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occasional growl, supplemented here and there with a teeth-baring snarl. If it hadn’t been for the seriousness of the situation, Trevor would have found Milly’s display of aggression highly amusing. He knew as well as she did that it was all show, and if the chambermaids had stood up to her, she would have run a mile.
    ‘That your dog?’ said Peroxide.
    ‘Er…’ Trevor glanced round at Milly as if noticing her for the first time.
    ‘It’s a bloody menace, that’s what it is.’
    ‘Ought to be… put down… if you… ask me.’ The younger woman could barely get the words out through her tears.
    ‘You may well have a point there,’ Trevor muttered, and he gave Milly a withering glare, which she completely ignored and directed a particularly threatening growl towards the two women.
    ‘I’ll ‘ave you reported, I will,’ Peroxide said, seeming to regain her composure a little. ‘And what was yer doing in t’other room?’
    ‘Long story I’m afraid, and I’m a bit pushed for time at the moment.’
    With that, Trevor disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door. But as he removed the cistern lid from his holdall, he spotted the plastic wallet taped to the underside, and straight away he understood the reason for his sense of unease a few minutes earlier.
    Oh bloody Nora. How could you have been so stupid?
    He stared at the wallet and tried to think what to do with the damn thing. There was no point leaving it here… Perhaps he could sneak back into the other room and— No, that wouldn’t work. The door had locked as soon as he’d closed it behind him… Maybe he could hand it in at reception when—
    He suddenly became aware that Milly had cranked up her vicious-killing-machine act with some blood-curdling growling and snarling, and the two women had started screaming again. The reception plan would have to do. Ripping the wallet from the lid, he tossed it into his holdall and then carefully positioned the lid on top of the cistern.
    Back in the bedroom, he saw that the chambermaids had pressed themselves against the wall once again, and the younger one was about to let out another scream. He stuffed his few belongings into the holdall and turned to the two cowering women. ‘Er… Sorry.’
    ‘Aye, right,’ said Peroxide with a snarl that even Milly would have been proud of.
    ‘She wouldn’t have hurt you, you know.’
    ‘Tuh.’
    Trevor headed for the doorway. ‘Come on, Milly. Hurry up.’
    Milly jumped down off the bed and took a step towards the two women. This time, both of them screamed as if they really were being savaged by a demented hound from hell.
    Trevor was almost at the stairs when Milly came bounding up behind him, her tail held almost perpendicular and wagging like a hyperactive windscreen wiper.

 
     
     
    CHAPTER TEN
     
    With a full stomach and the prospect of being two grand richer in the next couple of days, Sandra Gray felt nothing but utter contentment as she strode out of the hotel dining room. When she reached the foyer, she saw there was a queue for the lift.
    What the hell, she thought. It’s only two flights, and the exercise will help salve my conscience about the extra toast.
    She made her way to the staircase and started to climb. Rounding the corner onto the first floor landing, she had little time to register the man who was hurtling down the stairs towards her. The collision was inevitable, and she almost went down under the force of the impact but managed to stay on her feet by grabbing hold of the handrail.
    She pulled herself upright and realised that the guy seemed to have come off worse than she had. He’d dropped his canvas holdall and was supporting himself with one hand against the wall and the other clutched to his chest as he fought to catch his breath.
    ‘You all right?’ she said.
    ‘S… sorry… ‘bout that.’ He wheezed out the words between gulps of air.
    If she hadn’t been feeling quite so pleased with herself, Sandra would