Madison Johns - Agnes Barton Paranormal 02 - Ghostly Hijinks

by Madison Johns

  Lois smoothed back her gray, streaked hair. “Now, Redd, that’s hardly fair. It’s not my fault that I’m old-fashioned. I truly don’t judge anyone for living the way they choose. There’s a Catholic and a Presbyterian church in town if you’d like to get married, though,” she pointed out.

  I swallowed hard at the mention and didn’t care for a complete stranger to lecture to me about getting married. Truth was that I’d been engaged for months now, but I just wasn’t quite ready to seal the deal just yet. I saw no real reason for folks my age to get married. Incidentally, Eleanor and Mr. Wilson were also engaged and I didn’t see them rushing to the altar, either.

  “Thanks, but are our rooms ready yet? I’d really like to freshen up.”

  “I meant no disrespect, truly,” Lois said as she handed our room keys to us.

  I took the keys and handed Eleanor one of them. “What floor are our rooms on?” I motioned to Mr. Wilson. “As you can see, one of us uses a rolling walker.”

  “They’re on the third floor, but we have an elevator, so it shouldn’t be any trouble.”

  “The third floor?” Redd said. “Why on tarnation did you put them up on that floor, Lois?”

  She hummed to herself as she filed the card Andrew had filled out. “It’s quieter up there is why. The saloon gets awfully noisy at night.”

  “Yes, but you know—”

  Lois stomped her foot. “Darn it, Redd. I manage this hotel, not you.”

  He rubbed his hand over his nearly bald head. “Fine, but don’t blame me if they check out in the middle of the night.”

  That sure got my attention. “Middle of the night?” I asked. It was then that I felt a chill rush up my back and the silhouettes of two women dressed in long dresses with bustles passed the desk. Caroline took that moment to appear and whisper in my ear, “I do believe this place is haunted.”

  I wanted to retort with, “Tell me something I don’t know,” but I kept my thoughts to myself for now.

  Redd pushed the cart containing our suitcases to the elevator with a gold door that opened promptly after he pushed the large, oval ‘up’ button. We waited until Mr. Wilson strolled ahead of us, and once we were inside, Redd pressed the number three button. I couldn’t help but notice there were also a B and M buttons. Okay, so I assumed B was for basement, but what was the M button for? The elevator doors closed and I asked Redd about the M button and he said, “Well, back in 1876, the owner had access to the mine that runs under the hotel, but it’s since been closed down. They just never decided to remove the M button.”

  “How interesting,” Eleanor said. “I sure wish it was still functional. I’ve never seen the inside of a mine shaft before.”

  “Good thing, too,” I said. “That sounds very unsafe.”

  “Actually, there is a section of the Lemon Pine Mine that is open to the public. It’s east of town.”

  Eleanor clapped her hands. “Great, we’re so going there.”

  I shook my head. “I-I’m not so sure about that. I have an aversion to small spaces.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since I’ve watched far too many movies about people getting trapped in mine shafts and underground caverns.”

  “Your friend is right. It’s mighty dangerous down in the mineshafts. Even an old-timer like me can get lost in the miles of tunnels.”

  “I’m sure they wouldn’t have it open to the public unless it was safe though, right?” Andrew asked.

  “Of course, but just be sure to stay with the tour guide and not stray from the tour too far, is all I’d say. There’s plenty of other things to see in town besides the old mines. They try to make most of the businesses authentic to the days of the Old West. That’s why I parked your vehicle out back. Most places of interest are within walking distance.”

  “You forgot to give me back my key fob,” Andrew said.

  Redd checked his pockets and came up empty. “I sure did. Maybe I left it downstairs.”

  “Well, check it pronto, man. I don’t want to be stuck in this town forever,” Andrew said.

  I had to agree with that one. It made me very nervous now. As it was, I had a phobia about not having my car keys in my pocket at all times. Before I could voice my opinion on that subject, the elevator doors swung open and we followed Redd up the hallway. There was a railing along the one side of the hallway and you could see all the way to the first floor. It unnerved me when I thought about how someone could die from a fall from up here, so I rushed along.

  I came to an abrupt halt when I came to Room 109 and stared at the door, half expecting to see Rebecca open it, and I couldn’t stop myself from knocking. I rapped lightly, but when nobody came to the door, I knocked louder.

  “What on earth are you doing?” Eleanor asked as the others stared at me strangely.

  “I-I…” I started.

  Redd came over to me and implored me, “Please come away from that door, ma’am. That room is closed; nobody is ever booked in that room.”

  “Why not?”

  Redd shuffled his feet. “I’d rather not say. That’s why I was surprised you folks were given rooms on this floor.”

  “Just because one room is closed doesn’t mean the whole floor should be,” Eleanor said. “Unless there’s a more sinister reason not to be on this floor.”

  Redd led the way to the next door and opened it, carrying in the suitcases that Andrew pointed out. I made my way into room 110 and Eleanor entered room 111 on the other side. I stared around the room that had a queen-sized bed with burgundy bedspread, a dresser and no television. “No television?” I muttered.

  “Oh, no. Did Lois also forget to mention that the bathroom is down the hall?”

  The bed squeaked as I sat on it and Andrew laughed. He joined me on the edge of the bed and proceeded to bounce up and down, making it squeak loudly as the springs made an eiee-eiee sound. I shot him a look and he winked at me, which infuriated me beyond belief. “I guess I should have looked at the website better before I booked a room.”

  “I know we’re a little old-fashioned here in Silver, but I assure you, you’ll enjoy your stay.”

  “I suppose Internet or cellular connection is out of the picture here, too?”

  “I’m sorry about the television, but even with satellites, we’ve never had any luck pulling in any decent channels. We do have landlines if you need to make a call, though.”

  I tried to smile, I really did, but all I could think about was how we had landed smack dab in the middle of no-man’s land. “Please, find that key fob. I’d at least like to feel comfortable about something here.”

  Andrew handed Redd a five while I sauntered over to the window, glancing down at the street below. If it weren’t for the paved road, I’d have thought we were indeed transported into the past.

  When I faced Andrew, they were finally all alone. “I wonder why they never installed individual bathrooms in the rooms.”

  “Perhaps they saw no need for it. Sure fits into the Old West theme.”

  “I just hope they have running water, at least.”

  “I’ll check it out,” Andrew said. “If it would make you feel better.”

  Andrew left, and right now, nothing made me feel better. In the distance, I saw a wrought-iron fence surrounding what I thought might be a cemetery of sorts. I flipped on the light switch to assure myself something modern existed here. Okay, so at least we had lights, and what looked to be an interesting Old West town.

  “Your room looks just like ours,” Eleanor said from the doorway. “I’m bummed about no television, though, and what’s up with no bathroom?”

  “It’s down the hall,” I said.

  “That’s definitely inconvenient. I sure hope I’m able to make it to the bathroom in time. I can’t go an entire night without at least getting up a few times during the night,” Eleanor said.

  “Me, either,” I agreed.

  Caroline darted into the room. “This is a great place. I can’t wait to meet the o
ther spirits.”

  Eleanor rolled her eyes. “That’s the last thing I want to hear. That this place is haunted, too.”

  “What did you expect, the Hyatt?” I asked.

  “No, I just didn’t plan to run into another haunted place so soon. I’d hoped we had left that behind us in Michigan.”

  “So, Caroline. You haven’t met any spirits yet?”

  “Oh, no. I passed a few, but they didn’t stick around to chat. It might take a while before they decide to speak to me.”

  That’s also not what I wanted to hear. “Could you check out Room 109 for me? I had the most bizarre dream while we were on the road.”

  “You did?” Eleanor asked. “Please share.”

  I paced for a few moments until Eleanor and Caroline both gave me the eye. Caroline adjusted her hat and hovered close by.

  “I swear it seemed so very real, but in a way it was just too crazy. I mean, I dreamed the car clonked out and a ghost led me to a cabin where a little girl was.”

  “Little girl … in … like … the middle of nowhere?” Eleanor asked.

  “Yes. I even dreamed that we brought her into town and asked the sheriff if anyone had reported her missing. Her name was Rebecca and she was about five. The sheriff didn’t have any missing persons reports filed and asked me to look after the child until he figured out who she was.”

  “That seems odd,” Eleanor said. “What happened then?”

  “We came to the Goldberg Hotel and it seemed so odd. The woman at the desk was not Lois and there were a few men dressed in clothes not from 2014. Somehow, I had lost sight of Rebecca, but when I did see her again, she was led away by a few women dressed from the 1800s.” I took in a few heavy breaths. “She disappeared into Room 109.”

  “It was just a dream, Aggie,” Eleanor said.

  Caroline smiled sadly. “She’s right. It was probably just a dream.”

  Eleanor smiled. “It’s about time you agreed with me, Caroline.”

  I was happy that for the moment they were getting along. “The thing is that Caroline told me she had gotten lost from her parents. They were looking for gold bars, and from the sounds of it, they didn’t have enough money to keep a roof over their heads.”

  “How awful,” Caroline said. “I’d go check out Room 109, but I don’t want to do it alone. We should all go together.”

  Andrew walked back into the room, smacking Caroline with the door, but unbeknownst by him. “I found the bathroom, but there’s no shower. Only a bathtub, but there’s room for two,” he winked.

  I saw no humor in that. I had no idea how I was ever going to enjoy myself since I wouldn’t be able to take a shower, at least.

  “I’ll meet you ladies at midnight,” Caroline said before she faded away.

  Chapter Four

  I took a nap before dinner, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t conjure up any more images of Rebecca, or what had really happened to her. I just hoped that we would find some clues to her whereabouts in Room 109.

  Eleanor knocked on the door. She was wearing yellow capris with a matching shirt, her flip-flops slapping on the floor as she walked into the room. Mr. Wilson wore his customary gray work pants and shirt that made his skin look even more gray than usual. I, on the other hand, wore lavender slacks and a button-up shirt. I hooked my arm with Andrew’s, who was dressed in black slacks and a tee that hugged his lean frame. His gray hair was combed back, like usual, and I always felt extremely lucky to have him in my life. He was my former boss and attorney from Saginaw, Michigan, but of course, back then he was off the market and very married. We reconnected when he’d showed up in Tawas one day and, shortly thereafter, became steady as a rock. He had been widowed for a number of years by then. I, on the other hand, had been widowed since my forties when my husband Tom died from a heart attack. He was a state trooper, and I highly suspect that’s where I get my snoopy nature from. But, then again, most senior citizens had a knack for being snoopy. There’s not much else someone my age can do. I sure wished I didn’t see ghosts, but Caroline had proven to be a great partner.

  “Are you ready to eat? Unless you’re not hungry,” Andrew said.

  “Actually, I’m starving.”

  We left together, and when we came out of the elevator, we walked past a few women who I knew by now were ghosts. They simply nodded as I passed by them and the stone fireplace from my dream, but the men I had seen in my dream weren’t there. I wished I didn’t keep trying to sort all of this out. Perhaps it really was all just a dream.

  In the dining room, white tablecloths covered the tables and each had a lit candle centered on it. Andrew held out chairs for both Eleanor and me while Mr. Wilson sat down in his with a thump. “I hope they have tuna casserole,” he said. “Of course, I doubt that they’d make it as good as me.”

  “Nobody I know would dare eat it unless you made it, Wilson,” Eleanor said.

  I smiled and that was the truth. Tuna casserole was off my ‘to eat’ list unless it’s to not make Mr. Wilson feel bad—something I’d never do.

  A waitress greeted us and whizzed away with our drink orders, bringing back our bottled sodas. We ordered the barbequed ribs, baked potato, and baked beans, which was the special.

  “It’s going to be a loud night tonight,” Mr. Wilson said. “Baked beans do it to me every time.”

  “I hope after dinner we can head to bed for the night. I mean, I’m really bushed after that long drive.”

  “I second that one,” Andrew said. “I just hope that we can get a full day of sightseeing in tomorrow. I fancied myself a cowboy when I was a kid.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes, I wouldn’t even take my cowboy boots off when I went to bed. My mother took them off when I went to sleep,” he laughed.

  I smiled. It was always great to learn something about Andrew that I didn’t know.

  When our food came, I must admit that we were all starving enough not to worry about how we might look as we dug into our ribs with our fingers. The dining room was empty except for us and I asked the waitress if we were the only guests at the hotel tonight.

  “No, there are other guests, but none of them ever are booked on the third floor.” She shuddered. “The other guests are probably somewhere in town eating dinner.”

  “What’s wrong with the third floor?” I asked.

  She leaned in and said, “I’m not supposed to talk about the third floor or the goings on in the hotel.”

  Eleanor laughed. “Oh, please. How bad can it be?”

  “Let me just say that the last guests to stay on the third floor never made it a full night.”

  “You mean—” Eleanor gulped.

  “Yes, they’ve either checked out or went missing.”

  “There have been missing persons cases in Silver?”

  “Yes, but the sheriff always denies it. I’m sure it doesn’t help that Lois’s nephew is the sheriff here in town.”

  I drank more of my soda with a shaky hand. Was it possible that the third floor of the hotel was so haunted that folks ran off into the night? And what about—”

  Before I was able to ask any more questions, the waitress added, “Room 109 isn’t closed off without a good reason. Folks have died in that room.”

  I leaned forward. “Do tell.”

  “Well…” the waitress began but walked away when Lois came into the dining room.

  “Figures,” Eleanor said. “She was just about to spill the beans.”

  “Right. I just don’t trust that Lois. Why would she book us in a third floor room if it was all that bad? Does she want to get rid of us that quick?”

  “We’re living in sin, so I can’t say I blame the girl,” Andrew said with a wink.

  “Living in sin? From my recollection, you don’t reside with me, Andrew. We’ll get married someday.”

  “I’m not harping on that, Agnes. All I know is that Lois might just be punishing us since we’re not married. You shouldn’t have told her.”
>
  “And you expected me to lie?”

  “No, but you don’t need to volunteer information, either. I tell my clients that all the time, but somehow they never listen.”

  Okay, so Andrew was now putting me in the, I’m not going to listen to you anyway category. Fine, so I’ll admit that I have a horrible habit of telling people things that they don’t need to know, but I’ve never been one to keep my thoughts to myself. “I’m not your client, Andrew.”

  “Not yet, anyway.”

  I whipped a palm through my gray hair. “Ye of little faith. I promise that I have no interest in running smack into doing anything that would land me close to a jail cell.”

  “Good. Keep it that way.”

  Ice cream with a brownie and hot fudge were served last and not long afterward, I was back in our hotel room, listening for Andrew’s heavy breathing that would indicate he had, indeed, gone to sleep.

  * * *

  Andrew had thrown an arm over me and it took over a half-hour to slip out of bed, freeing myself from his limbs. I heard a few thumps from the room on the other side and wondered if Eleanor and Caroline were up over there already.

  Instead of dressing, I opted to slip out the door with my nightgown on, meeting an aggravated Eleanor in the hallway.

  “It’s about time, Agnes.”

  I pushed a finger against my lips, shushing her. “Be quiet before you wake up Andrew,” I whispered.

  Eleanor rolled her eyes and I followed her to Room 109. I tried the doorknob and squared my shoulders when it wouldn’t turn. Caroline appeared from the ceiling and slipped through the door. It then popped open and we slipped inside. I immediately hugged myself at the chill inside and I moved to switch the light switch on, but Caroline stopped me, barring my way.

  “I can’t see in here,” I said.

  “I can switch on the flashlight on my cell phone. At least that part of my phone works,” Eleanor said, meaning that ever since we’d rolled out of Silver, our cell service had died.

  Eleanor powered on her flashlight tool and we began to walk around the room. Cobwebs had taken over the room and they hung down from the ceiling from what we could see. From the display on Eleanor’s iPhone, it was only eleven o’clock and I gazed out the window briefly. Not a soul was moving around outside.