by Ardy Kelly
David’s gaze traveled over the scene. A painted sunrise began at the door, with brilliant rays of red-orange piercing through the purple-black night sky. The landscape was lush with gardens, trees, and mountains. In the dew on the lawn, lightning bugs stirred. Upon closer inspection, they weren’t bugs at all, but small men and women with translucent, iridescent wings, waking up with the rise of the sun.
David stepped around the corner, into what probably served as the breakfast room. One wall was all glass, looking onto the central courtyard surrounded by bungalows.
The light did nothing to diminish the mural, only adding more depth to it, as the winged wee folk joined all the animals. There were wolves, bears, lions. Even a few that David didn’t recognize.
David nudged Chet. “Looks like you’ve got competition in the home décor category. Do all watchers specialize in landscapes?”
The mural wound up a flight of stairs, as the painted sun reached for the mountaintops.
David climbed a few steps, peering into the lightless second floor. “Does it go all the way to the second floor?”
Oscar shrugged. “I don’t know. That’s the owner’s quarters.”
“Aren’t you the owner?”
Oscar contemplated the question. “It’s complicated.”
Chet’s voice broke the silence of Oscar’s sudden reticence. “I’ll grab some more boxes.”
The other two men followed. They quickly emptied the trailer, as David allowed Chet to hand him the light boxes.
Oscar mopped his brow. “I’d offer you something to drink, but I’m not sure if I have anything. I don’t even know where the kitchen is.”
David plopped down on top of a box. Chet, still looking crisp and clean in his uniform, reached for the door. “We brought stuff. I’ll get it while you two search the house.”
David and Oscar’s simple task was complicated by the size of the place. There seemed to be rooms for everything: a library, a music room, a game room, multiple laundry rooms, and various storage spaces.
“This place is like the Winchester Mystery House,” David mumbled before opening a door to a large, well-stocked pantry. “I must be getting close.” Turning the knob on the door across the hall, he called to Oscar. “Found it.”
The farmhouse chic décor cleverly concealed the high-end appliances.
“Wow,” Oscar exclaimed as he stumbled in the room.
“Wow is right,” David agreed. There was a six-burner stove with a griddle, an industrial refrigerator, and a large butcher block-topped island in the center. “You could turn this place into a restaurant with this kitchen.”
“I’m not sure I can even handle a B&B breakfast.”
“David can teach you,” Chet said, hidden behind the stacked Styrofoam coolers in his arms.
“I’m surprised you found us so fast through the maze of hallways,” David said.
“I just followed the sound of you oohing and aahing over the kitchen.”
David opened the refrigerator and his envy spoiled as decidedly as the two-month old food. His stomach roiled.
“I’ll put the rotten stuff in the ice chest,” Chet offered. “That should keep it from smelling in this heat. Why don’t you go back to the lobby?”
“Not sure I could find it by myself.” David tugged on the door that led to the backyard. “I’ll just get some fresh air.”
He stepped out into the sun, holding his breath until he was safely away from the house. Gulping in oxygen, he noticed a path that led to the outcrop of boulders.
David followed the trail, drawn by the sound of running water. Steps were carved into the stone at the base of an opening between the boulders. He climbed up, following the flat walkway as it curled around, revealing the sound’s source.
Water ran from a crevice a few feet above his head, cascading down into a small, emerald-green pool. There was nothing artificial or man-made about it. This was purely Mother Nature’s work.
By the side was a large swath of red-stained rock. David wondered whether this had been the site of the murder. If so, he was standing at Oscar’s vortex.
Despite the heat of the day, there was nothing sticky or warm rising from the pool. No scent of sulfur hung in the air as it did with other hot springs. He dipped his hand in the water to check the temperature. It was neither hot nor cold, but tingled slightly like an Epson salt bath.
“Maybe I’ve got some supernatural sight, too,” David mumbled. He dropped his arm deeper in the water and knocked on the rock. “Hello, vortex gods. Anybody need my help? My boyfriend is a watcher, and I’m pregnant, so I have some experience with the whole supernatural thing.”
“That’s the second time you’ve said boyfriend. Is the romance working?”
David whipped his head around, afraid a vortex god was truly answering. It was only Chet, leaning against the rock wall, wearing a smirk.
David drew his hand out of the water. “Hey, I just didn’t want Oscar getting his hopes up that you were single.”
“So, is it just the story we’re telling everyone, or are we boyfriends now?”
“It’s still too early to be sure. We’re only halfway through the road trip.” David smiled. “But we’re definitely moving in the right direction.”
Chet straightened when he caught sight of the blood stains. Kneeling, he ran his fingers over the stone. “This must be where Beck died. So you’re right. This is the vortex.”
“Getting any visions?”
Chet nodded. “One. You naked in the pool.”
“Is that coming from the vortex or your imagination?”
“Does it matter? There’s a distinct possibility it’s going to come true. We need to get Oscar in this pool to really know if he’s the one.”
“Wait. You’re not sure he’s the one?”
“I told you. These visions don’t come with subtitles. I just saw a man arriving at the B&B.”
“Then let’s get his butt in the water, give him the watcher secret handshake, and go home.”
Chet lifted an eyebrow. “Home?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Do I?” Chet pressed David against a tall granite boulder. “What exactly do you mean?”
“Am I interrupting?” Oscar appeared between the rocks. “I was worried that you two got lost. Not that I really know my way around here either.”
“We were just admiring the hot spring,” Chet answered.
“Yeah. It’s supposed to be a draw, but all it does is drive up the insurance rates.” Oscar peered into the water. “And I’m expected to use it. It’s in the agreement. ‘Caretaker must partake of the healing waters once a week at a minimum, and encourage guests to, also.’”
Chet looked toward the pool. “Healing waters?”
“Not sure the FDA would agree.” Oscar pointed to the blood-stained stone. “It didn’t help Beck.”
“The scene of the murder?” Chet asked.
“It was senseless,” Oscar said. “It’s not like there was any money here. I know it’s supposed to be a bed-and-breakfast, but I don’t think Beck ever had paying customers. Mostly it was just people he met and invited to visit. He liked to entertain, but didn’t get much chance way out here. Usually the only guests came from the local hospital he volunteered at.”
David watched Chet’s expression. Obviously, Oscar’s words were telling him more than he knew.
“Have you been in it?”
“When I was a kid.”
“You’ve been coming here since you were a kid?”
Oscar shook his head. “No, just once before. I had leukemia when I was eight. They were treating me at the hospital here. Beck met my parents, and invited them to stay at the B&B. He always said the waters were healing. I guess, being a sick kid, I wanted to believe him.”
“You look healthy now,” Chet replied. “Maybe he was telling the truth.”
Oscar laughed. “You obviously didn’t know Beck. He used to tell all kinds of fantastic tales. Claimed he could
see sickness in people.”
“Doesn’t sound strange to me,” Chet answered. “Too bad it’s too hot to take a dip right now.”
“Stay the night,” Oscar offered. “The desert cools off quickly once the sun goes behind the mountains. If you don’t mind one of the closed-up cabins.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s a stipulation of the will. I have to offer lodging to whomever shows up. You two are the first. I can’t give you the full B&B experience yet, since I haven’t shopped.”
“We did,” David replied. “Enough for a week. And I’m getting hungry.”
Chet raised an eyebrow, dropping his gaze to David’s wet arm before the trio retreated to the shade of the house.
As Chet and Oscar sat at the kitchen island, David nibbled on celery and carrots while preparing dinner.
“How close were you to Beck?” Chet asked their host.
“Not at all. I didn’t even recognize him when he hired me. I guess he’d kept in touch with my mother. Anyway, as soon as I got my law degree, he showed up where I worked. My firm tried to place him with someone more experienced, but he insisted I was the right man to put the house into a trust.”
“So, who takes over the trust?” Chet asked.
“You’re looking at him,” Oscar replied. “I told him he needed trustees, so he asked me to be one. Insisted, in fact. He didn’t have any family, and he wanted to protect the property from developers.”
David laughed. “Can’t imagine much development happening around here.”
“Beck was eccentric, and he put a lot of eccentric stipulations in the trust. But he was an easy client. I would file the proper paperwork once a year, and that was it. Until the murder.”
“And now you’re living here?” Chet asked.
Oscar shrugged. “I told you there were some odd stipulations. The place can only be sold if a trustee spends one year onsite. That’s why I’m here.”
“You gave up your law practice?”
Oscar shrugged. “Funny—I liked law school, but I hate being a lawyer. And the trust pays me for being the caretaker. That gives me a year to figure out what I want to do with my life.”
Chet nodded. “And that year starts today?”
“Yep,” Oscar agreed. “In one year, I can dissolve the trust, sell the place, donate the money to charity, and my legal obligation will be over.” He whirled. “That reminds me, I want to put my calendar up so I can cross off today.”
As Oscar left to search for the box with his calendar, David and Chet exchanged a look. They were willing to bet Oscar would be here a lot longer than that.
Once the calendar was hung in the kitchen, and today’s date had a big, fat red X through it, Oscar was satisfied. “Let’s find you a room.”
He grabbed the keys from behind the registration desk and stepped into the courtyard. The sun was beginning to set, leaving a vivid blood-orange sky in its wake.
The first bungalow had a wooden door with the words Honeymoon Suite carved into it.
“No,” David said.
Chet shrugged. “I haven’t quite earned that yet.”
The next door was labeled Wolves Lair. “Perfect,” Chet said.
The air inside was stale and dry from being shuttered for months. Oscar pulled the drapes and windows open.
Sunlight illuminated the room, revealing another mural covering the walls. A wolf leaving his family to go off on his own. A scene of him courting his mate. The birth of their cubs. Scenes of the children growing as each of the four seasons went by. When the story reached the fourth wall, the cubs were now adults, leading back to the first scene of a wolf leaving his family. The circle of life.
“Is every room like this?” David asked.
“I haven’t seen them all. Beck told me each room is unique. He said he liked to match guests to their spirit animal.”
“Looks like you’re pretty good at that too,” Chet said. “What room did he put you in when you visited?”
Oscar laughed. “He put my family in the honeymoon suite. Said my spirit animal was an owl and he didn’t have an owl room yet.”
If Oscar had worn those same glasses at eight years old, David didn’t wonder where Beck got the impression. “You don’t believe in spirit animals?”
Oscar shook his head. “I mean, I’m no owl. They’re supposed to be wise, but I may have just made the biggest mistake of my life.” He stepped outside. “Let me get you some fresh sheets. If I can find any.”
“I saw a linen closet while searching for the kitchen,” David said. “Let me show you.”
Though the closet was well stocked, it had absorbed the stale air. The men ended up in the larger of the two laundry rooms.
Chet examined the space. “Beck knew what he was doing.” He opened the taps on the laundry tub. The water ran brown for a few seconds, and then cleared. Swirling a little soap in, he declared, “Yep. Hard water.”
He pointed at a filtration system in the corner. “Let me show you how to back flush that. That way we can start fresh.”
David put his hands on his hips. “Is there anything you’re not good at?”
Chet nodded. “Romance. But I hear I’m getting better.”
“I’m talking about plumbing,” David replied.
“I grew up in a place like this. My aunt always said the heart of a B&B wasn’t the kitchen. It was the laundry room. She managed the cooking. I got stuck with the washing.”
“You grew up in a B&B?” David asked. “I didn’t know that.”
“That’s because all you see is a pretty face,” Chet whispered.
Chapter 10
It took half an hour to teach Oscar the intricacies of maintaining pH balance, but finally the sheets were swimming in soapy water. Chet suggested the men have a soak as well.
Oscar shook his head. “I don’t remember which of these boxes has my swim trunks.”
“No problem,” Chet replied. “I brought extras.”
Surprisingly, it wasn’t Oscar who was hardest to convince to try the hot springs.
“I’m pregnant,” David declared. “So, the thought of running around shirtless isn’t really appealing.”
“I don’t know. The thought of you running around shirtless is appealing to me.”
“What if he finds out?”
“Then we’ll know he’s a watcher.”
David sighed, not ready to surrender. “Do you really need me there?”
“You’re the only one with wolf blood here. I need to test the strength of his visions. And anyway, the waters are healing, remember? Didn’t they already cure your morning sickness?”
David grabbed the swim trunks from Chet. “You could have warned me. You obviously knew to bring extra trunks.”
“I wasn’t sure, and didn’t want to get your hopes up there would be swimming where we were going.”
Oscar found flashlights behind the registration desk. Loaded with towels, they made their way through the cooling night air to the pool.
The moon was high and bright, and its glow reflected on the surface of the water.
Chet lowered himself in first, causing the lunar reflection to break apart into twinkling ripples.
David followed Oscar into the pool. The bottom was surprisingly even. He took a seat next to Chet on the stone bench low enough so only his head protruded above the surface.
The water sparkled brighter even as the ripples calmed. “It’s beautiful,” David exclaimed.
Oscar’s glasses steamed up, and he set them aside. “I forgot it did that sparkly thing.”
David would not have recognized Oscar without his glasses. The thick lenses in the oversized frames hid the man’s features. Without them, Oscar’s high cheekbones, delicate nose, and crystal-blue eyes were captivating. He’s a watcher, all right, David thought. He’s too beautiful to be human.
Suddenly, Oscar scurried out of the pool. He sat on the ledge, letting his feet dangle in the water, while wearing a worried expression.
“You all right?” Chet asked.
Oscar nodded, a little too rapidly. “Yeah. Just getting a little overheated.”
“The water’s not that warm.”
“I guess I’m a lightweight. My vision got wonky.”
“Wonky?” Chet leaned forward. “How?”
He looked between the two men. “You’re kind of…glowing.”
“I’m glowing?” When Oscar nodded, Chet gestured toward David. “Is he glowing, too?”
Oscar sucked his upper lip into his mouth. “Not glowing.”
“Do you see images of a wolf?”
Oscar’s eyes grew larger. He swallowed before nodding. “Not just one, though.”
David slapped his hand on the water. “Let me guess, you can see I’m pregnant. Can none of these damn vortexes keep a secret?”
Chet nodded. “Congratulations, Oscar. You are a watcher. You should slip back in the water. The desert is getting colder, and we’re going to be here awhile as the vortex acclimates to you.”
Over the next hour, Chet explained vortexes and humans who connect with them.
Oscar listened attentively, with an occasional wary glance at David’s wolves. “What does this vortex do?”
“Didn’t Beck tell you these were healing waters?”
Oscar looked puzzled. “You just have to soak in these waters and you’ll be cured of anything?”
“How’s your eyesight right now?” Chet asked.
Oscar was surprised by the change in topic. “Fine.”
“Even without your glasses?”
Oscar’s hand went to his face, poking himself in the eye. He stood up. “I just paid two hundred dollars for those glasses.” He stared at Chet. “So this is permanent?”
Chet shrugged. “Not sure. But as long as you’re using the pool once a week, I bet it will last.”
“Why me?” Oscar sunk back in the water. “Why did Beck choose me?”
“He must have known you were a watcher when you were only eight. He saw the water respond to you, and chose you for his heir.”
“And I don’t get a say in this?”
David nudged Chet. “See, it’s not just me who thinks vortexes are a little heavy-handed.”