The Redeemer (21 page)

He’s jealous, although God knows why. The only person turning me on tonight was a woman . . . and I doubt he’d have any objection to that.

Imagine what he’d be like if he knew I’d slept with Dean . . .

She shuddered.

No, that doesn’t even bear thinking about. I think it’s best if I don’t tell him about that drunken night with Dean. It would serve no purpose and he has enough on his plate with his impending divorce. From what Bill found in the inspector’s room, Janine is willing to play dirty. Who knows the extent of her lying and scheming? I know Xander’s concerned. He hides it well but he is. And he knows her best. If he’s worried then God only knows what she’ll try next.

He’s right though. I should get some sleep before facing the inspector in the morning. Especially if someone is playing games, using the inspector as their pawn. I’ll show that Janine bitch who’s the queen bee around here and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my king.

Even if he is pissed off with me right now.

Isla woke to an empty bed. She squinted at the alarm clock and saw that it wasn’t yet seven o’clock.

Where’s Xander? Don’t tell me he’s still pissed at me . . . that’s all I need when the inspector puts in an appearance.

After a quick shower, she blasted her hair dry and then pulled a face when it seemed determined to defy gravity whatever she did. After wrestling it into a chic chignon, she dressed in a severe black trouser suit, a white, high-necked silk blouse (damn those bruises) and black patent heels. She deftly applied her make-up and dashed down to the kitchen.

Carrying two steaming mugs of strong coffee, she entered the office, only to find it empty. Frowning, she set the mugs down and called reception. Belinda answered.

‘Please tell me we’re not going to have breakfast like this every day,’ she moaned.

‘Um . . . what?’

Belinda sighed. ‘You don’t have to see the food, you can smell it from here. Bacon, eggs, warm French pastries . . .’

‘I get the picture,’ snapped Isla irritably. ‘But what’s the problem?’

‘The problem is that I can’t resist it. I’ll be a size XXXXXL before you know it, working here. Oops, sorry. No offence.’

Isla muttered, ‘None taken,’ before she registered Belinda’s words. ‘Hey Belinda! I’m a size sixteen. I’m hardly a heifer.’

‘Yeah, and I’m a size eight and I want to keep it that way.’

What the fuck am I doing defending my size to Barbie?

‘Belinda, where’s Xander?’

‘I don’t know. His car’s gone so he must have gone out. Oh my God, I’m sure I can smell pancakes and maple syrup. It’s killing me here, Isla.’

Isla dropped the phone back into its cradle and sank into her chair.

What the fuck are you up to, Xander? What if the inspector comes down right now?

Seething with annoyance, she flicked on her computer and drank her coffee as the machine urged itself to life. Then she drank the cup she’d made for Xander. It was obviously going to be one of those days.

Lo and behold, ten minutes later, Belinda came tapping at the door.

‘Isla, the inspector has come down for breakfast – although she didn’t book a table – and she’s making very specific demands for things that aren’t on the menu,’ she ranted as she closed the door behind her. ‘She wants some coffee that I’ve never heard of.’

‘Oh God, that’s what I was afraid of. Well, Xander’s staff are used to dealing with inspections and they’re all five-star trained so let them handle it,’ Isla replied. But even as she did so, she was reaching for her mouse to open the specifications for the hotel grading scheme to brush up on her knowledge of the catering criteria. ‘The inspector is obviously wanting to play hardball so I’ll just have to be ready for her. Quick, get back to reception. You can’t leave the desk unattended until she’s checked out.’

‘Oh, it’s okay. Margot’s there.’

‘Already?’ Isla couldn’t believe it. Xander’s head receptionist had still been on duty when she’d come in late the night before. ‘Bloody hell, that’s dedication to duty.’

Belinda nodded but then wrinkled up her nose. ‘It’s only because she wants to be there when the inspector checks out and comes clean. I don’t think she trusts me to handle it. She treats me like a teenager.’

Isla almost laughed out loud. She could see where Margot was coming from. She decided to be diplomatic. ‘It’s because she’s dealt with loads of inspectors and this one is known to be particularly sneaky. She just wants to do her best for Xander and for the hotel. She’s an experienced head receptionist, Belinda. One of the best. You could learn a lot from her while she’s here.’

Sighing exaggeratedly, just like that archetypal sullen teenager, Belinda muttered, ‘And how long is she going to be here? I’m not going to get my promotion while she’s here, am I? It should be me that deals with the inspector. She doesn’t even work here really.’

Fighting to keep the irritation out of her voice, Isla replied, ‘She works for Xander. His other hotel is closed for refurbishment so she’s working here until that’s done. That way, we all benefit from working alongside experienced, five-star trained staff and they still get paid. It’s a win-win situation. Watch and learn, Belinda. Question her and show willing. I’m sure Margot will take you under her wing if she sees you’re keen to learn. I heard Nadine quizzing her yesterday. You might find yourself with competition for that promotion if you don’t keep up.’

Belinda’s eyebrows took flight. Then her mouth opened and closed a few times before she nodded and then left, a huge scowl on her face.

Oh crap. I hope I haven’t just created a potential drama between the Barbies. Well, if I have, at least the inspector bitch will have left by then. Right, what do these criteria say about breakfast?

It only seemed minutes before Belinda came tapping on the door again but, as she glanced at the clock, Isla realised that over an hour had gone by as she’d fought to memorise the grading criteria. Worryingly, there was still no sign of Xander.

‘Yes, Belinda?’

The blonde receptionist scooted across the room, a business card held in her outstretched hand. ‘She’s checking out and she handed this over the counter. I was about to confront her about booking under a fake name but Margot butted in and demanded that I bring this to you whilst she continued the check-out process.’

Isla took the business card and read the information upon it. The woman was indeed a hotel inspector. ‘Okay Belinda. Show Mrs Walker into my office please.’

The usually bubbly blonde looked anxious as she nodded and almost scampered out of the door. She returned in a flash, the hotel inspector in tow. Isla smiled and held out her hand. The other woman took it and gave it a limp shake before Isla requested that she take a seat. As she did so, Isla couldn’t help but notice her frosty countenance. She looked like she was about to commence an offensive.

Let’s have it then. Are you going to play nicely or are you going to be a scheming, fraudulent bitch?

‘Thank you for seeing me so promptly, Miss Hamilton. As I’m sure you’re aware, I checked into your hotel yesterday and I have been conducting an inspection in line with the accommodation grading scheme of which the hotel is a member. I would like to talk you through my findings and then the overall grading that I shall be awarding the hotel. There will be opportunities for you to ask questions should you wish.’

That rather depends upon what you have to say. Whether your findings are genuine or fake.

Xander Rhodes, I’m going to bite your balls if you don’t get your arse back here right now.

‘That would be helpful, Mrs Walker. I trust that you enjoyed your stay and I am looking forward to hearing your honest judgements. I’m well acquainted with the assessment criteria so shall we get started?’

The whole time that Isla was speaking, the woman had been shuffling papers that she’d taken out of her briefcase. She neither looked up nor showed any sign that she’d heard Isla’s words. Once the papers were in order, she began to read out her notes. She hadn’t got past the supposed issues that she’d encountered when she’d made her booking before Isla knew she was in trouble. Apparently, the online booking system was not up to scratch so the inspector had abandoned it. Then, when she’d made her telephone booking, she’d found the receptionist to be unhelpful, once she’d eventually bothered to answer the call. Allegedly, the information she’d been given by the receptionist was not sufficient and the booking confirmation email had not been sent quickly enough.

That set the tone for the rest of her findings. At first, Isla had been forced to resist the temptation to roll her eyes at the woman’s ability to find so many issues with each aspect of the hotel’s service. Within fifteen minutes, she was seething inside and had to stifle the urge to grab the woman’s scarf and strangle her with it. She began to tune out the woman’s droning voice and distracted herself by imaging getting up, pulling that gaudy scarf tight, and telling Mrs Walker exactly what she could do with her findings. Then she began to consider exactly how to accuse her of conducting a fraudulent inspection and taking a bribe from persons unknown. She was still rehearsing her speech when the office door flew open and Xander appeared. To say that he looked unhappy would be the understatement of the century.

Bloody hell. He’s in a foul mood already. Now we’re truly fucked.

‘Mrs Walker,’ he began, coating each syllable in venom before spitting it out. ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you checked out. Obviously with it being an impromptu, incognito inspection, that’s just the way it is. May I request a précis of the inspection findings so far so that I can attempt to understand the overall grading that you’re planning to award?’

The inspector’s eyebrows shot up. ‘And you are?’ she asked, her annoyance at either the interruption or Xander’s tone clear in her own voice.

Xander settled himself into a chair alongside her. ‘I’m a five-star hotel owner and Miss Hamilton’s mentor. Please proceed.’

She began to recount her main findings. Isla noticed that she sounded far less confident and condemning than before. She wondered whether it was because the inspector was simply regurgitating her notes or whether she was rattled having been almost confronted by an experienced hotelier. Or it could have been his arrogant, overbearing stance.

Xander listened, his face impassive. When the inspector completed her recap, she proceeded to list the remainder of her findings. She then declared that she would be awarding a two-star grading and would give them a rundown of what they could do to improve that to a three-star grading in time. Isla shook her head but said nothing, waiting to take her lead from Xander who had not shown any response to the woman’s findings or her grading. Eventually he took it a deep breath and let it out through his nostrils as he steeped his fingers and rested his chin on top.

‘Mrs Walker,’ he began, his tone neutral but firm. ‘I must ask you whether your findings and your subsequent grading are based in factual events that you have experienced first hand during your stay in this hotel.’

The inspector’s eyebrows shot up for a second time. ‘Of course they are. I’d like to know what you’re implying.’

Xander pursed his lips and shrugged in that cocky, self-confident way that he pulled off so well. ‘I’m implying nothing,’ was all he said but he continued to regard her shrewdly.

Mrs Walker narrowed her eyes and Isla noticed that red patches appeared on either side of her neck.

He’s got her rattled. She’s got something to hide and she’s not sure whether he suspects something. Go Xander . . . put this scheming bitch in her place.

But he continued to sit there observing the inspector closely, saying nothing. Isla had to bite her tongue in order to contain the torrent of abuse that was threatening to fly out of her mouth. She had faith that Xander would know how to handle this situation. She just wished he’d hurry up and put her out of her misery. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep her mouth shut. Just as she was about to lose her battle, he spoke.

‘So, Mrs Walker, you’re telling me that you were not contacted by . . . well, at this stage I think it’s best to keep that information private, just in case this ends up in the hands of my legal team. Let’s just say ‘a person unknown’ for now. So, as I was saying, are you telling me that you were not contacted by a person or persons unknown and asked to complete an impromptu inspection of this hotel for the purpose of awarding it a disgraceful grading in exchange for the sum of . . . oh, again, I think that information is also best kept confidential for now . . .’ His voice tailed off but his fierce stare remained.

The inspector swallowed. Isla attempted to ascertain whether the red patches on her neck had deepened or whether they just seemed darker because the woman’s complexion had paled significantly.

‘Again, Mr . . . what did you say your name was?’ she asked.

‘I didn’t.’

‘Again, I’d like to know what you’re implying.’ The inspector seemed to have shrunk into her seat. There was no conviction behind her words and Isla knew that Xander had her where he wanted her.

‘And again, Mrs Walker, I’ll tell you that I’m not implying anything. I asked you a question, that’s all.’

Oh my God. That stare. No wonder she’s sagging in her seat. Finish her off, Xander.
Finish her off and I’ll fuck you wherever and however you want it tonight. A celebratory fucking of the first order.

‘Forgive me but from the line of your questioning, it seemed that you were implying that I had agreed to complete a fraudulent inspection in exchange for a cash bribe.’

Fuck. She’s not done yet.

‘I didn’t imply anything. I asked whether you were telling me that you hadn’t done exactly what you just said.’

‘You mentioned keeping information confidential and lawyers . . . you were implying wrongdoing and it was aimed at me.’

‘You can make of that what you will. If you’re telling me that you didn’t agree to perform a sham of an inspection for the purposes of obtaining money in exchange for an unfair grading, then you can leave and I shall pass any necessary information that I have to my legal team. That information may consist of photocopied notes and proof of a certain bank transfer into an account in your name. Either way, rest assured that my legal team will be in contact with your head office in order to make a formal complaint and to appeal your grading and the entire basis of this inspection. They will, of course, share any evidence that I give them with your employers who may wish to seek legal assistance of their own once the facts of the matter come to light. And, rest assured that we shall be appealing your derogatory two-star grading. I’m sure that when your employers receive the aforementioned evidence, they will only be too pleased to perform another inspection in the near future as well as withholding your allegedly honest findings.’