“Don’t listen to her, officer. This is my room.” Nora Carrol’s voice was an outraged wail. “What’s the matter with everybody in this city? Are they crazy?”
Lucy made a pretense of looking wonderingly around the room, noting the smart suitcase standing open on the stand at the foot of the bed, and articles strewn on the floor.
“There evidently is some mistake, officer,” she said in a tone of dismay. “These aren’t my things.” She looked down at the key to the room which had fallen to the floor in the struggle. “But the clerk gave me that key when I stopped for mine on the way up. I’d forgotten my number and assumed he’d given me the right key. Then, when I was attacked as soon as I opened the door—” She laughed lightly and with embarrassment. “I was so frightened I didn’t notice anything different. I just this minute got free, and was going to comb my hair before calling the police.”
She looked at Nora again, as though really seeing her for the first time, and her face brightened. “Why, we’re dressed almost exactly alike,” she exclaimed. “That must have confused the desk clerk and he mistook me for you and gave me your key. Whoever attacked me probably made the same mistake.” She took a couple of steps forward, saying, “You’d know more about your room companion’s idea of a joke than I. I’ll just go down to the desk and get my own key.”
The young officer blocked her way. “Wait a minute now. There’s something funny here. She is dressed like you, Mrs. Carrol, about the same size and all. But what about this man she claims threw a blanket over her head and tied her up?”
“I don’t believe one word of it,” Nora cried indignantly. “There couldn’t have been any man in here. And I don’t believe that night clerk made a mistake, either. I just checked in yesterday, and I don’t remember ever seeing him before. Besides, if he had given her my key, thinking it was me, he would have said something about it just now when we came in.”
“That’s right. Seems like he would.” The young policeman was completely nonplused, aware of the authority of his uniform and the responsibility that went with it.
“Maybe it is like you say,” he told Lucy. “But I’ll go down to the desk with you to check.”
“Very well,” she said with what dignity she could muster, while in her mind she rapidly figured her chances of getting out of the room, and the hotel, without being chased by the officer.
As though divining her thoughts, he closed the door and said, “You wait right here, miss,” then added to Nora Carrol, “and if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got orders from the chief to take a look around before I leave.” Nora hesitated, biting her underlip. “If you must, but please hurry, and get out and leave me alone.” She spoke wearily, took out a small handkerchief, and pressed it to her eyes; then collapsed on the bed, her shoulders shaking with sobs.