Justin kept an eye out on the lobby’s front door. He blew his breath out of the corner of his mouth and didn’t blink. His mother really needed the money the girl could’ve provided. The booze cost might be high too. Justin didn’t regret giving Cherry a free pass. If she proved to be trouble, he could throw her out.
Around thirty minutes later, Justin’s curiosity got the best of him and he walked into the bar. Cherry sat alone at the bar, drinking a hard apple cider through a straw. She glanced over to Justin, looking guilty as heck.
“Relax,” he said.
“I thought you came to collect the tab,” Cherry replied.
Justin lingered by the door. He wanted to keep an eye on the desk. He glanced at the wall of drinks. “Out of everything you could’ve gotten, you chose that?”
Cherry said, “It tastes good.”
Justin glanced back into the lobby.
“Who are you looking for?” Cherry asked.
Justin said, “No one, really.”
“You don’t need to worry about me.”
“I don’t know about that. You’re kind of a mess.”
Cherry laughed at his joke. “Alright. I won’t argue with you there.”
“Where are you from?” Justin asked.
“No questions about that,” Cherry replied. “You can ask about my favorite color.”
“Is it red?”
Cherry clapped politely. “Well done.”
Justin laughed briefly.
Cherry said, “You should probably head back in there.”
“Why?”
Cherry replied, “Cause I’ll just waste your time.”
“It might be time well spent,” Justin replied. The idea of resisting his passion waned the longer he looked at her.
“I know what you’re after,” Cherry said.
“What’s that?”
“You have the look,” Cherry said.
Justin replied, “I don’t have anything.”
“Uh-huh.” Cherry nodded exaggeratedly.
Justin snapped back into his right mind. “I’m not that type of guy.”
“Prove it,” Cherry kindly challenged him.
Justin smirked. He said politely. “Enjoy your cider,”
Cherry raised her bottle slightly. “See ya, Justin.”
He returned to the lobby.
A little while later, Cherry left the bar. She waved Justin goodnight and headed to the elevator.
Justin felt anxious. What if whoever she was running from decided to show up? What if they had a gun? Justin wished he had a weapon.
An hour passed. He researched local restaurants and found a Chinese place that offered quick delivery. He placed a large order. Asher would have to fend for himself. When the Chinese food arrived, he paid with his mom’s business card. He put up the “away” sign on the counter and headed into the elevator.
He stepped out on the second floor.
A sudden cold chill made him shudder. He saw the woman in the green dress standing at the end of the hallway. Her head was tilted to the side. Unmoving, she watched Justin.
Taking a deep brief, he continued down the hall and passed the premonition. Once she was behind him, Justin hastened his walk. He crossed through the ballroom and to the other side of the second floor. He arrived at Suite 213 and knocked.
Cherry cracked the door open.
Justin said, “I thought you might be hungry.”
Cherry opened the door. “Wow. You really are trying hard. Come on in.”
Justin stepped past her. He put the bag on the table.
Cherry closed and locked the door. “I imagine you’ll want some, too.”
Justin pulled out the rice cartons, noodles, and proteins. He put them neatly in the middle of the table.
Cherry said, “I better not have a large bill waiting for me tomorrow.”
“You don’t have worry about that,” Justin said.
“A lot of people say that, but then right before I leave, they always ask for a favor,” Cherry said.
“They sound like crappy human beings,” Justin said.
“And you’re the savior I’ve been waiting for?” Cherry asked.
Justin didn’t reply. He finished setting out the food and walked to the door. “Enjoy your stay.”
“Enjoy this, enjoy that,” Cherry playfully mocked him. “Did they train you to be this polite or are you just led astray by a pretty face? How do you make any money? Your manager must be furious.”
“Goodnight,” Justin replied. “Call the lobby if you need anything.”
He turned the doorknob.
“You’re not going to eat with me?” Cherry asked.
Justin stopped. He knew walking away was the smart option. He knew someone should be watching the lobby at all times.
Justin returned to the table. “I can only give you five minutes.”
“Breathe,” Cherry said. “I was more concerned about the cab driver would do to me than the rest of them.”
Justin took a seat across from her.
Cherry said, “He’s one of the ones who asked for a tip.”
Justin replied, “Stuff like that pisses me off.”
“That’s the world, hon,” Cherry said, breaking her chopsticks.
“I wish it weren’t,” Justin said. “I’m sick of hating everyone.”
“I feel ya.” Cherry twisted noodles around her chopsticks.
Justin ate a spicy piece of beef. He wished he’d gotten a drink.
“So,” Cherry said, chewing. “What’s one thing you never told anyone?”
Justin leaned back in his seat. “That’s an interesting question coming from you.”
“C’mon. I’m here for one night. Whatever you say, the world will never know,” Cherry said.
Justin thought on the question. He knew the answer but purposely delayed. “I… I almost killed someone.”
Cherry cursed. “Why?”
Justin frowned. “He was bad. He hurt a lot of people. I was going to get him in his sleep, but…” His voice trailed. “You don’t want to hear this.”
“You ran, didn’t you?”
“I did something worse than running. I stayed put,” Justin said. “Every day, I watched him hurt more and more people.”
Justin balled his fists.
Cherry put her warm hand on his. She looked him in the eyes and spoke with deep sincerity. “I understand.”
Justin’s eyes watered. He quickly blinked back the tears. Stop being weak. Man up. She’s watching you. Justin pulled away his hand. “I should get going.”
“You haven’t heard my big secret,” Cherry said.
Justin stayed put.
Cherry opened her purse. She pulled out a folded photo. She opened it and showed it to Justin. It was a baby girl, no more than two months. “Her name is Shana.”
“She’s cute.”
Cherry said. “The clinic doctors took her out, but she was still breathing. They offered to let her go gently. She was so tiny and pink, and moved her little fists like she was driving a car,” Cherry chuckled and cried at the same time. “I couldn’t let them do it. Even if they would stay hush-hush.”
Justin listened intently, having never heard of such a thing happening.
Cherry smiled sadly to herself. “There would be too many questions if I brought her home. I took her to a hospital nearby and dropped her off outside. I’d stop by every few weeks, but I couldn’t get near her without raising any red flags. She was with the rest of the new babies.”
“Wow, could you tell it was her?” Justin asked. “Most infants look alike.”
Tear-stained black mascara ran down her cheek. “When they were removing her--the clinic doctors—they got parts and pieces, but not the whole.”
Justin was the one who took her hand this time.
Cherry wiped her tears. “I shouldn’t be crying. It makes me ugly.”
“That’s not true,” Justin said.
“You’re a sweet guy, Justin.” S
he gently squeezed his hand.
Justin asked, “Where’s Shana now?”
“With her family. Her new family. I’m going to see them, even if they don’t want me,” she said with determination.
They finished their meal. Cherry teased Justin to lighten the mood. At the end of it all, Justin knew he had to return to his duties. He tossed out the empty food containers, put the leftovers in the minifridge, and double-checked the bathroom to make sure she had everything she needed.
Cherry walked him to the door.
Justin lingered in the threshold. “What time are you thinking about leaving tomorrow?”
“Early,” Cherry said.
“Let me know. I want to see you off,” Justin said.
“To collect my bill?” Cherry joked.
Justin grinned. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Cherry watched him as he walked down the hall. Smiling sadly, she shut the door.
29
Loveless
The phone alarm beeped loudly.
Justin awoke quickly and shut it off.
The clock read 4 am.
Justin threw on his work uniform, combed his hair, and brushed his teeth. He took the stairs, hoping the exercise would energize him. He jogged in place behind the lobby desk. He kept watching at the elevator door. Justin’s heart raced. He wanted to be there when she left.
At 7 am, Justin got tired of waiting. He walked into the kitchen, cooked scrambled eggs and hash browns, put them on a nice plate and tray he found, and carried it to Suite 213. He knocked on the door.
Silence.
Justin felt bad wanting to wake Cherry, but she told him that she was the one who wanted to leave early. He had felt more vulnerable around her than any human being, and he’d known her for less than eight hours. Sure, she was pretty, but she felt more relatable than any other woman he’d been around.
He knocked again.
He thought of ways to convince her to stay. She could hide out in the hotel. Perhaps Mom could give her a job on staff. They needed the extra help. Cherry needed the money. Everyone wins. Of course, Cherry had her baby she wanted to get back to, but what’s another few months when the child was young? Justin barely remembered anything before the age of five.
Not getting any replies from the knocks, Justin decided to unlock the door. It was a super creeper move and he knew it, but hopefully, the breakfast would soften the blow. If she really had a problem with him, she’d just send him away. Justin wouldn’t be pushy. He just wanted her to know that she wasn’t like other girls in his life.
He opened the door and slowly opened up the dark room. “Hey, it’s me. I got you some food. Can I come in?”
He stepped inside and toggled the light switch. Holding the tray in one hand, he walked through the stubby entrance hall and into the main room. The bed was empty and unmade. The bathroom was dark. All of Cherry’s stuff was gone.
Justin’s heart sank.
An overwhelming sense of sorrow fell over him.
She must’ve left around a lot sooner than Justin thought. He thought he’d see her cab pull up to the front to get her, but perhaps he was too late. He could’ve missed her by minutes.
Justin stood in the empty suite, holding the breakfast tray and feeling like an idiot. His sorrow turned to anger. He set his jaw to the side of his mouth. Tired and annoyed, he hurried out the door. He locked it, returned to his suite, and ate the food. He crawled into bed and passed out.
30
Light and Dark
Early Sunday morning, Asher sat in the ballroom and set his laptop on the round table before him. Recently, English class was making him flex his literary muscles and now he had a strong inkling to journal about his own life. He opened a Microsoft Word document. The intimidating blank page covered the screen. The word cursor blinked. His fingertips rested on the keys. Suddenly, his mind became blank and he got his first taste of writer’s block.
Yesterday, he spent the whole day writing an essay and completing his excessive algebra homework. He didn’t get a chance to spy on the guests, but Mr. Warren’s word about being born again stuck with him. Asher always saw himself as a gamer. He didn’t have any big dreams or high ambitions. All he wanted out of life was a comfy place to sleep, some good food, and a screen to occupy his time. In light of his recent supernatural encounters, he longed for something more. He also felt lame not having any real accomplishments to show off to Raven. He needed to become something more if he wanted to solve this mystery and keep his girl. He hoped journaling would help put his life into perspective so he could see where he needed changes.
Raven was the first thing he wrote about. He described their first encounter in the bowling alley and her strange father. He talked about her extensive knowledge of the hotel’s history and her fascination with sinister things. She wore black clothes that made her look like Wednesday Addams from the Addams Family.
Asher went on to detail his encounter with the faceless man. He described being dragged across the floor and pinned against a wall. The darkness of the room hid the man’s gruesome features. “Free me,” he said.
As he started to catalog the various guests, the priest entered the ballroom. He waved at Asher and grabbed chairs from various tables. He made a half-circle around the dance floor and set a final seat to face the rest. That was the one he chose for himself.
Fritz and Cameron entered a few minutes later and joined the small circle.
The priest greeted them kindly. “Thank you for coming by. Anna was nice enough to lend me the room on Sunday mornings.”
Cameron said, “I have to admit, Father. I’m not much of a Catholic.”
Stephen said, “We’re all after something real. That’s what matters. How are you doing today, Fritz?”
Fritz shook his head.
“Hopefully a little bible study will cheer you up. You can get the Bible app on your phone, by the way,” Stephen said. “Anyway, let’s open up with prayer.”
The impromptu church-service-thing distracted Asher. He put on his headphones, blocking out all noise, Asher copied the list of missing people into his new Microsoft Word document. He posted links to their FBI profile as well. He saved the document on the Cloud. If something happened to him, he hoped that the police would be able to finish the investigation. He leaned back in his chair and stretched.
Stephen’s service ended. He put his hand on Fritz’s forehead and prayed into his ear. After a moment, the lumbering mechanic fell into Stephen’s arms and wept loudly. Cameron stayed a few feet back and observed. Asher felt awkward being in the same room as the rest of them. Stephen helped Fritz find a seat. He turned to Cameron and asked if he’d like a prayer. The FBI agent refused.
Stephen sat beside Fritz and stayed with him until the lumbering man had stopped crying long enough to leave.
Cameron moseyed his way toward Asher.
Asher took off his headphones. “Yeah?”
Cameron lingered by his table. He spoke quietly. “What do you know about Stephen?”
“He’s a priest,” Asher said.
“I was looking for something less obvious. Have you noticed any strange behavior?”
Seated next to Fritz, Stephen pointed to Scripture on his phone and explained it passionately.
Asher replied to Cameron’s question in a whisper. “He likes to talk to himself.”
“Probably praying,” Cameron said. “Does he have any friends around here?”
“I haven’t seen anyone,” Asher said.
“Does he take a lot of phone calls?”
“Not that I know of,” Asher said. “Do you think he’s a suspect?”
“Suspect in what?”
“Justin told me about your investigation,” Asher replied.
Cameron said, “I didn’t realize your brother liked to talk. Does he still think that someone killed the couple a few weeks ago?”
“Maybe,” Asher replied. “I think a lot of crazy stuff happened in this hotel before. Like all
the missing people.”
Cameron looked concerned. “Explain.”
Asher felt uncomfortable. He should’ve never said anything. He replied, “A lot of people who passed through here went missing. The last one happened years ago.”
Cameron said, “And you think they were killed?”
“Well, yeah,” Asher said. “It’s the location of their killer that scares me. The murders took place over thirty-five years.”
“How can you be so sure something sinister happened?”
Asher knew the agent would be able to tell if he lied. He said, “I believe someone in this hotel killed these people.”
“That doesn’t tell me how you know?” Cameron grilled him.
Asher wasn’t willing to give up information about the hidden tunnels. “Just trust me, okay?”
Cameron sighed. He asked, “Have you tried reaching out to the police?”
“Yeah, but they brushed it off,” Asher replied.
Cameron said, “Maybe you should too.”
Asher lowered his eyes.
Cameron said, “I don’t want to discourage you, but this is a very dangerous situation. If your information proves to be true, you could be put in harm’s way. I don’t want that. I have enough junk on my conscience already.”
“So you’re saying that the threat is real?” Asher asked
Cameron hesitated on answering the question. He replied, “I’m telling you to be watchful, but be smart. If accusations like this come out against the wrong people, it could be very bad for everyone involved. Please, Asher. I’m begging you. Let me do my job and you worry about being a kid.”
Asher avoided eye contact and nodded.
“Thank you,” Cameron said as if a weight had been lifted. “If by some chance you find something that is suspicious, let me be the first one you tell.”
“Yes, sir,” Asher replied.
“Wonderful,” Cameron answered. “We’ll talk soon.”
The agent left.
Asher closed his laptop and put it in his bookbag. He headed to the lobby and told Justin about Cameron. Justin was exhausted and rested his eyes as Asher talked.
The Haunting at Sebring Hotel (A Riveting Haunted House Mystery Series Book 13) Page 19