside?”

The child pulled himself up to his full
height. “I’m a big boy now. I open it with the doorknob.” He made a twisting
motion.

Adrian stood and faced the irate woman.
“The housekeeper unlocks the room in the morning to allow access for the maids
and locks it again at night. It’s an unmarked door.” He gave her a steady look.
“It appears that housekeeping has done nothing wrong, but I’ll make them aware
of what transpired.”