Hotel Dusk: Room 215 - Act II, Scene VI
Title: Hotel Dusk: Room 215
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): Stevie/Xabi, hints of Agger/Finnan
Disclaimer: This is fiction! Not true! However much I wish, I don't own the players or Hotel Dusk.
Chapter 6
Word Count: 1,482
Summary: Stevie does some digging around Raul's office.
As he passed the lobby, he heard a door opening and closing. Turning, Steven saw Raul coming out of his office. Just the man he was looking for. Now, how should he tactfully ask about lost and found items…
“Hey.” Raul’s expression told him Stevie the hotel owner was looking for him as well. “Heard about the package mix-up. Sorry ‘bout that.” Now here’s a surprise. Raul was actually apologising for something. “I’ll make it up to you. Dinner’s on the house tonight. Rib eye steak with fresh garlic butter. I’ll have Finna throw in dessert for you too. Oh, and by the way, the office’s closed for the day. I’m heading back to my room.”
Without giving Stevie a chance to respond, he opened the door next to the office’s. Stevie caught sight of a corridor behind it before Raul shut the door. This was his big chance. With Raul gone for a while, he could nose around the office. He lurked around the lobby, flipping through outdated newspapers, until a couple of minutes passed and he was sure Raul was probably taking a nap now. After making sure no one was around, he slipped into the unlocked office.
Raul’s office was plan and simple. There was a wooden cabinet with a TV next to the door and a sofa right across it. Diagonally across the room was another door that led to the front desk. Beside it was a neat wooden desk and by the desk was a metal cabinet.
He started his snooping around with the desk. There was a kiddy-looking card on it, as well as a calendar with the date May 4th circled. Without hesitation, he picked up the card and examined it. Happy Birthday to my dearest Cesc. A birthday card? Who’s Cesc? The connection between the date and the card was pretty simple, but who was Cesc to Raul? There was nothing more he could find on the desk, so he moved on to the metal cabinet but stored the name in his memory.
He had more success with the cabinet. It didn’t take him long to find the little red box. It was sitting in the top drawer, unlocked, as with everything else. Either Raul had a lot of trust in the guests and staff, or he thought they wouldn’t have the guts to steal from him. Finding what he came here for, Steven was about to leave when he thought it would be a good idea to check out the wooden cabinet as well.
He opened the drawer and found it full with registration cards. Immediately, he searched for a ‘Steven Gerrard’. And sure enough, he found it. Written on one of the cards was his name, dated June 30th, 1979. His impersonator stayed in Room 217. The room was definitely worth checking out. He found nothing more and decided it was time to leave.
He opened the door just as a whistling Dagger walked by.
“Heya, Officer Gerrard.” The bellboy greeted, then looked suspiciously at the office door. “What were you doin’ in there, mate?”
“Business.” He wasn’t lying. Technically he was doing business inside. Though the correct term for it was probably ‘snoopin’ around’.
“Business? What sorta business?” Daniel looked awfully worried and jittery.
“What’re you worried about?”
“You and Raul… You weren’t… You weren’t talking about me, were you? Chattin’ about my history in the city and all? You weren’t fillin’ Raul’s head with all the dirt on Dagger, were you?”
So, that was what the boy was worried about. “Relax, Dagger. I didn’t talk to him about you.”
Daniel heaved a relieved sigh. “Say, I’m really curious. Why’d you quit the force? What’d you do to lose your badge?”
Steven wasn’t sure Daniel should be chatting to a guest at this time of the day, just before the restaurant opens, but he decided it was about time to fill the persistent kid in. “Xabi and I were working on a case back then. We were investigating a series of art thefts. We-”
“Woah. Wait. Art thefts? You talking ‘bout that crime ring?”
“Yeah, ever heard of the Blue Knights?”
The Knights. As honourable as their name sounded, they were a nefarious and notorious lot. The biggest syndicate crime gang in London, the Knights were led by the infamous Jose Mourinho and funded by the super-rich Roman Abramovich. They specialised in all sorts of art crimes - from thefts to fraud.
Daniel gulped and fidgeted nervously. “… Did you say the Knights?”
“You knew something?”
“You… you were undercover?”
“No. I was in the office, pushing paper and drinking bad coffee.”
“So… so… it was that other detective who was running with the Knights?”
“Yeah.” Sometimes Stevie wished it were he who was the one. Xabi always kept everything to himself. Whatever he had found out must have driven him to his betrayal. Wouldn’t it be better if Stevie were the one who found out?
“Oh, wow. Oh god. I can’t believe…” He wiped his face with his hand and continued his senseless babble. “I never thought meeting up with you again would… It all makes sense now…” Maybe to Dagger, Stevie thought, but the bellboy had completely lost him here.
“You just had a revelation there, Dagger?”
“It’s… it’s nothing, mate.” But somehow he was unwilling to let it all out.
“Spill it.” Steven commanded.
“… Got nothin’ to say, mate!” Daniel denied.
As if Stevie wasn’t close to breaking the boy, Finnan chose this moment to waltz in.
“There you are, Dagger!”
“F-Finns!” Daniel never looked happier to see the housekeeper. “Are you… looking for me?” He had an odd hopeful look on his face.
“Not really… I was just going to tell you I’m on my way to set the tables.”
“I’ll do it!”
“You will?”
That was a surprise to Steven as well as Finnan.
“Y-yea. It’s my job. I really shouldn’t be letting you do it.” Scuttling away from Stevie’s glare, Daniel rushed off in the direction of the restaurant.
“Well, that’s a change from the ol’ Dagger.” Stevie said, without realising the implications.
“… A change?” Finnan asked.
Uh-oh.
“You wouldn’t happen to… to know Dagger from somewhere else, do you?
“No.” He answered firmly.
“No?” Finnan was looking at him almost pleadingly.
“No…” And somehow Stevie’s determination to keep mum was wavering.
“Because… I heard him calling you ‘Officer Gerrard’…” The smile was slipping and Finnan was tugging at his shirt, seemingly in distress. “And I just thought… maybe… you guys were…” His voice was trailing and Stevie couldn’t quite catch the last bit.
“Were what?” He was truly confused. What was going on with these two?
“You know…” Finnan looked up and into Stevie’s eyes. “Lovers.”
“WHAT?!” Stevie lost his cool and choked. Him and Dagger? No fuckin’ way.
“He’s been working here for three years but Dagger never talked about his past, not once! And then you showed up and he started acting weird, like just now, so I thought…” He looked at Stevie, waiting for some sort of confirmation.
“No. No no no.” Stevie said quickly. Now it all made sense. Finnan’s questioning, the blushing, and the extreme reaction to Stevie’s suggestion of firing Dagger… The housekeeper was in love with the bellboy! “We’re not… whatever you thought we were.” He refrained from saying ‘lovers’ because it would only trigger horrific images. “We just knew each other from our time in the city.”
“How?” Finna looked a little less agitated and more relieved now. But he was still curious about Dagger. Stevie supposed he was the only one whom the housekeeper could ask anyway.
“He was this… small-time guy who worked at a pizza joint us cops frequent.” He was making it up as he went. He was quite sure Daniel didn’t want Finnan to know exactly what he did in London. If he read the signs right, Dagger was probably carrying a torch for Finnan too.
“Oh… Oh, I’m so sorry then, for the misunderstanding.” Finnan was looking happy again. “I really should get going now.”
“Wait, hold on.”
The housekeeper-cum-cook stopped and looked at Stevie questioningly.
“Know anyone by the name Cesc?” Taking a risk and a stab in the dark, he fervently hoped his question wouldn’t tip off Finnan that he had been in Raul’s office and that Finnan might actually know something about this mysterious Cesc.
“Cesc?” He took a moment to think but shook his head in the end. “Nope. I know no one by that name, nor any guests. If there’s nothing else, Mr Gerrard, I really have to go.”
Steven let him go, feeling a little disappointed and frustrated that his investigations were going nowhere. His pager beeped and he took a look, though he didn’t really need to because who else would be paging him except for the guys at Red Crown?
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): Stevie/Xabi, hints of Agger/Finnan
Disclaimer: This is fiction! Not true! However much I wish, I don't own the players or Hotel Dusk.
Chapter 6
Word Count: 1,482
Summary: Stevie does some digging around Raul's office.
As he passed the lobby, he heard a door opening and closing. Turning, Steven saw Raul coming out of his office. Just the man he was looking for. Now, how should he tactfully ask about lost and found items…
“Hey.” Raul’s expression told him Stevie the hotel owner was looking for him as well. “Heard about the package mix-up. Sorry ‘bout that.” Now here’s a surprise. Raul was actually apologising for something. “I’ll make it up to you. Dinner’s on the house tonight. Rib eye steak with fresh garlic butter. I’ll have Finna throw in dessert for you too. Oh, and by the way, the office’s closed for the day. I’m heading back to my room.”
Without giving Stevie a chance to respond, he opened the door next to the office’s. Stevie caught sight of a corridor behind it before Raul shut the door. This was his big chance. With Raul gone for a while, he could nose around the office. He lurked around the lobby, flipping through outdated newspapers, until a couple of minutes passed and he was sure Raul was probably taking a nap now. After making sure no one was around, he slipped into the unlocked office.
Raul’s office was plan and simple. There was a wooden cabinet with a TV next to the door and a sofa right across it. Diagonally across the room was another door that led to the front desk. Beside it was a neat wooden desk and by the desk was a metal cabinet.
He started his snooping around with the desk. There was a kiddy-looking card on it, as well as a calendar with the date May 4th circled. Without hesitation, he picked up the card and examined it. Happy Birthday to my dearest Cesc. A birthday card? Who’s Cesc? The connection between the date and the card was pretty simple, but who was Cesc to Raul? There was nothing more he could find on the desk, so he moved on to the metal cabinet but stored the name in his memory.
He had more success with the cabinet. It didn’t take him long to find the little red box. It was sitting in the top drawer, unlocked, as with everything else. Either Raul had a lot of trust in the guests and staff, or he thought they wouldn’t have the guts to steal from him. Finding what he came here for, Steven was about to leave when he thought it would be a good idea to check out the wooden cabinet as well.
He opened the drawer and found it full with registration cards. Immediately, he searched for a ‘Steven Gerrard’. And sure enough, he found it. Written on one of the cards was his name, dated June 30th, 1979. His impersonator stayed in Room 217. The room was definitely worth checking out. He found nothing more and decided it was time to leave.
He opened the door just as a whistling Dagger walked by.
“Heya, Officer Gerrard.” The bellboy greeted, then looked suspiciously at the office door. “What were you doin’ in there, mate?”
“Business.” He wasn’t lying. Technically he was doing business inside. Though the correct term for it was probably ‘snoopin’ around’.
“Business? What sorta business?” Daniel looked awfully worried and jittery.
“What’re you worried about?”
“You and Raul… You weren’t… You weren’t talking about me, were you? Chattin’ about my history in the city and all? You weren’t fillin’ Raul’s head with all the dirt on Dagger, were you?”
So, that was what the boy was worried about. “Relax, Dagger. I didn’t talk to him about you.”
Daniel heaved a relieved sigh. “Say, I’m really curious. Why’d you quit the force? What’d you do to lose your badge?”
Steven wasn’t sure Daniel should be chatting to a guest at this time of the day, just before the restaurant opens, but he decided it was about time to fill the persistent kid in. “Xabi and I were working on a case back then. We were investigating a series of art thefts. We-”
“Woah. Wait. Art thefts? You talking ‘bout that crime ring?”
“Yeah, ever heard of the Blue Knights?”
The Knights. As honourable as their name sounded, they were a nefarious and notorious lot. The biggest syndicate crime gang in London, the Knights were led by the infamous Jose Mourinho and funded by the super-rich Roman Abramovich. They specialised in all sorts of art crimes - from thefts to fraud.
Daniel gulped and fidgeted nervously. “… Did you say the Knights?”
“You knew something?”
“You… you were undercover?”
“No. I was in the office, pushing paper and drinking bad coffee.”
“So… so… it was that other detective who was running with the Knights?”
“Yeah.” Sometimes Stevie wished it were he who was the one. Xabi always kept everything to himself. Whatever he had found out must have driven him to his betrayal. Wouldn’t it be better if Stevie were the one who found out?
“Oh, wow. Oh god. I can’t believe…” He wiped his face with his hand and continued his senseless babble. “I never thought meeting up with you again would… It all makes sense now…” Maybe to Dagger, Stevie thought, but the bellboy had completely lost him here.
“You just had a revelation there, Dagger?”
“It’s… it’s nothing, mate.” But somehow he was unwilling to let it all out.
“Spill it.” Steven commanded.
“… Got nothin’ to say, mate!” Daniel denied.
As if Stevie wasn’t close to breaking the boy, Finnan chose this moment to waltz in.
“There you are, Dagger!”
“F-Finns!” Daniel never looked happier to see the housekeeper. “Are you… looking for me?” He had an odd hopeful look on his face.
“Not really… I was just going to tell you I’m on my way to set the tables.”
“I’ll do it!”
“You will?”
That was a surprise to Steven as well as Finnan.
“Y-yea. It’s my job. I really shouldn’t be letting you do it.” Scuttling away from Stevie’s glare, Daniel rushed off in the direction of the restaurant.
“Well, that’s a change from the ol’ Dagger.” Stevie said, without realising the implications.
“… A change?” Finnan asked.
Uh-oh.
“You wouldn’t happen to… to know Dagger from somewhere else, do you?
“No.” He answered firmly.
“No?” Finnan was looking at him almost pleadingly.
“No…” And somehow Stevie’s determination to keep mum was wavering.
“Because… I heard him calling you ‘Officer Gerrard’…” The smile was slipping and Finnan was tugging at his shirt, seemingly in distress. “And I just thought… maybe… you guys were…” His voice was trailing and Stevie couldn’t quite catch the last bit.
“Were what?” He was truly confused. What was going on with these two?
“You know…” Finnan looked up and into Stevie’s eyes. “Lovers.”
“WHAT?!” Stevie lost his cool and choked. Him and Dagger? No fuckin’ way.
“He’s been working here for three years but Dagger never talked about his past, not once! And then you showed up and he started acting weird, like just now, so I thought…” He looked at Stevie, waiting for some sort of confirmation.
“No. No no no.” Stevie said quickly. Now it all made sense. Finnan’s questioning, the blushing, and the extreme reaction to Stevie’s suggestion of firing Dagger… The housekeeper was in love with the bellboy! “We’re not… whatever you thought we were.” He refrained from saying ‘lovers’ because it would only trigger horrific images. “We just knew each other from our time in the city.”
“How?” Finna looked a little less agitated and more relieved now. But he was still curious about Dagger. Stevie supposed he was the only one whom the housekeeper could ask anyway.
“He was this… small-time guy who worked at a pizza joint us cops frequent.” He was making it up as he went. He was quite sure Daniel didn’t want Finnan to know exactly what he did in London. If he read the signs right, Dagger was probably carrying a torch for Finnan too.
“Oh… Oh, I’m so sorry then, for the misunderstanding.” Finnan was looking happy again. “I really should get going now.”
“Wait, hold on.”
The housekeeper-cum-cook stopped and looked at Stevie questioningly.
“Know anyone by the name Cesc?” Taking a risk and a stab in the dark, he fervently hoped his question wouldn’t tip off Finnan that he had been in Raul’s office and that Finnan might actually know something about this mysterious Cesc.
“Cesc?” He took a moment to think but shook his head in the end. “Nope. I know no one by that name, nor any guests. If there’s nothing else, Mr Gerrard, I really have to go.”
Steven let him go, feeling a little disappointed and frustrated that his investigations were going nowhere. His pager beeped and he took a look, though he didn’t really need to because who else would be paging him except for the guys at Red Crown?