Sophie’s investigation of the Clarington Hotel gets considerably deeper as a borrowed master key opens the way to more secrets. While exploring Room 509, she uncovers evidence of a privacy breach, a mysteriously emptied bank account, and pieces of a coded message hidden throughout the room. After cracking the cipher, Sophie and Andrew begin to suspect that the guests may be caught up in a blackmail scheme.

The investigation also pulls Sophie into the Clarington’s own troubled history. A search for a screwdriver leads her dangerously close to Bernard’s office, where she discovers more about Bernard, his brother Raymond, and their very different visions for the hotel. With secret notes waiting inside a vent and Bernard nearly catching Sophie snooping around, the mysteries of the Clarington continue to pile up.