Bell, Book, and Scandal

'We'll take a nice long drive when we've stopped by home,' Jane said. 'By the way, I'm never going to smoke in this car or let anyone else

do so. I've made a vow that it's not going to lose its new car smell ever.'

'I've never seen you smoke in the station wagon.'

'That's because I only smoke three cigarettes a day, and sometimes only one or none if I'm really busy and forget. But I have on occasion opened

the window while I was waiting on carpool kids and stunk it up.'

She went on, 'Where shall we take our drive after we drop your car off?'

Shelley said, 'Shopping. Anywhere except the grocery store.'

Three

Jane really wanted to go to the courthouse to have her temporary license plate changed over to a real official plate for her new car. But going there was never a fun thing to do. Her memory, so long ago when she bought the station wagon, was a bad one of surly crowds, disobedient children running wild in the corridors, and having to return two times because the clerk said she didn't have something she needed in the way of paperwork.

'How long had you had the station wagon?' Shelley asked.

'I can't remember. I had to turn over the title to the man who took it away, and I forgot to look at how old it was. I think I had it for at least twelve years.'

'I'll bet it was longer than that.'

'You might be right. Where shall we go?'

Jane wanted to do something fun and so did Shelley. Shelley was already calling on her cell phone before they'd gone a block. 'May I speak to the manager, please?'

After a moment or two of silence, she introduced herself and said, 'Oh, John. I'm so glad you're the one on duty. Is the Nowack suite open now? I want to show it to my friend who's staying with me in it for a couple of days.' Another silence. 'Oh, good! We're on our way.'

'What a good idea,' Jane said, turning left at the next intersection.

She was uneasy about parking in the hotel lot next to someone who might bang his door into her brand-new car. She parked as far away as she could, where there weren't other vehicles.

Shelley knew why she was doing this, and for once kept silent.

They got out and Jane fumbled for a moment with the gadget they'd given her to lock the doors. She was surprised the car made a pitiful little beep and the lights flashed briefly when she pressed the lock key. 'That's neat, isn't it? It's telling me it's worked. I wonder if it'll do it when I unlock it as well.'

'Jane, stop playing with your car and come inside,' Shelley ordered impatiently.

It was a very long walk and Jane kept looking back at her car, thinking the thing she liked best about it was the big round headlights. So retro. So 1930s. So pretty. She could have driven it around Gosford Park and felt right at home. But she'd yet to drive in the dark and would have to read the manual to figure out how to turn on the lights.

'Isn't it a gorgeous lobby?' Shelley exclaimed

when they walked into the hotel, as if she'd designed it herself. 'Jane, pay attention. Forget the Jeep for a bit.'

It was a great lobby. It was enormous, but cozy at the same time. In spite of vast expanses of marble flooring, covered with what one could mistake for real Oriental rugs, it had lots of comfy seating areas where you could have a private discussion with friends without anybody overhearing you — unless you were yelling.

'This is really luxurious. Look at these floors. Some of it has fossils, doesn't it?'

'I think your imagination is in overdrive,' Shelley said, dragging her along to the check-in desk, which looked as if it were a huge piece of furniture from a very old castle, except that it was too clean and shiny.

'Mrs. Nowack,' the manager said. 'That was

fast.'

'We're in my friend's new car. This is Mrs. Jeffry, my roommate when we come to the mystery conference.'

The manager knew which side his bread was buttered on and studied Jane for a moment, clearly noting her and memorizing her name.

'I'll escort you ladies upstairs.'

'No need,' Shelley said. 'I've been here often enough to find it myself. Just loan me a key.'

She led Jane to the most magnificent elevator she'd ever seen. Almost the size of a large room, it was mirrored with dark green glass with a

touch of gold, with light green marble in narrow stripes between the mirrors. It had a lush carpet, and there was even a little plush bench you could sit on.

'I could park my car in this elevator,' Jane said.

'Not today, please,' Shelley said, pushing the button for the top floor. The elevator ascended in absolute silence.

They stepped out into a very wide hallway. This floor was inlaid with marble as well, this time an off-white with brown speckles. The same quality of runners ran down the middle as the ones in the lobby. It was well lit with lovely lily-like sconces in pinky-mauve glass that were set next to each door.

They headed left to the far end and Shelley inserted the plastic credit-card-like key. 'Voila!' she said, pushing Jane ahead of her.

Jane gasped. She thought the room was the most beautiful place she'd ever seen. Colorful without being gaudy. They'd come first into an enormous parlor with a big dining room table at one end with eight Windsor shield-back chairs. There was a matching server bureau with a fabulous floral arrangement of real flowers. The air in the room was lightly scented by the roses.

The other end of the parlor was furnished with comfy-looking chair-and-sofa combinations. Three groups, with big coffee tables so a lot of people could sit down and visit and eat ordrink without having to balance their plates on

their laps.

'Explore,' Shelley said. The room was on a corner and light filtered through the windows clear around two sides through sheers. There were what looked like well-lined silk floor-to-ceiling curtains that could be drawn for privacy, even though no building near it was taller.

Off to the right was a small, exquisite kitchen separated by a serving bar. The stainless steel cabinet doors had a swirly pattern that echoed the lily look of the lighting fixtures in the hall. Jane opened one door and found a vast array of fine glassware. There was a little refrigerator under the counter and next to it a separate ice machine humming along quietly.

'Come on, Jane. See the rest of it,' Shelley said, leading the way to the right to a master bedroom. It was as luxurious as the parlor. There was a king-sized bed and a mob of throw pillows; a desk near the window that looked like a genuine antique, but probably wasn't; gorgeous table and floor lamps with the swirly steel pattern and light pink shades.

'Wait till you see the bathrooms,' Shelley said smugly. 'Paul and I chose our own fittings at the Merchandise