Anna popped the clasp on her purse. “I’ll guess we’ll see.”
The ballroom door opened.
The three of them turned that way. Holding a pizza, Agent Cameron entered. He walked halfway through the room, grabbed a nearby chair, and pulled it up to Anna’s table.
Anna glared at him. What the hell are you doing?
“Howdy,” Cameron popped open the lid to his pizza. Steam rose from the cheesy meat lovers pie.
“Um,” Anna cleared her throat. “Mr. Ryder. How are you enjoying your stay?”
“Can’t complain,” he replied and lifted the slice to his mouth. He took a bite and winced. He spat it out. “Hot.”
Justin leaned back his chair and crossed his arms. He glared at the agent.
Cameron dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin. He turned to Asher, who was looking at Anna with a confused face.
Cameron asked, “What’s up, man? Have you played the latest Call of Duty?”
Asher said, “That’s lame.”
Cameron raised his brows. “Really?”
“Everyone is on Fortnite now,” Asher explained.
“We’ll see about that. Xbox or PlayStation?” Cameron asked.
“Xbox. Do you play?”
“Heck yeah,” Cameron said. “You think I’m living under a rock or something?”
Asher laughed. “You get the latest expansion?”
“Save the World? Oh, yeah. I’ve been killing the game on that map.”
“Awesome,” Asher said, getting excited.
Anna interrupted, “Cameron. Why don’t you introduce yourself?”
Cameron said, “I’m Cameron. I’m an FBI agent. A few months ago, I worked in York, Pennsylvania. That’s where you all are from, right?”
Asher nodded, a large smile on his face.
Justin hadn’t taken his eyes off the agent since he sat down. He wasn’t buying Cameron’s charm. Anna stayed hospitable and calm. She didn’t want to make a scene. He’s a guest. Treat him like a guest.
Asher asked, “Do you stop killers?”
“Only sometimes,” Cameron replied. “A lot of the time, my job is interviewing people and reviewing crime reports.”
“What gun do you use?” Asher asked.
“In game or real life?” The agent asked.
Asher said, “Real life.”
“I’m rocking a Taser currently. It's nonlethal… mostly.” Cameron reached into his unzipped jacket. Anna’s glare stopped him.
Cameron said to Asher, “I’ll show you some other time.”
Awkward silence swallowed the conversation.
Justin took his first bite since the man got here.
Anna hated having him so close to her children. She stayed polite. “What did you do today, Cameron?”
He finished chewing and lowered his slice. “I took a walk on the beach and decided to test the water. It’s cold.” He chuckled.
Anna chuckled, too, but it was all an act.
Justin stood from his seat.
“Oh? Are you finished?” Anna asked.
“Yeah,” Justin said.
“Why don’t you stay seated with us?” Anna asked, begging him with her eyes. “I’m sure you’d want to hear some of Cameron’s stories.”
Justin didn’t catch her hint. He said, “I’m good,” and left the room.
Asher took the leftovers from Justin’s plate and scraped them onto his own. He started eating.
Anna turned her attention back to Cameron. “Where are you stationed?”
“Philly originally,” Cameron said, “But they’ve moved me around a lot. I prefer the northeast.”
“Do you have a family?” Anna asked.
“Not really,” Cameron admitted. “I didn’t have the best dad. That kind of turned me off on the whole idea of kids.”
Anna said, “They can be quite a handful. Teenagers especially.”
“I’m right here,” Asher said.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t see you,” Anna joked.
Cameron said, “They seem like a good bunch.”
“We’ve been through the thick and thin of it together. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten this far without them,” Anna said.
Cameron smiled to himself.
Anna glanced around the ballroom. She spoke in a hushed tone. “So what’s your big mission, Agent?”
“You know I can’t tell you that.”
“That’s no fun,” Anna flirted, hoping to get information out of him. “I won’t tell a soul.”
“Cross your heart?” Cameron asked.
Anna used her index finger to cross her heart. Cameron spoke in a quiet tone and leaned over the table. “They’ll still fire me if I tell you.”
He leaned back into his seat.
“You’re no fun,” Anna said.
“A common pitfall among professionals,” Cameron said.
“Are you sure you don’t want to share?”
Cameron’s dark brown eyes locked on her own. “Maybe I’m here for you.”
Anna faked a laugh. She made it pretty convincing. “You’re funny after all.”
Cameron smiled slyly.
Asher finished his plate.
Anna said, “You have any homework?”
“Not yet,” Asher said.
Anna closed up the rice container. “We should still get you to bed anyway. I don’t want you exhausted on your second day of school.”
Cameron helped seal the to-go containers.
Anna said, “You don’t have to do that.”
“It’s my pleasure,” Cameron said.
She had Asher carry the leftovers. Walking out of the room, she thanked Cameron for his company. Cameron remained seated and finished his pizza slice.
After making sure both of the boys were in their rooms, she returned to the front desk. Cameron walked in a few moments later, smelling like cigarette smoke. “Staying up?”
“Someone has to,” Anna said
“Insomniac,” the agent replied, a wry smile on his smug face.
Anna smiled back at him. “Enjoy your night, Cameron.”
Her smile faded the moment the agent left.
Two days later, Harry called Anna into one of the rooms. The bearded handyman had a beer belly, a sagging tool belt, and an ugly mug. He directed Anna to the open coat closet. “There,” he said, breathing loudly through his open mouth.
“What am I looking at?” Anna asked, a little peeved that he pulled her away from the desk.
“On the wall,” Harry pointed. Anna moved past him. She noticed the perfect circle burrowed into the wall. It was about the width of a pencil. She got a peek through. She could see the bed in the room beside it.
Breathing loudly, Harry said, “Someone’s been naughty.”
“Seal this up.” Anna stood. “If you find any more, seal them up too.”
The last thing Anna needed was a lawsuit.
Her name was McKenzie Michaels, and she was a bombshell. Seventeen years old, blonde, and Justin’s type of crazy. She wore a tight button-up shirt, a cardigan, and a short skirt. She had a few drinks in her from the party. Just like Justin. In the passenger seat of the Kia Sorento, she stretched and crossed her legs on the dashboard. “You really steal this from your mom?”
Justin smirked. “She’ll never know it was missing.”
He drove on the maple-tree enclosed road and arrived at Club Blue.
McKenzie ogled the large hotel. “You live here?”
“Yeah. It’s boring as hell.” Justin said, parking on the side of the building. “Come on. I’ll show you upstairs.”
McKenzie bit her lip. She followed him to the side entrance. Justin used the master key to unlock it.
McKenzie said, “You know people died here, right?”
Justin hushed her and shut the door. He glanced up the stairway. “Third floor.”
McKenzie led. “That fire in the ‘60s killed, like, eight people.”
Justin kept an eye out for his mother
. They reached the third floor.
McKenzie stopped at the threshold. “Imagine being trapped in a place like this when that happened. Fire everywhere. No hope of escaping.”
Justin closed the door behind her. “There’s only one guy staying on this floor. You can have any room but the last one.”
McKenzie jogged ahead. She wobbled. Justin caught up to her and she fell into Justin’s arms.
Justin held her. “You okay?”
McKenzie giggled.
Justin asked, “How drunk are you?”
“Me? This is how I always act,” McKenzie said, unintentionally loud.
Justin hushed her and helped her balance.
McKenzie giggled even more.
Justin unlocked Suite 304.
McKenzie entered first. Justin checked the hall one last time before entering.
“I like the place,” McKenzie said, flipping on the light switch.
Justin grabbed her upper arms and shoved her against the wall.
“Hey!” she exclaimed, but her shout was cut off by his kiss.
She was rigid at first but then rubbed her hands up the back of Justin’s neck and into his hair. She grabbed a handful and tugged, pulling Justin’s face away from her. He sucked air through his teeth, feeling hairs pulling at his scalp.
Lustful passion burned in McKenzie’s luminous blue eyes. She kissed his neck and bit him, drawing a little blood.
Heart pounding, Justin grabbed the neck of her shirt with both hands and pulled, ripping off the two top buttons.
McKenzie stopped kissing him and cursed. “This shirt cost seventy dollars!” She slapped Justin across the face. “Jerk.”
Feeling the hot pain on his cheek made Justin more passionate. He pushed McKenzie harder against the wall. She pushed back. Justin stumbled back a few steps and fell on the bed. McKenzie crawled on top of him and disrobed. “You owe me a shirt.”
“Have your dad pay for it,” Justin said.
McKenzie gawked at him. “Douchebag.”
Justin grabbed her and rolled her over so he was on top.
Suddenly, the world blurred, and Justin was staring at his naked reflection in the bathroom mirror. “What the…”
He touched the large, bloody hickey on his neck. His back burned. Grimacing, he turned his back a little bit, seeing the long claw marks down his back.
He mumbled a curse.
His head throbbed. He didn’t remember anything that happened after they got in bed.
The bathroom door was closed. He grabbed a hand towel and dampened it under the sink. He wiped himself down and took a dump. His mind was scattered, trying to figure out what triggered the blackout.
A bloodcurdling scream erupted from the bedroom.
Finished wiping, Justin jolted from the toilet seat and burst into the bedroom.
Half-clothed, McKenzie was curled up in the opposite corner of the room. She pulled her knees close to her chest and screamed bloody murder.
“McKenzie, stop!” Justin rushed over to her.
She hid her face in her hands.
Justin grabbed her wrists and pulled them away. “Stop.”
She sobbed uncontrollably.
“What happened? Tell me!”
Her face was ugly with tears and snot. Justin glanced around the room. It was just the two of them. He turned back to her. “Talk to me.”
She trembled, wailing loudly.
Justin shook her. It made her crying worse.
Unsure what to do, Justin hugged her. McKenzie’s horrified, bloodshot eyes looked over Justin’s shoulders.
“Shh,” Justin said calmly.
McKenzie’s sobs quieted into a whimper.
“It’s okay. You’re okay,” Justin said. He was terrified because she was terrified.
Justin held her until he felt like it was all right to let go. He grabbed her skirt, shirt, and cardigan from the floor. He shoved it into a bundle. “Put these on. We need to go.”
McKenzie kept staring past him.
Justin looked over his shoulder. “What? What are you looking at?”
McKenzie’s face flushed white. Mascara tears trickled down her cheeks. She was petrified.
Justin guessed it was the tall wall mirror mounted into the wall.
“Get dressed,” he said urgently. “I don’t know if anyone heard us.”
McKenzie didn’t move.
“Hurry, darn it!” Justin said.
Seeing she was unresponsive, he put on her cardigan for her, slipping her arms through the sleeves and fitting it backward to hide her small breasts. He lifted her to her feet and slipped her skirt on her. He shoved her shirt in her hands. She squeezed it tightly.
Justin put on his jeans. “If this is some sort of joke, say it now before I get really pissed.”
McKenzie held her shirt close to her. She trembled.
Justin slipped on his shirt. Putting one hand around her, Justin ushered her to the door. He opened it a crack and peeked into the hallway. Not seeing anyone, he quickly rushed her to the stairs. She wouldn’t move from the hallway.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Justin said in a harsh whisper.
Grumbling, he swooped McKenzie off her feet and held her with one hand under her knees and the other under her upper back. Feeling the strain in his lean, toned muscles, he carried her downstairs, used his back to push open the side entrance, and got her to the SUV. He sat her in the front seat and shut the door.
Stress levels skyrocketing, he got into the Sorento and slammed the front door. He turned the key and floored the accelerator. He drove down the tree-lined road, getting farther from the hotel. He glanced over at McKenzie. She stared forward, hugging her shirt. Her teeth chattered.
“You have to tell me what’s going on,” Justin said.
The girl was silent. She barely blinked.
“Hello? Can you hear me?” Justin asked, annoyed and terrified.
McKenzie didn’t move the whole way back to her house.
Justin parked outside of the driveway of the nice suburban home and turned to her. “You call me, okay?”
McKenzie opened the passenger door. It was the first sign of life he’d seen. She dragged her feet to the house’s front door. Justin stayed in the vehicle. The house lights turned on. Her father opened the door.
“McKenzie, what did I say about going out at night—Wait? What happened?”
The father saw Justin’s vehicle. He shouted. “Hey! What did you do to her? What did you do?!”
Justin floored the gas.
The tires screeched. The Sorento bolted down the road, leaving behind two black wheel marks on the asphalt. The father shouted curses at him. Justin kept his eyes ahead.
“Crazy chick,” he mumbled to himself, pulse raging.
The memory of her scream echoed in his ears. He’d never heard anyone like that before. It was one of absolute terror. The kind you couldn’t fake.
6
Accusation
Anna awoke suddenly, drenched in cold sweat from another nightmare she didn’t remember. The digital clock read 5:32 am. Feeling miserable, Anna forced herself out of bed, hurried to the bathroom, and vomited in the toilet.
Tasting bile, she pulled off a piece of toilet paper and wiped her mouth before flushing it down. Money troubles, the boys starting school, and the FBI agent lurking around left her feeling queasy. She knew she wasn’t actually sick because of how many times she’d stress-vomited in the past thirty years of her life.
Helluva way to start the day. She rubbed her tears away and stood up. She looked at her reflection and pinched her stomach. She was nearing one hundred and forty pounds. It was not a bad weight at all, but the idea that she had put on five pounds made her feel sick again.
She grabbed her woman’s business suit out of the closet. She stopped herself from closing the closet door and checked for any peepholes. Not finding any, she got dressed. After she fixed her hair and put on make-up, she headed to the front desk. She organized h
er pen collection, booted up her laptop, and made sure everything was in tip-top shape. Old ledgers rested in a locked drawer beneath the counter. The last concierge wrote everything by hand. Anna was jealous of that type of patience. It was so much easier to catalog using her hotel software.
Anna stood behind the counter for a long hour. The wall clock’s ticking echoed off the walls. It was Saturday morning. Things were slow. She poured a glass of coffee from the nearby machine and made sure the candy bowl was full of mints. Seeing it was, Anna had nothing to do but wait. She decided to email the concierge again. She was convinced he was ignoring her.
The front doors opened. A middle-aged married couple entered. The man wore a heavy jacket and had a clean-shaven, round face. His wife was short, thin, and had streaks of grey in her hair.
Hands folded over her lap, Anna greeted them. “Welcome to Club Blue. How might I serve you?”
The man spoke with a hostile tone. “Is that your blue SUV parked outside?”
“Uh,” Anna replied, taken completely off-guard.
“The Kia,” the man belted.
“Yes. Why? Has something happened to it?”
“You got a son? Tell me where he is,” the man demanded.
“I don’t understand—”
“Where is he?” The man shouted.
Anna said, “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to calm down.”
“Calm? Calm! Your son attacked my girl last night!”
The wife stood behind her husband, her head lowered and nervously twiddling her thumbs.
Anna said, “There must be a mistake. My son is here all night, every night.”
The man said, “He lied to you.”
“I don’t appreciate your tone,” Anna said. “Tell me what’s going on before I call the police.”
The man panted. Sweat dotted his red face. “My little girl and your son went to a party. When it was over, he dropped off my girl at 2 am, drunk, half-dressed and… and…” The man got so worked up, he could hardly speak. “He did something to her. She won’t look at me. We had to force her to leave her room.”
His wife rubbed his back, calming him but only slightly.
Anna asked, “Are you sure it was Justin?”
“He was in your car,” the man replied. “I saw him myself.”
“Wait here,” Anna said. “I’ll be right back.”
The Haunting at Sebring Hotel (A Riveting Haunted House Mystery Series Book 13) Page 4