During the past week there have been three robberies at the Station Hotel. Three female guests have had valuable objects stolen from their rooms during the night while they were asleep. All the housekeeping staff at the hotel have been interviewed by both the management and the police. None of them is under suspicion. A detective from the police talks to the three guests to get the facts behind the robberies.
Guest 1
Detective: Now, which hotel room were you in when the robbery took place?
Guest: Room 107 on the first floor. I am booked into the hotel for six nights. The robbery happened on my second night. Last night, in fact. The manager asked if I wanted to change rooms, but what was the point of that?
Detective: Could you please tell me why you are staying at the hotel?
Guest: I am in town for a sales conference. I am here until Sunday.
Detective: What exactly has gone missing from your room?
Guest: My laptop computer. All the information for the conference was on it. I can't manage without it. I don't know how anyone could get into my room during the night. The door was double locked.
Detective: Where was your laptop?
Guest: It was on the desk. I put it there last thing before I got into bed.
Detective: And when did you notice it was missing?
Guest: As soon as I got out of bed this morning. I knew straightaway it wasn't there.
Detective: What did you do?
Guest: I phoned the manager immediately.
Detective: Had you noticed anything suspicious in the corridor outside your room?
Guest: Yes. The door of the next room was wide open when I came back to my room in the early evening. And there was nobody around. The door was still open when I went down to dinner and when I came back. That was really odd but I don't know if it has anything to do with the robbery.
Guest 2
Detective: Could you first of all confirm which room you are in?
Guest: I'm in 707 on the top floor.
Detective: Did the robbery occur on your first night at the hotel?
Guest: No. I'm staying at the hotel for three nights. I'm in town for an education conference. I'm a school principal. The robbery was last night. My second night here.
Detective: What exactly has been stolen from your room?
Guest: A pearl necklace. It isn't very valuable but it was given to me by my grandmother and it has great sentimental value. I am devastated that it has been stolen. Please do everything you can to get it back.
Detective: We will, madam. Rest assured about that. Where was the necklace when you went to bed last night?
Guest: The last thing I did before I got into bed was put the necklace into its case and put the case in the top drawer of the dressing table next to the bed. I am absolutely certain about that.
Detective: And when did you realise the necklace was missing?
Guest: After I had got dressed this morning. I was ready to go downstairs for breakfast and opened the drawer to get my necklace out. The case wasn't there.
Detective: And what did you do?
Guest: I knew someone had been in the drawer because everything I'd put in there had been disturbed. I rang reception and asked someone to come up to my room.
Detective: Did you notice that anything else had been disturbed in your room?
Guest: Well, not exactly disturbed. But the window was slightly open. There is only one window in the room and I know I checked that it was closed last night before I went to bed. It was a cold night and I definitely closed the window when I came back to the room after dinner. But this morning it was open and it wasn't me who opened it. Definitely. Absolutely definitely.
Guest 3
Detective: Could I first of all double-check the number of the room you're staying in?
Guest: I'm in 509 right opposite the lift on the fifth floor. The first night I was in 119 on the first floor, but I asked to be moved because of the bad traffic noise.
Detective: Are you in town on business?
Guest: I am. I'm an area bank manager and I'm here for a few days to sort out some problems our branch in town is having.
Detective: And what exactly has gone missing from your room?
Guest: My briefcase with all my documents inside. There was nothing of value there - the notes and documents about the work I was doing were only useful to me.
Detective: And where was the briefcase when you went to bed?
Guest: It was on the chair by the desk. My laptop was actually on the desk but that wasn't taken. I can't understand why the thief didn't take that. My wallet was on the desk as well and that wasn't taken either. Most strange.
Detective: When did you notice your briefcase wasn't there?
Guest: When I came out of the bathroom after showering. I intended to read some notes I had made yesterday before I went down to breakfast.
Detective: Did you search your room?
Guest: That was the first thing I did before I called the manager.
Detective: Had anything been disturbed in the room? Did you notice anything suspicious as you looked around?
Guest: Nothing at all. Both the window and the door were still locked. I could see no evidence that anyone had been in the room during the night. All this is most odd. Who would want to take my briefcase and leave other stuff like my wallet behind? I just can't work it out.