Tom and Stephanie finished the bottle of champagne, and on impulse Tom ordered another bottle, suggesting that they move to the more comfortable seats in the hotel lounge. Making their way through a connecting door, they strolled across the hotel lobby to a lounge area at the other side.
Behind them, a man in a grey suit took out a mobile phone and made a phone call whilst following them at a distance.
“There are some people here tonight at the casino that you have been looking for. Get here as quick as you can, I’ll stall them for as long as possible,” he said, before hanging up and gesturing to another more casually dressed man he had left in the casino.
Stephanie and Tom sat drinking the champagne, laughing and chatting about the evening’s events, until the bottle was finished. Stephanie looked at her watch then and, although she really didn’t want the evening to end, she felt that she should suggest leaving. They stood up to leave, and Stephanie went to walk towards the lobby, but Tom halted her.
“Here, we can get out this way to avoid the crowds.”
He led her through another door and into a corridor with an exit at the far end. The corridor was lined with hotel suites, and Tom grinned as a thought crossed his mind, then he shook his head dismissing it. Before they reached the end of the corridor they passed a room with the door left open, and Tom glanced inside. Suddenly he pulled Stephanie back away from the door as a frown crossed his face.
“What the…” Stephanie began.
“Shh, stay here” Tom urged.
He moved to the edge of the doorframe and glanced into the room. There was a casually dressed man inside, standing by the dressing table. The room was in darkness and the man was glancing around nervously. When Tom saw what was in his hand, he entered the room, turning the light on. The man looked startled and ran at Tom, who grabbed the object in his hands before the man bolted out of the door and down towards the exit.
Stephanie appeared at the doorway but Tom brushed her aside, rushing back into the corridor. There was a loud noise as the door of the room slammed shut with his sudden movement.
“Which way did he go?” Tom asked,
“What on earth is going on?” Stephanie demanded to know. Then she noticed the object in his hand, it was a diamond necklace with a large sapphire in the centre.
“The guy was after this.” He held up the necklace.
Stephanie put her hands on her hips. “Right, well now you’ve got the necklace and we can’t get back in!”
He turned tothe closed door with a frown.
“Tom, we’ve got to put it back!” she panicked. Suddenly voices could be heard coming from the lobby exit and Tom’s head shot up.
“Here, do something with this,” he said, handing her the necklace.
She looked at him in disbelief. “What pray tell would you like me to do with it?”
As the people approached them Stephanie hid the necklace behind her bag and Tom pressed her to the wall, his hands on her waist.
“So do I get lucky tonight sweetheart?” he asked. The people glanced at them as they passed, but they soon reached the exit and disappeared outside.
She shoved him away. “Do you mind?” Flinging the necklace back at him, she said, “And you can take this back, I feel like a bloody thief!”
“Hey, what are you getting so worked up about? We’ll just take it to the front desk and explain,” Tom reasoned.
“Hmm, that’s if the owners don’t find us with it beforehand and brand us thieves!”
He growled, frustrated with her change in mood, and walked back towards the lobby.
At the other side of the fire exit, the man who had attempted to take the necklace had watched Stephanie and Tom through the window, and was in conversation on his mobile phone.
“I know, so I made a mistake all right, but they are heading back to the reception with the necklace. Make a distraction and get Jane in place, but don’t let them hand that necklace in,” he warned.
“If you think that I’m getting involved in this, you’ve got another thing coming. You can do all the explaining Tom,” Stephanie said when Tom paused at the edge of the reception area.
“Look, can’t a guy do a good deed without having the finger of blame pointed at him?” he said with annoyance.
“Don’t you think we have enough on our plate without you getting involved in more crime on what was supposed to be a pleasurable evening? Trouble just seems to follow you everywhere you go Tom. Or perhaps it’s the other way around,” she sighed, gesturing for him to walk first into the lobby.
He glared at her and stormed towards the reception, addressing the fair haired receptionist. “Here,” he said, passing her the necklace, “Someone just attempted to steal this from one of the rooms down there,” he gestured vaguely across the reception area, “but I managed to intercept them. They ran off I’m afraid, but at least I got the necklace off him before he got away.”
The woman smiled, her red lipstick coated lips stretched across a line of pristine white teeth, and when she spoke she sounded unnaturally enthusiastic.
“Why thank you so much. People like you Sir are a rarity these days. What room was it stolen from?”
“Err, it was one of the suites back there, third room from the exit,” he informed her.
“Well, I shall see that it is returned and inform security immediately,” she replied, continuing with her fake smile as he stood there, expecting her to say more.
“Won’t you be informing the police? They will need to speak to me surely.”
She nodded, but her expression didn't change. “Yes of course. Why don’t you return to the casino and wait at the bar. We’ll know where you are then.”
He shrugged. “Okay,” he said, looking around for Stephanie who was pretending to look in a shop window.
“Come on,” he said, taking her by the arm and leading her back into the casino. “We’ve got to stick around a bit longer in case the police want to talk to us.”
She frowned at him and took her arm back. “Talk to you Tom, in case the police want to talk to you,” she emphasised.
They waited at the bar for what seemed like an excessively long time, and although Tom bought another bottle of champagne to cheer them up, Stephanie was beginning to get tired and wanted to go home. Finally, she gave up on waiting.
“You can go and ask that receptionist how much longer we have to wait because if it’s much longer, I’m going home in a taxi, with or without you,” she threatened, pushing him towards the door and following.
“Okay, okay,” he said over his shoulder.
They went back to the reception and Tom looked around for the fair haired, red lipstick lady, but he assumed that she must have finished her shift, because there was only a dark haired woman and a man in a waistcoat there.
“Excuse me, do you know how long we will have to wait? I handed in the necklace that was stolen and the woman said that the police would want to talk to me, but I haven’t heard from them yet.” He looked at his watch. “That was over an hour ago.”
“The dark haired woman looked surprised. “Oh, I didn’t know that it had been handed in. The police still have all the exits to the complex blocked. I thought that they were still looking for it.”
Tom frowned. “What? I handed it in here,” he said, stabbing the front desk with his finger, “to the woman with the blonde hair.”
The dark haired lady shook her head. “I’m sorry Sir, you must be mistaken. There is only myself and Mr Harvey here tonight.”
Stephanie overheard the conversation and looked panic stricken, and Tom didn’t feel too relaxed about the whole thing himself.
“Let me call security,” the woman said, making both Stephanie and Tom feel more anxious than ever.
They waited at the reception desk with both the woman and Mr Harvey looking at them suspiciously, until eventually a man came up behind them, saying,
“You two! Now why is it that whenever some major crime is committed you are both always in the picture?”
Stephanie and Tom swivelled around, and Stephanie immediately recognised the man as being Detective Sergeant Benton who had questioned them at the hospital after the incident on the boat.
She glared at Tom, furious at being dragged into all of this, and willing him to say something to convince the Sergeant that they weren’t hardened criminals!
“Come on Serg, I was just trying to stop the guy stealing the damn thing and I handed it in here to a blonde haired lady. Is it my fault that now she has mysteriously done a runner?”
“Hmm,” the sergeant put a hand in his trouser pocket and assessed the two of them. “Funny that isn’t it?”
Tom began to feel his patience run out. “Look, would I steal the damn jewels and stick around for you lot to turn up eh? Would I do that? And then would I come up here to the reception and ask to see one of you?”
Sergeant Benton took his point but wasn’t going to rule anything out. “Well we have the whole place cut off so that necklace is in here somewhere. It’s only a matter of time before it’s found,” he pointed out.
“Great,” Tom said, “But can you hurry up about it because we’d really quite like to go home now!”
“Stick around sonny,” the Sergeant said, not that Tom could go anywhere anyway, “Just in case.”
Tom gave the man a sarcastic smile. “We’ll be in the casino, drowning our sorrows!”
Stephanie and Tom went again to the casino bar and Tom ordered yet another bottle of champagne.
He laughed, “At this rate we’re going to drink them out of champagne!”
Stephanie sighed and took the glass that he handed her. “I need my bed now more than this.”
“I know, that spare bed of yours is all cold and lonely without us in it,” Tom grinned. Stephanie glared at him, unamused. “Ah come on Steph, we were having such a great night before all of this happened. I know, I know, it was all my fault for interfering, but I only had good intentions,” he said with a puppy dog expression.
She looked at him in the way a school teacher looks at a boy who has turned up late for class. “Hmm, I suppose so, but you do know that the police now think that we are criminals don’t you?”
He dismissed her comment. “Nah, they don’t. That Benton guy’s not that daft.”
“You better hope he’s not!” she said, pointing a finger at him.
He smiled cheekily. “Or what will you do Steph? Will you promise to put me over your knee and spank me?”
She looked shocked at his comment but couldn’t help but laugh. “You really are outrageous, you know that Tom?”
He laughed and clinked glasses with her. “I try Steph, I try.”
They sat at the bar and finished their drinks, after which the barman topped up their glasses again.
“You know it’d be quicker if I went looking for the bloody necklace myself,” Tom pointed out.
“Well, anything to get out of here quicker now, but I hardly think you’d find it before them,” she replied.
“You want to bet?” he came back and then paused for thought, a smile spreading across his face as an idea came to him. “Actually that isn’t a bad idea.”
“What isn’t?” she asked.
His face lit up as the idea formed. “Well, you and me are reporters right? It’s our job to figure out the truth so...I’m willing to bet that I can find that bloody necklace before you or those whole lot of incompetents out there put together.”
She laughed. “Tom, who was it that gave the necklace to the wrong person in the first place? Come to think of it, I could tell that that woman was a bit odd.”
“Right, so you think you are up to finding this necklace before me then?” he said.
She huffed. “You know that you will be heading for even more humiliation if you go any further with this Tom,” she challenged.
“Oh, I can deal with that. But it won’t happen Steph because you know I’m going to find it first,” he replied smugly.
“So, how much do we bet then?” Stephanie asked, opening her purse. “I think I can afford another small flutter tonight.”
Tom grinned. “No, no Stephanie, we’ve bet enough money tonight. No, I was thinking of something else.”
She swung her head around then in shock. “Tom, I know it’s been a crazy evening tonight but I still have my senses!”
He tutted at her. “I don’t know what you had in mind Stephanie but I was thinking of something fairly simple for you. I think I’d settle for…say…a kiss.”
“Hmm, I bet you would.” She thought for a moment. “And what do I get if I find the necklace first?”
“What would you like?” he asked.
She contemplated his question. “Okay, you do all the paperwork for the next week…”
He wasn’t put off. “Think I can handle that.”
“…and make all the coffee,” she added.
“Ooh, you drive a hard bargain, but…”
She put her hand up between them. “Wait, I haven’t agreed yet.”
His heart sank. He was on the edge of something really good here; he had to persuade her to go for this. “Why, what’s wrong Stephie? Are you not up to the challenge? My skills a top reporter too much for you?”
Her eyes narrowed at him. “Tom, if you’re trying to goad me…” She paused to think and he waited expectantly “…it worked, you’re on!” she finished.
His eyes filled with excitement. “Hmm, this evening is getting more and more interesting by the minute.”
She went to stand up then, but he placed a hand on her arm, halting her. “Wait a minute, I think we’d better talk rules Stephanie.”
"Rules?”
“Sure, I mean we don’t want any misunderstandings now do we?”
She gave him a look of mock innocence. “No, of course not Tom.”
“So, this kiss…” His face broke into a smile at the sound of the word. “…it would be on the lips?” His eyes moved to the lips in question.
She grinned back at him. “Of course.”
“And how long?”
“Excuse me?”
“How long would this said kiss last for?”
She had to stop herself from laughing. “Let’s say that depends on how quickly you find the necklace.”
He jumped up then. “Well, what are we waiting for?”
She grinned. “I’ll tell you what Tom, I’ll even give you a head start.”
His eyes widened and then he turned, rushing towards the casino exit.
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