Except...it didn’t make sense for Lucy to hide anyone in her mom’s hotel. She could have picked literally any other hotel on the island.

He frowned. Somehow the rest of his work didn’t seem that appealing. Chip walked out into the lobby, checking in with the bar and restaurant staff – they had no complaints. Business as usual.

Addie was at the front desk, talking to a guest and smiling. Actually smiling. What a nice image that was for the hotel. Chip nodded at her as he walked by, and she waved him down.

“Hey, I have something here,” she said once the guest stepped away.

He drummed his fingers on the counter. “What’s up?”

Addie knelt down, reappearing with a scarf. “Someone lost this in the lobby and hasn’t come back to claim it. Is it okay if I email the guests a picture of it?”

Chip took the rough material into his hand. “I think I know whose scarf this is.”

“Oh, really?” Addie smiled. “Great!”

“Thanks, Addie.” Chip tossed it over his shoulder.

It could be Lucy’s scarf. No, he was quite certain it was hers. He’d just swing by her room and drop it off.

Chapter Twenty-three

Claire managed to sneak into the hotel through one of the back doors unnoticed. She and Marty were just settling in to eat fish and chips when there was a knock at the door.

Claire instinctively pulled out her phone to see if Lucy had forgotten her key, but there was no message from her. She still hadn’t written back to tell her how her interview had gone.

She whispered “let me go see who this is” to Marty. He nodded and quietly moved out of sight of the door.

Through the peephole, Claire could see Chip standing there in a flattering navy sweater. Butterflies fluttered in her chest.

“Hi,” she said, slipping out of the door and closing it behind her.

“Oh, Claire. I didn’t know you were in,” he said with a smile.

“Yeah, just, you know, brought Lucy something to eat.” He didn’t answer right away, and Claire had the urge to keep talking. “She’s not feeling well, had an interview on the mainland, you know – just, yeah.”

He frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do?”

Claire shook her head. “No, but thank you.”

“Well – someone lost a scarf in the lobby. I thought it might be Lucy’s?”

He held it up and Claire looked it over – an ugly, sad looking thing, with fraying ends and snags throughout. Not something that fashion-forward Lucy would ever touch. “I don’t think so, but thanks for thinking of her.”

“Do you think she’d like to see it, just in case?”

Claire shook her head. “No, I’m pretty sure it’s not hers.”