Chapter 30

When we got out of the elevator on the fifth floor, the corridor was more of an avenue, very wide and well-decorated.

“Are all hotel corridors like this?” I asked. “It seems very plush.”

“No,” replied Joanna. “This is far better than I’d expect for a prom package.”

Our room was the first in the corridor. “Uh oh,” I warned, as I inserted the room key-card. “Murder central.”

“Isn’t that the room next to the stairwell?” asked Joanna as the door clicked open.

I was impressed that she knew a geek fact like that. “The elevator was opposite the stairwell,” I pointed out. I gestured Joanna to take the lead and she went inside, with me following.

“You’re right, this is very luxurious for a prom night room,” said Joanna.

The first thing I noticed was the king size bed. Joanna threw herself on the bed, then lay back with her head on the pillows. “This is nice,” was her verdict.

I took that as an invitation to join her, although by more dignified means. “Wow, this is soft,” I said.

“Twenty minutes till our meal is due,” said Joanna, looking at her watch.

“Let’s talk,” I suggested. “You’re in the same math class as me so I know you’re smart, but we never get a chance to talk at school. I’d like to get to know you better.”

“There’s not much to tell. My parents were delighted when Marcus was born because they had an heir to the family’s business interests. When I came along, fifteen months later, they had a spare. I love my brother but he’s no intellectual genius so the mantle of heir was thrust in my direction. Marcus was happy because it meant he could dedicate himself to football, and I’m happy because I enjoy taking business-oriented classes.”

“Is Marcus seriously thinking of trying to play professionally?”

“He’d like to,” said Joanna, “and he’s picked up some attention from scouts in spite of the mediocrity of our football team. That’s one reason this weekend’s football camp call-up was so important to him.”

“What about you? Everyone says you’re a very impressive footballer in your own right.”

Joanna laughed. “Based on the number of players we have, the school team should be bottom of the conference. Instead we’re near the top. I’ve won a few ‘Most Valuable Player’ awards so I’m pulling my weight. However I’ve heard a rumour I’m going to be invited to a football camp this Summer where the USA selectors can have a good look at me. Apparently they’re short of my type of midfielder.”

“What do your parents think? Are they supporting your football career?”

“They don’t know yet, please don’t tell them.”

As if I was likely to find myself conversing with the local equivalent of royalty! “If you and Marcus both have sporting careers, your parents will just have to run the family businesses a while longer,” I observed.

“Or have one of us marry into some business talent!”

That excluded Cayenne Proctor who, despite her looks, was no great scholar.

“But enough about me,” continued Joanna. “What about you? I know you’re a science nerd, but haven’t I seen you doing laps round the running track?”

“Yes, I’m a member of the cross-country team. We took part in a Tri-State Qualifier last weekend. I came second overall so I qualified as an individual, and the team came third so they also qualified.”

“That’s brilliant,” said Joanna. “But why hasn’t the whole school been told about it?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’m surprised it wasn’t announced during Home Room. Coach Budd must be really gutted after all the hard work he put in. Still, cross-country’s a cinderella sport, it’s not like we can earn a living at it.”

“So what are your plans after school?”

“University. Something to do with science. Then try to find someone weird enough to employ a mad scientist.”

Our conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Room service.”

Joanna opened the door and a uniformed woman wheeled in a meal trolley. “These are the meals you ordered,” she said. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

“No, thank you,” said Joanna, at which the woman turned and left.

“Aren’t we supposed to tip her?” I asked.

“Normally hotel staff are quite blatant about soliciting tips, but she didn’t give me a chance,” said Joanna.

I was rather grateful: tipping hotel staff was an expense I hadn’t reckoned on.

We removed the covers off the food platters and looked at what Marcus and Cayenne had ordered. They’d both chosen the soup for starters. For main course, one had chosen a huge steak with fries and a token portion of vegetables. The other had chosen a salad with a couple of slices of chicken breast.

I looked covetously at the steak, although it was much larger than I was accustomed to. I noticed Joanna also casting a similar look in its direction. “I reckon that if we split the main courses down the middle, we’ll end up with two pretty decent meals,” I suggested.

Joanna gave me that little lopsided smile. “Great idea,” she said. “I don’t know how anyone could willingly choose a whole plate of rabbit food, but I couldn’t manage that huge steak on my own. Is that a bottle of wine? Surely we’re not old enough.”

I followed Joanna’s glance. She was right, there was a small bottle of wine, a Californian rose according to the label. “I think they’re allowed to serve alcohol with food to over-eighteens,” I said. “Marcus is over eighteen, and I guess they never questioned Cayenne’s age.”

“Our parents let us have a glass of wine with our meals at weekends,” said Joanna. “They reckoned it was important for us to learn how to behave when alcohol is served. It will be freely available at the party Cayenne’s gone to and it’s pretty certain some people will get drunk. I just hope Jaymon can take care of her.”

For all his faults, it sounded as though Jaymon had his uses.

“My parents won’t let Terri and me drink until we’re twenty-one,” I said, “and they don’t keep alcohol in the house.”

“It seems a shame to waste it because it’s quite a good label,” said Joanna. “I’ll pour us both a glass so you can try it. I think this one is quite sweet so it should be palatable to a novice.”

I nodded. “I’ll divide up the food.” Fortunately the steak had a regular shape and didn’t contain any bone so I was able to cut it into two equal halves without any problem. Redistributing the two meals on the two plates took my full concentration so as not to spill anything but I managed it successfully. Then I checked on Joanna, expecting her to be having problems with the cork because I hadn’t heard a loud pop, but the bottle had a screw cap and she’d already poured a couple of glasses.

When we sat down to eat, Joanna said, “Do you mind if I say a blessing? It’s a family tradition for the main meal of the day.”

A mere fortnight ago I would probably scoffed and said that scientists don’t believe in the supernatural. But now, after finding indications that witches and magic existed, who was to say that some sort of superior being couldn’t exist? “Sure,” I replied, putting my hands together.

Joanna made a brief statement of gratitude for the food, which I followed with an ‘Amen’, then we tackled the soup.

“What do you think of Cayenne?” asked Joanna, while we were tackling our main courses.

I took a tentative first sip of wine to wet my mouth. Not horrid, but I would have preferred a soda. “A strange mixture,” I admitted. “At times she seems too self-confident, then when her mom got on her case, she was like a little girl. And from our prom negotiations I thought she was cold-hearted, but after she’d been crowned Prom Queen she seemed nice and friendly.”