Echoes (Whisper Trilogy Book 2)

by Michael Bray

  WELCOME TO RIVERWOOD!

  Site of the infamous Hope House!!

  The Brand new hotel brought to you by

  Marshall-Jones developments.

  NOW TAKING BOOKINGS!!

  It was the first time Melody understood that it was all real. Everything happening to them now wasn’t some fantasy being played out in a book or on a television screen. It was happening. They were actually going back.

  She slowed the car, somehow fighting the urge to stamp on the accelerator and leave Oakwell and the Riverwood hotel far behind. She thought about Isaac, and the look on his face as those men had taken away their possessions. She turned onto the access road, and the car was immediately swallowed in shadows.

  They drove down the single track road in silence. Even the radio could no longer help, the signal fading to a static hiss in the bowels of the forest. As much as they didn’t want to, they switched it off, and finally there was just the sound of the trees to accompany them. It was against their every instinct to continue on. Every fiber of their beings told them to turn and get as far away as possible, and yet they knew it wasn’t an option.

  “They smoothed the road out,” Steve mumbled.

  Melody didn’t answer. The overhanging trees brought on a stifling claustrophobia. She knew the road would soon curve away to the left, after which they would be able to see their destination. The car made the curve, and reality hit them hard. Rather than the further hundred plus feet of road they had been expecting, they were greeted instead by an open expanse of land with the stark rectangular shape of the hotel almost immediately in front of them.

  “Jesus,” Steve muttered under his breath.

  The natural cut of the forest in which Hope House once sat had been hewn away, the trees culled and removed to make room for the hotel. The Hope House they remembered sat within no more than a couple of hundred feet of land. The Riverwood hotel occupied at least three times that surface area, and had completely destroyed what had been a very natural setting, transforming it into an ugly eyesore. They drove across the threshold, gravel crunching under wheels as they approached the entrance. There, waiting for them at the door, was Henry Marshall. He strode towards the car as they parked.

  “Welcome to Riverwood hotel,” he said, thrusting a hand towards Steve as he climbed out of the car.

  Steve and Melody glanced at each other across the roof of the car, then turned equally icy stares towards Marshall.

  “Drop the public relations shit,” Steve said as he stared at the building. “We’re only here because we have to be. We’re not your friends and would prefer it if you didn’t try to act like you give a shit. We just want this over with.”

  Henry’s smile faltered and he lowered his hand. “I’m afraid we may have gotten off on the wrong foot here.”

  “No we haven’t,” Steve fired back. “I just want you to know where we stand. When do we get our money?”

  “Upon checkout,” Marshall replied, doing everything to avoid looking at Steve and his injuries.

  “It’s okay, you should look at me,” Steve said, taking off his baseball cap. “Take a good long look. This is what this place did to me.”

  Marshall looked, and was repulsed and fascinated at the same time. The black thing inside him stirred.

  “I understand how coming back here is difficult for you both, however this is a completely different situation to before.”

  “I don’t see anything I recognize from before,” Melody said quietly, more to herself than to Henry.

  “No, as you can see, quite a lot has changed. Also remember, there will be people here. A full television crew as well as some other guests. I assure you, it’s quite safe.”

  “I used to be like you,” Melody said as she walked around the car and linked arms with Steve. “I buried my head in the sand and tried to convince myself this place was perfectly safe. In the end, it almost cost us our lives. There’s something here. Something evil.”

  “Do you sense anything now?” Henry asked, stifling his smile.

  Melody paused and listened. “No, not right now.”

  “Exactly. Whatever you felt here before no longer exists, thanks to the heroic efforts of your husband.”

  Melody squeezed Steve’s hand as she looked over the building. “I don’t see anything to connect me to what the place was before. It’s like a completely different location.”

  “We cut back quite a lot of the forest to accommodate the new building. If you follow me, I’ll give you a quick tour and show you to your room. I’ll have someone take your things in for you.” He said, holding out a podgy hand for the car keys.

  Reluctantly, Melody handed them over. Henry smiled and took a deep breath. “Well, if you just follow me I’ll show you around.”

  Henry turned and pushed through the door, holding it open for Steve and Melody. Holding hands, they followed, looking around the lobby which was still a hive of activity as the crew set up.

  “Apologies for the mess. We’re still finishing off a few things. We don’t actually open to the public for another month. We have quite a few small jobs still to do I’m afraid, mostly on the upper floors. This, as you can see is our main lobby. Dining room and kitchen off there to the left, staff rooms to the right. We have a bar in the north-east corner, however I’m afraid it’s unfinished and won’t be open much before the official launch day.”

  “How many rooms do you have?” Melody asked, feeling less afraid than she’d expected.

  “Thirty-two across two floors open right now. None here on the ground level. The upper levels have 16 per floor, or will have when we get them finished.”

  “So what exactly do you want us to do? You haven’t told us why we’re here yet.”

  “Is either of you aware of the television show Paranormal Truth?”

  “Yeah, I know it,” Steve replied.

  “My brother, Dane, is the lead investigator. He intends to do a full investigation of the site tomorrow. There will be two teams. One led by Dane, the second by one of his team. Together with the rest of the guests we will investigate the site and attempt to answer once and for all exactly what we’re dealing with.”

  “You don’t want to mess with this thing,” Steve said with a shake of the head. “It’s unlike anything you could ever imagine.”

  “These teams, how many people will there be in each?” Melody asked.

  “We haven’t decided yet. It will be a minimum of four per team. At no point will you be alone or in danger. The camera crews will also be present to record the various investigations.”

  “What do you hope to prove here?” Steve said. Melody sensed his irritation. “Why would anyone want to do this? It’s stupid.”

  “We have to do something, Mr. Samson,” Henry snapped. “As you’ll have noticed on the drive in, the town has changed for the worst since the two of you went public with what happened here.”

  “You’re seriously trying to blame us?” Steve said, taking a half-step towards Henry. “It was because people like you sat on the truth for so long so many people died. You had an obligation to tell us what we were getting into.”

  “We did what was best for the town.”

  “At what cost? We all know how many people died here. We were almost added to the list. Why can’t you acknowledge there’s something here and it shouldn’t be fucked around with?”

  “We hid it because of this, because we feared what our town would become,” Henry said, also now growing angry. “We knew what would happen if word got out. We were right. The town is a mess, and it’s all because of this place. Why shouldn’t we take advantage of the situation and bring in some much needed local revenue?”

  “The town seems to be doing fine. We saw plenty of new stores open on the drive through.”

  “None of them are run by locals anymore. They’re franchises from the city. Do you know how it is to live in a town which is thriving and yet its own residents – long term residents I might add – who are good peop
le, starve and are forced to move away to start new lives elsewhere? I know you don’t agree with what I’m doing here, and trust me, you’re not alone. What else could I do but embrace the chaos and try to make it work for us instead of against us?”

  He noticed people were watching his outburst, and cleared his throat.

  “Anyway, the point is, we had to do something. I know you don’t approve, and after this weekend you will never have to hear of it again. Now let me show you to your room.”

  “You know, maybe this isn’t such a good idea. Money or no money.”

  “Let’s not make any hasty decisions here, Mr. Samson,” Henry said, switching on his elastic smile. “We’re all adults here. I’m sure we can come to some kind of an arrangement.”

  “Forget it. Keep the money. Some things you just can’t buy, Mr. Marshall.”

  Steve and Melody turned to leave, and had almost reached the doors when Henry spoke again.

  “We all do things in times of need, Mr. Samson. Even you.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Steve said over his shoulder.

  “I mean all of us take desperate measures to do what we think is right. I think the only difference between good and bad is perception, wouldn’t you agree?”

  “If you have something to say to me, you’d better spit it out.”

  “All I’m saying is, sometimes the end justifies the means. Be it building a hotel to profit on a surge of unwanted popularity, or telling a white lie or two, even to something as extreme as blaming murder on a dead man.”

  Steve started to walk towards Marshall, balling his fists. “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing at all,” he replied, stretching the oozing grin further across his face. “It’s just that I have a friend who says there are certain… inconsistencies with your version of events. Some might say to the extent that you had something to hide.”

  “I don’t know what you’re trying to imply,” Melody said. “Whatever it is, you’re wrong. We gave full statements to the police after the fire about what happened.”

  “Still, you have to admit, there are certain skeletons better left buried.”

  “I don’t believe this,” Steve said, shaking his head. “Are you trying to blackmail me?”

  “Absolutely not. I wouldn’t dream of ever doing anything of the kind. All I’m saying is certain other people might be inclined to look closer into what happened. Of course, it would be next to impossible right now, as the case files are all locked away in the town archives. Some might say they’d be almost impossible to find unless someone really wanted to find them.”

  Melody glanced at Steve, and in that one innocent gesture, Henry knew he had them. He lowered his voice to a near whisper.

  “Two days is all I need. As far as blackmail goes, it’s quite the opposite. If you stay until after the investigation tomorrow night, I’ll throw in a little bonus payment which will be enough to send that sweet little boy of yours through college. However, if you still want to leave, there’s nothing I can do to stop you.”

  The trio stood there, all knowing Henry Marshall had trapped them, even if they were reluctant to admit it. Steve searched Melody’s face, and saw she was as lost as he was.

  “Which room are we staying in?” Steve grunted.

  “Room 11. First floor.” Henry said, holding out the key card to Steve. “I can walk you there if you like?”

  “Don’t bother,” Steve said, snatching the card. “We’ll be fine on our own.”

  “Understood. Enjoy your stay,” Henry beamed, watching as they pushed through the door to the stairs. Satisfied, he stepped behind the lobby desk and leaned on the counter, taking a moment to breathe in the atmosphere and then grabbed his car keys, the smile melting from his face. He had one other piece of business yet to take care of, one more loose end to tie up before the rest of the guests arrived. Whistling to himself, he exited the hotel and climbed into his car, pulling away smoothly and making for Goodson’s apartment. There were certain questions he wanted answers to, and the black thing bubbling inside him wouldn’t wait to get them.

  II

  Despite having a lot of work to do ahead of the investigation, Dane was struggling to concentrate. His earlier encounter in the dining room had left a deep impression, and now it was the only thing he could concentrate on. He strolled down the forest access road, happy to put some distance between him and the hotel. The script notes clutched in his hands may as well have been written in gibberish for all the sense they were making.

  You don’t believe in stuff like this.

  It was true. Never in his near twelve years as a paranormal investigator had there ever been any reason to consider there might be something out there beyond life. At least until earlier. The rational side of him said ghosts weren’t solid forms, they were wispy things, sheets with holes in them or unseen things which snatch children into TV sets from under the nose of hapless parents if Hollywood was to be believed. They weren’t solid forms which looked as real as anyone else you might pass in the street. He almost managed to convince himself the man was just another Gogoku extra who had simply been separated from the rest of his group.

  You know he isn’t though.

  That was also true. He knew because he had personally interviewed all of the Gogoku actors, and whoever had been in the dining room wasn’t one of them. There was also the outfit the man had been wearing. Unlike the cheap-looking getup the actors had been dressed in, there was an authenticity about the clothes the mystery man in the Dining room had worn. It had a simplicity and legitimacy. It looked… right. After spending the best part of his career proving everything was explicable, for the first time he was absolutely at a loss to find a good reason why the man had been there, never mind who he was.

  He checked his phone and saw he was at last out of the signal dead spot over the Hotel and grounds. He dialed Fred, hoping the producer could offer some advice.

  “Dane, I was just about to call you. How are things going up there?” the chirpy South African said.

  “Hi Fred, everything’s looking good up here,” Dane replied, wondering how to best approach the subject of his call. “How are things over there?”

  “Usual shit here. Fucking networks are on my back as per, and the investors are getting twitchy. Bastards.”

  “That’s actually why I’m calling.”

  “Don’t tell me there’s a problem?”

  “No, not really. It’s just… there’s something weird about this place.”

  “I bloody well hope so,” Fred replied.

  “No, I don’t mean like that. I mean this place isn’t right. I’m starting to think this might not have been the best idea.”

  “Don’t tell me Dane Marshall is getting cold feet?” Fred said with a chuckle.

  “You don’t understand. There’s something weird here.”

  “Are you saying its legit? As in haunted legit?”

  The Gogoku man flashed up for a second in Dane’s mind’s eye, and he almost mentioned it.

  “No, I’m not saying haunted. You know I don’t really believe in that stuff. It’s just… the atmosphere here’s strange. It’s almost like the air has a weight. You know how just before a thunderstorm you can feel it in the air? It’s like that.”

  “Surely that’s good though, eh? Should make for cracking television.”

  “I don’t think we should go ahead. Maybe we could still switch locations. I hear Cromwell Manor might be open to an investigation.”

  “Are you serious? We can’t move now. We’ve already spent too much on the production, never mind the advertising. Besides, if the atmosphere there is even getting to you, it will look fuckin’ amazing on TV. Ratings are king in this business, although I don’t need to tell you that.”

  “Remember the night in your trailer when you first asked me to talk to my brother about this?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “I do too. I remember how nonchalant I was about the idea of something e
xisting that we wouldn’t be able to explain. In fact, I seem to remember having laughed it off.”

  “I remember. You said something along the lines of it was all bullshit, because after all the places you’d been in the world, you’d never seen anything to make you think anything was out there.”

  “Yeah, well until I came here, that was true. Now I’m not so sure.”

  “You’re probably just paranoid. It’s isolated up there. Pressure of the importance of the show is probably getting to you too. Fact is I shouldn’t have left you up there to do this on your own.”

  “Maybe,” he said, knowing there was no point trying to convince Fred otherwise.

  “Tell you what I’ll do. I’ll move some things around at this end and drive up there.”

  “You don’t have to,” Dane said, wondering if the decision was made through concern or ensuring the show went ahead without a hitch.

  “I do have to, and it’s something I probably should have done from the start. Putting it all on you wasn’t fair. Besides, I could do with a break from the bloody phone ringing here in the office.”

  “You won’t have to worry about that here. It’s a signal dead spot. You’ll be off the grid.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “I can handle this, Fred. I don’t want you to feel like you have to come and babysit me.”

  “It’s nothing to do with your ability. Truth is you have me curious. The Dane Marshall I know is usually the most level-headed unflappable human being I’ve ever met. I can hear in your voice something different.”

  “I’m tired.”

  “No it’s something else. You sound scared. We need to make sure we get it on film.”

  “Why do I feel like a whore right now and you just slipped off my panties?”

  Fred chuckled down the phone. “Come on, Dane, we both know this is all about the ratings. Besides, if it makes you feel any better I wouldn’t do anything to you the networks and investors aren’t trying to do to me. Capturing whatever uncertainties you have on film will only help both of us in the long run.”