by E G Bateman
Why is he wearing one?
She glanced at him. He gazed pointedly at Patrick’s breakfast. She tutted and rolled her eyes.
The old man patted Phyllis’s hand. “Calm down. They’re nice people.”
“Rubbish.” She groaned dramatically. “I bet Nila called them in. We’ll be in trouble for leaving the grounds last night.”
Scott dragged his gaze away from the food and looked at them. “Huh?”
Patrick lowered his voice. “They’re secret investigators and are looking into the disappearances. They’re undercover.”
Lexi dropped her face into her palm.
Dick, so help me!
Her gaze bored into the old man.
He frowned. “Was I not supposed to say that?”
She leaned back when the food arrived and coffee was poured. As soon as the server had left the table, she explained, “We’re not with Kindred. We work for a different organization.”
Scott leaned closer and looked from Patrick to Phyllis. “What we’re doing is dangerous. If it gets back to Kindred, we could be killed. I don’t want to have to counsel you.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you said you weren’t Kindred.”
“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to do it,” Lexi muttered.
Patrick looked down, chastened. He looked so pathetic that she actually felt bad.
The sorcerer frowned. “I’m sorry to be rude but I don’t sense anything at all from you or any of the residents, and I didn’t last night in the restaurant either.”
“We’re all muzzled.” The old man waved his bracelet. “These inhibit our supe natures, so we can’t sense you and you can’t sense us. They come once a week to make sure we haven’t messed with them.”
“One of you could be a goddamn vampire and we’d never know it,” Phyllis added.
“Oh, they have a vamp with them too—a very nice chap for a vamp.” To Lexi, Patrick added. “I happened to hear you in the lobby when you signed in last night.”
She smirked. “Happened to hear.”
Scott looked across the table at the salt. He opened his hand, then frowned. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the little bottle but it remained where it was. “My telekinesis isn’t working. It’s this.” He began to tug at the bracelet.
Phyllis leaned forward and put her hand over his. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You’ll wake a week from now, drooling like a baby and wondering what hit you.”
Lexi raised an eyebrow. “I was surprised when you put it on last night without asking why.”
He shrugged. “I was so worried they’d know we weren’t who we said we were, I wasn’t thinking.” He looked at it, horrified, but released it. “Why did they do this?”
Patrick tapped his band. “Only the staff are allowed to use their abilities. I don’t mind it so much. Phyllis and I both have a touch of the Alzheimers. It’s why many of us are here. When shifters get bad with it, we can shift at very inadvisable times. It’s for our safety and others. A small price to pay.”
The sorcerer looked puzzled. “Don’t they let you shift to stretch the kinks out occasionally?”
He shook his head. “Neither of us has shifted for a couple of years. We probably never will again. Eat your food, lad.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Scott looked at his plate but ate as though he’d lost his appetite.
Lexi glanced toward the door. “So, what’s Nila then? Some kind of demon, Anti-Christ, or what?”
“Aye, you’d think it.” Patrick paused and sighed. “No one knows. We think she’s a shifter, though.”
“Why?” Scott asked,
Phyllis looked toward the closed door as though the woman might walk through it at any moment. She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Because she’s a cow.”
The sorcerer snorted.
“So, have you any idea why Kindred has suddenly bought this place?” Lexi asked.
Patrick swallowed his food and glanced around before he spoke. “Emmersley has always been independent, but it’s had a fairly civil relationship with Kindred as long as I’ve been here. Suddenly, though, some deal has been done and Kindred are the new owners. They promised the staff would be able to stay on with no changes, but then Nila turned up with her damn whistle.”
Phyllis put her hand on Lexi’s. “By all that’s holy, I’d like to shove that whistle up—”
“Now, Phyllis,” the old man whispered. “Don’t get yourself worked up.” He smiled at her and continued. “On Friday, almost all the office staff were fired. The only people still here are the kitchen and cleaning staff and a few care assistants. Apparently, they’re hiring from within Kindred.”
Scott looked up from his screen. “Weren’t the staff suspicious that people had disappeared?”
The woman shook her head. “The staff insisted there was nothing suspicious going on after Maisie contacted Kindred. A guy came a week later—not one of the usual ones who check on the bracelets. It was a loud-mouthed, rich-looking man called Caleb Deane. He didn’t seem very interested in the disappearances at all. He went into her room and later, she’d completely changed her tune. She said we were wrong and shouldn’t make trouble. He’d obviously given her one of those counseling things they do. And I’ll tell you something else, that Caleb guy was definitely pals with Nila. They were as thick as thieves.” The two residents nodded in mutual agreement.
Lexi and Scott shared a look.
“Is he the one you’re investigating?” Patrick asked after a moment.
Lexi nodded once and turned to him. “Then what?”
He sighed. “When we woke up the next morning, Maisie was gone. I thought someone would probably come and wipe our memories, but no one turned up.”
Their quiet conversation was interrupted by a lady seated at a nearby table. “Phyllis, I think you’ve had the hot patootie for long enough, dear. It’s time to share.”
The other ladies at the table followed the comment with a burst of giggles.
The two young people looked up to see three of them staring adoringly at Scott.
He straightened and grinned. “There’s more than enough of me to go around, ladies.”
Lexi resumed eating her breakfast.
Patrick shook his head as he looked at the woman who’d called out. “Honestly, you’d think she was the dog.”
Phyllis looked offended. “Patrick!”
“It was only a joke.” He gave her a crooked smile and she tutted.
She wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I’m going for my morning walk.”
“Don’t forget your frame.” He pointed to the walker near the table. “You don’t want to get halfway round and have to be rescued again.”
The woman gave him a withering stare and struggled to her feet.
Scott was out of his seat and around the table in two seconds to help her to the frame. “Perhaps while I’m here, I could give you physio. I’ll catch up with you when we’re settled.”
Phyllis smiled and patted his arm. “I’ve had physio, but there’s not much hope for these old bones.”
“But you haven’t had my physio.” He waved his fingers in a pseudo-magical gesture.
She raised an eyebrow. “I might take you up on that if you can get your muzzle off. Our regular physio, who we’ve just been told has quit, is a lovely girl but she relied on concoctions which are of no use at all and they stank to high heaven.”
Once she’d left, they finished their food and Stuart returned to give them the tour.
As they walked through a hallway to a large sitting room, Scott dangled his bracelet in front of their guide. “Why do I have to wear this? I’m not a resident.”
The man looked awkward. “Sorry. It’s the rule for all supes who aren’t staff members.”
They continued through the building while he pointed out fire exits and other safety features. Their tour finally took them into the basement and they paused at the bottom of the stairs. They were i
n a brightly lit hallway and a painting of a serious-looking man faced them on the wall.
“This is Jonas Maybury. He was the original owner of Emmersley.”
“Ahh! The New England Mayburys.” Lexi smiled when she was reminded of Betsy.
He pointed to the left. “Mr. Pick’s room is along that hallway, room S-Eight. That’s sub-level Eight.”
They followed him to the right and into a gymnasium with weights and treadmills that didn’t look like they saw much use.
Stuart picked a weight up. “You can use the facilities. It’s a perk of staying here.”
Scott wandered around the room and stopped at a set of doors. He opened them to reveal a darkened room. “What’s this?”
The clerk hurried to him. “We’re not allowed in there. Health and Safety rules. It used to be the hydrotherapy room, but they didn’t have the money to finish the repairs to the tiles in the swimming pool.”
Lexi imagined her friend’s disappointment at finding a pool he couldn’t use, but when he turned, she was surprised to see a look of satisfaction on his face.
He’s planning something.
They glanced into the changing rooms at the end of a small hallway. On the way back, Stuart opened an office door and entered. He sorted through a pile of mail he’d carried.
She noticed a list of names on a whiteboard. It indicated that all residents received at least ten minutes of exercise twice a week. Most of them were simply encouraged to move around a little, walk a short distance, or lift a very small weight. It didn’t seem very engaging. Studying the chart on the whiteboard, she noted that several names had been wiped away but they had been written there for so long, the board was lightly stained with the names David, Florence, Martin, and Maisie.
The clerk dropped the mail into the tray.
Lexi stepped out of the way to allow him to step out. “Whose office is this?”
He shrugged. “We used to have our own training staff but now, someone comes from an agency once a week. Or did. Kindred canceled that too.”
Scott leaned against the wall. “What will you do about your physio leaving?”
Stuart stopped beside him. “I don’t know if there’s anything we can do. Previously, when Erika went on holiday, we’d get an agency replacement. I’d bet Kindred will want to send their person.”
The sorcerer shrugged. “I’d be happy to offer my services while I’m here. If you’re interested, that is. If you’re not, that’s fine too.”
“Would your boss be okay about that?”
“What I do while he’s asleep all day is up to me. I’m not asking for a job, merely offering to help.”
Lexi could see the opportunity interested Stuart. “Do you mean regular physio or enhanced?”
“I could do either,” Scott said casually, “but obviously, the magic helps.”
The clerk thought for a moment, then looked around before he spoke quietly. ‘If you want to do that, it’s best if you don’t offer.”
Scott frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“I’ll make sure Nila sees your credentials. She always wants something for nothing. But if she thinks you want to do it, she’ll happily say no and cut off her nose to spite her face.”
He shook his head. “Good grief.”
“Yeah, welcome to Emmersley.” Stuart turned to Lexi. “And if you’re qualified at anything, she’ll probably try to get some work out of you too.”
This wasn’t good news for her as she needed to be free to look for Alicia and Bryan. “If I was qualified at something, do you think I’d work as a vampire’s mobile buffet?”
The man looked awkwardly at his mail. “I need to finish dropping the rest of this.”
He turned to Scott as they followed him through a hallway. “Nila told the residents that she would cover physio for now. I don’t expect many would go. They’d rather suffer. If it gets out that you’re qualified—” They turned the corner to find all six chairs outside the physio office were taken by ladies.
Lexi smirked. “I think the word is out.”
Stuart held a hand up. “Ladies, I’m sorry, but Shaun is only visiting.”
The women looked crushed.
Scott grinned. “I don’t mind seeing what I can do for now.”
The clerk thought about it and turned to the ladies. “Okay, but only this once. Do not breathe a word of this.”
He headed upstairs and Lexi made her way to the gym. She looked into the hydrotherapy room but couldn’t understand what her friend had seen to put that expression on his face. When she returned to the trainer’s office, she looked around the desk, found the key to the filing cabinet in a drawer, opened it, and flipped through the resident files.
She found the file on David. It had deceased stamped on the front. “Hmm… No Florence, Maisie, or Martin.”
A knock at the door made her jump.
“It’s only us.” Dick entered and waved Marcel’s paw. He walked to the desk and sat opposite her. “We need to get this done and get out of here.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m bored. And look at poor Marcel. He’s so sad.”
She looked at the puppy, who didn’t look sad in the slightest. “I’ll take him for a walk shortly. Make sure you don’t get caught out here. You’re supposed to be asleep.” Lexi closed and locked the drawers and stepped out of the room.
The vampire wandered off and she found a back staircase and made her way to the second floor. She crept along the quiet hallway and looked at each door. Most had nameplates but a few didn’t. She tried the handle of one with no name assigned. It swung open to reveal a bedroom with a bare mattress and an empty closet. She stepped out, closed the door, and continued her exploration. A little farther along, she passed Phyllis’s room and paused at an open doorway. Loud sounds emanated from within where a woman was seated in the chair next to her bed watching tv. Lexi shrugged and continued unnoticed.
The next door had no name—only an X on the nameplate and nothing more. Was it empty or not? Something about the door drew her to it, a warmth that somehow called to her.
Could it be Alicia? Some kind of twin connection?
Her heart thudded as she stepped closer and raised her hand toward the handle.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Nila’s acerbic voice grated the back of Lexi’s neck.
She didn’t react although inside, she thought she would have a heart attack. Instead, she turned slowly. “Hi. I’m looking for an empty room.”
“You’re Lena, Richard’s…nail technician.” The woman spoke the words like she was saying “blood whore.”
“Yes, that’s me.” She abandoned the door reluctantly, approached Nila, and proffered her hand.
The woman glanced at her hand, then looked at her face. “Why are you looking for an empty room? Is the room you’ve been provided insufficient?”
“Oh, it’s very nice.” Lexi lowered her hand, relieved that she wouldn’t have to touch the greasy woman. She enthused over the pokey little room on the top floor. “It’s a lovely room, but there’s no tv up there. The residents are already watching a quiz show downstairs and I usually watch something at this time. I thought an empty room would have an unused tv.”
Nila looked at her with her pinprick eyes. “What do you like to watch?”
“I love those vacation home shows. I’m addicted.” Lexi grinned as disarmingly as she could.
The woman stared at her like she thought it would make her break.
“The X means ‘do not enter.’ The previous inhabitant had a bad infection and the room has to be disinfected.” She continued to stare, her expression grim and cold.
Lexi made a point of stepping away from the door and glanced at it with a grimace.
Finally, Nila said, “Follow me.”
She walked along the hallway behind her unwanted guide and wondered if she might, with her reduced strength, be capable of snapping the horrible woman’s neck and hiding her body in a closet. Re
grettably, she discarded the idea. It did occur to her that she hadn’t recognized her, so she clearly hadn’t seen Alicia.
Nila stopped at an open door—the one with the woman inside watching tv. She walked in without knocking and Lexi followed.
“Anne?”
The little lady looked up and seemed positively terrified.
“This is Lena. She also likes those shows you love to watch. Would you mind if she joins you?” To Lexi, she said, “This is Anne Lown.”
Anne looked at the girl and smiled. “You’re late.” She moved onto her bed and gestured to the chair she’d vacated. Lexi sat without a word.
Nila rolled her eyes. “Yes, of course. You would have expected her, wouldn’t you?” Her tone was rude and sarcastic, which seemed to indicate that this career probably wasn’t a vocation. She turned to Lexi. “Anne’s a seer. Or she was when she still had all her marbles. I’ll leave you to it.” She gave her a smug smile and left.
Her jaw dropped. What a way to talk about someone right in front of them.
She turned to Anne, who looked hopefully at her and held a photo album out.
Where in the hell did that spring from?
The woman pointed at a photograph. “This is Leo. He was killed in the war.”
Kill me now.
Chapter Seventy
When she could finally make her escape, Lexi wandered past the gym to the physio room. No more ladies were seated outside but a woman left the treatment room and wandered past her. “He has magic hands, for sure.” She giggled.
She knocked on the door frame.
Scott was writing notes. “Hey! Where were you at lunchtime?”
Lexi entered the room and looked around the anatomy charts on the walls. “Not eating. I’m starving. Are you ready?”
They headed to the dining room, ordered Chilli Con Carne, and went to sit with Patrick and Phyllis.
She kept her voice pitched low when she voiced her question. “What do you know about the resident in the room with an X on the nameplate.”