He nodded. There was nothing casual about his nod.

“Both tucked up together with nothing between them but their dreams?” I went on.

“I wouldn’t know about their dreams, sir,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t think I should want to know about them. Hut they’re up there all right.”

“That’s fine. I’d like to drop in and see them. Kind of surprise them,” I said, eyeing him “Would there be a pass-key to their room within reach?”

He stiffened. “I couldn’t do that, sir,” he said, shocked. “I’d lose my job.”

I looked at the row of keys hanging on hooks behind him.

“Now I wonder which it would be,” I said. “I’d pay fifty bucks for that information, providing you took a short walk after you’ve told me.”

He struggled with his finer feelings, but the fifty bucks made short work of them.

He turned, lifted a key from a hook, put it down on the counter.

“I’m sorry, sir,” he said. “I couldn’t do it. I have my job to consider.”