Found in the Hall

Nora worked at the front desk of a small guesthouse. One afternoon, she found a brass key on a chair in the entrance hall. A wooden number seven hung from it. Room Seven was empty because its guest had checked out that morning. Nora placed the key behind the desk, but she wondered why it was on the chair instead of in the key box.

Two Visitors

A few minutes later, two visitors entered together. One was an older man with a gray coat. The other was a student carrying a red backpack. Both had stayed at the guesthouse that week. The man asked about a taxi, and the student asked to fill her water bottle. Neither person mentioned a key. Nora answered their questions and watched them leave in different directions.

A Name on Paper

Nora checked the cleaning list for Room Seven. The guest’s name was Mei Chen, and the note said “red backpack.” Nora remembered the student. She also found a folded bus schedule under the hall chair. Someone had written “Mei” across the top. Nora called the phone number from the booking form, but the call went directly to a recorded message.

Waiting at the Station

The bus schedule showed a departure at four o’clock. The station was only five minutes away, so Nora asked her coworker to watch the desk. She hurried there with the key. The student with the red backpack was waiting beside the ticket machine. She was searching every pocket. When Nora called her name, Mei turned around with a surprised face.

A Useful Reminder

Mei explained that the key had opened a small case inside her backpack. She needed it during her trip and had forgotten to return it after packing. She thanked Nora and almost missed her bus. Back at the guesthouse, Nora added a new checkout question: “Do you have any room keys?” The question helped future guests remember before they walked out of the door.