“Yes, two of them.”
“A son and a daughter,” Mama Dee added. “His daughter lives in DC also, and his son lives in Detroit.”
Mom stirred the logs in the firepit. “We love going to DC for the cherry blossoms in the spring. And I’m not much of an urban girl, but I can appreciate the museums and monuments.”
“We went ice-skating there one winter,” Dad said, “and Alex sprained his ankle.”
Mom nodded. “That’s also where Tyson decided he wanted to be a professional hockey player when he grew up.”
Ty gave a wry grin. “That didn’t work out so well, I’m afraid.”
“Lucky for us,” Mom said. “We couldn’t run this place without you.”
“It’s a labor of love.”
“Oh, shoot.” Mom set down the stick. “That nice elderly couple in the Seashell Room wanted turndown service and I completely forgot.”
“I’ll get it, Mom.” She’d been on duty since seven this morning.
“I’ll come help,” Jenna said as Ty stood.
“Well, thanks, kids.”
Jenna probably wanted to talk about what they’d gleaned about Gordon. She followed Ty across the pavers and through the back door. The house was quiet as they traipsed through the kitchen and dining room. Most of the guests were out enjoying the Friday night.
He grabbed the room’s key from under the check-in desk as they passed. The Seashell Room was a main-floor suite they saved for people with mobility issues. He opened the door, let Jenna in.
“She called himhoney,” Jenna said as soon as he closed the doorbehind them. “And they’re so affectionate with each other. You can’t tell me things aren’t moving too fast.”
“It’s pretty fast.” Tyson went to work on the summer-weight duvet.
Jenna scanned the room. “What can I do?”
“Tidy up. Grab any used towels.”
Jenna slipped into the bathroom. “Don’t you think he was a little vague about where he lives? Your mom asked which area he lives in and he avoided answering. Just said something about a row house.”
“Your mom also ended up elaborating about his kids.”
“I noticed that. His answers were as brief as possible.”
“Like he’s hiding something,” Ty said.
“Exactly. But since we now know where his kids live, maybe that could help us find the right listing.”
“It would help even more if we knew their names.”
Jenna entered the bedroom clutching a bundle of towels. “Even if we do find the right listing, that’ll only offer basic information. How will that help us figure out if he’s up to no good?”
“We could run a background check, see if he has a criminal record, see his employment history and previous residences.”
“That’s public information?”
“For the right price. Didn’t you ever look up people before you hired them?”
“Never.” She dumped the towels by the door and began tidying up the room. “Even if he doesn’t have a criminal record, we can see if the other information lines up with what he’s told us.”
“Exactly.” Ty pulled the duvet taut and turned down a corner.
