Oh but Detective Cutter, a message must be left. Because, see, during the daylight hours the room phone of Miss Jade Castle gets forwarded to another line, a line which is picked up by a professional sounding male (he just has that sort of tone, you know? very respectful, that tone, very businesslike that tone's demeanor).
"Jade Castle's room, Miss Castle is unavailable, may I take a message?" If asked he will introduce himself as Michael, the day manager of the hotel. Miss Castle is a very special guest in the hotel and has given strict instruction not to be disturbed before eight post meridiem. If Detective Cutter will please leave his number, Michael will see to it that Miss Castle will receive it just as soon as possible.
This message finds its way into the capable hands of Liam Dunbar, owner (on paper anyway) of the Magnolia Hotel and very dear friend of Miss Jade Castle. He alone is allowed into that room during the daylight hours, when the shutters installed on the windows have been well and firmly sealed against the sun's light. The only living occupant of the room at any time is the tawny cat. Pearl spends the days curled up beside the corpse of her eternal mistress. When the door opens she lifts her head, tasseled ears swiveling forward sharply, then relaxing back when she sees that it's only the other ghoul. She watches Liam with huge amber eyes as he moves to the bedside table, where a piece of paper is left atop the phone there.
Lucky for Detective Cutter, Jade Castle has been rising early these last few nights. The sun's light has scarcely faded when he gets a call back from a bright and chipper young woman.
"Detective! How are you?" She is pleasant and charming as usual, giving no sign over the phone of her unease over his call and the hour of the night at which she's able to return it. A date is set for a meeting over tea or coffee, whichever the detective prefers, as alas, good sir, she is much too young to enter a bar.
At least she is when she's going to be meeting with a man of the law.
