“And I am afraid I dropped the wine glass I had in my hand, making a stain on the carpet.”
It was Cavalli’s turn to wave her off. “Think nothing of it, Signora. We are just glad you are okay. Please tell me what happened.”
Kathleen ran through her story again, keeping it neat and succinct. There wasn’t much to tell anyway. It all happened so fast.
Cavalli frowned, his brows knitting together. “We did not find him in the stairwell. And…” He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “We’ve checked the security cameras. There’s nothing there.”
Kathleen stiffened. “Well, I didn’t imagine it,” she snapped, pointing to her dress. “It’s not like I would spill wine on myself and your carpet on purpose.”
“No, Signora,” Cavalli said quickly, hands raised slightly in reassurance. “I don’t imagine you did. We’re checking now to see what could have happened. I am so very sorry.”
Enzo commented. “You think your security system could have been hacked?”
Cavalli hesitated. “We have been doing some upgrades, so anything is possible, I suppose, but the hotel’s system really is quite state-of-the-art.” He gave a small shrug. “We will look into it, of course.”
“Thank you,” Kathleen muttered, though her tone was flat. What else was she supposed to say at this point? She was exhausted, totally destroyed from the adrenaline crash.
“Did the…assailant take anything?” Cavalli asked.
Kathleen’s eyes widened. She hadn’t even thought to check. “I… I don’t know. I haven’t looked around.”
“If you could do so,” Cavalli said gently, “we can file an accurate report.”
Kathleen groaned. The last thing she wanted was to file another report with the police. Not after the circus earlier.
Enzo clearly caught her groan and the flicker of distress on her face, because he stepped in smoothly.
“Why don’t you give us a few minutes?” he said to Cavalli. “Kathleen will check, and we’ll let you know.”
Cavalli nodded, his expression respectful. “Very good,” he said as he stood. “And again, Signora Drake, I am deeply sorry.”
Kathleen barely managed a nod, distracted already. She rose, and Enzo stood along with her. He escorted Cavalli to the door as she looked around the living area. She hadn’t left anything in here. Her mind spun as she headed up the stairs toward the bedroom, her stomach knotted tight.
She scanned the space quickly. Nothing seemed disturbed. Her new clothes were still tucked neatly in the bags where she’d left them. She opened the closet doors and drawers—everything she’d brought with her was still there.
She moved into the bathroom next. Nothing appeared to be missing. She hadn’t brought much jewelry, and what little she had was still safe in the small pouch where she always kept it. “There doesn’t appear to be anything missing,” she said as she turned back toward the doorway.
Enzo was standing there, one shoulder braced casually against the door frame, but his eyes were sharp and assessing.
“You’re sure?” he asked quietly.
Kathleen nodded. “I don’t see anything. My jewelry’s still here, and I never travel with much. My clothes are fine. I… I don’t know what else he could have been after. I don’t have any more credit cards or bank cards—he already took those.”
Enzo’s gaze narrowed, his voice low and edgy. “And there’s nothing else you can think of? Nothing at all out of the ordinary that might have happened?”
“No,” Kathleen said, shaking her head. “Nothing… no other items, nothing.” She hesitated, then frowned slightly. “Well, other than the little Ernie.”
Enzo’s brows rose. “Ernie?”
Kathleen glanced back at him. “He’s… a statue.”
“A statue?” Enzo repeated slowly, his tone sharpening. “What statue?”
Kathleen sighed, running a hand down her face. Before she could answer, there was another knock at the door.
Enzo lifted a hand immediately, his palm firm. “Stay here,” he ordered, his voice quiet but unyielding. “I’ll check it.”
Kathleen crossed her arms, glaring at his back as he disappeared down the stairs toward the door. Great. Mr. Overprotective Alpha Male had apparently arrived in full force.Where was he when she’d needed him earlier today and just now? Never mind that she hadn’t known him earlier or that she’d walked out on him downstairs. No, men were just rarely around when she needed them, and that was a stone-cold fact.
