“I repeat, I’m not all that certain,” Vivian said into the phone. “I’m basing it purely on speculation, just as I told you what had gone on before, but it all seems to tie together somehow.”
“All right,” Officer Schaeffer said, one of the police offers at the North Hollywood Police Department. “Do you know where she is?”
“When I last spoke with her, she said she was staying at the Summerlin Suites Hotel in Universal City.”
“Good afternoon. Thank you for calling Summerlin Suites, this is Curtis. How may I help you?”
“Good afternoon,” Vivian said. “Could you connect me to Christine Hutchins’s room,?”
“Yes, ma’am. One moment, please. I’m sorry, ma’am, but there isn’t a Christine Hutchins registered with this hotel.”
The blood drained from Vivian’s face.
“Are you sure about that, sir?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I see,” Vivian said more to herself than to Curtis. “Well, thank you anyway.”
Did Christine lie about staying at the hotel all this time? Vivian wondered.