Chapter 1 — “That Isn’t Yesterday”
George arrived at the hotel front desk furious and frightened.
Without his hearing aid, voices around him blurred into muffled sounds.
He leaned toward the receptionist.
“My hearing aid disappeared while I was here.”
The receptionist, Natalie, spoke louder.
“Sir, we’ll check lost property.”
George shook his head.
He still couldn’t understand her clearly.
His daughter Rachel stepped forward.
“My father was in the ballroom this morning. He had it when we arrived.”
George touched his right ear.
“I took it out for maybe two minutes because the battery was whistling.”
Then it vanished.
Rachel looked behind the reception desk.
Several clear lost-property bags were sitting on a shelf.
Something inside one caught her attention.
Small.
Silver-gray.
Curved.
“Dad…”
She pointed.
“Is that yours?”
Natalie immediately turned.
Her expression changed.
George leaned closer.
He recognized the tiny blue mark on the casing.
“Yes.”
Rachel looked at Natalie.
“You already had it?”
Natalie reached for the bag.
“Oh. That was found yesterday.”
Rachel frowned.
There was a printed evidence label attached to the plastic.
She read it.
FOUND: MAY 18 — 10:26 AM.
It was May 18.
Today.
Rachel checked her watch.
11:41.
She looked at Natalie.
“That isn’t yesterday.”
Natalie went silent.
George couldn’t hear the exchange clearly.
But he could see his daughter’s face.
Rachel lifted the bag.
The label contained another field.
LOCATION FOUND: GRAND BALLROOM — TABLE 14.
George pointed at the screen on Rachel’s phone and typed:
I was sitting at Table 14.
Rachel nodded.
Then looked back at Natalie.
“So someone found my father’s hearing aid at his table more than an hour ago.”
Natalie said nothing.
“Why didn’t anyone return it?”
The receptionist looked toward the ballroom doors.
“I was told not to.”
Rachel froze.
“By who?”
Natalie whispered:
“The tournament director.”