“Why did you really call me?”
“Because I’m frustrated and about to rip someone’s head off—no one in particular. Just some hapless bystander.”
His father chuckled, “Or one of your employees. Why don’t you refocus your energy on something productive—the new case, perhaps?”
“Right. I’ll call you if I ever get my house unpacked.”
After they said their goodbyes, Jonah tucked his cell into his jacket pocket. Teague Hotel. The way Mr. Roarch talked the place had better be important. Within seconds of typing the name into a search engine, local news articles touted the upcoming remodel of the old hotel—the first hotel opened in the city. After being closed for more than twenty years, the decrepit building was bought by Alex Roarch, a well-known businessman in the area.
And not someone I need doubting our credibility.
He pulled out a tablet and made a few notes from the news article, then he logged the case file on the computer. After submitting the log, he pushed himself away from the desk. It was time to give Kaylyn and Cole the news.
As soon as Jonah’s foot hit the top stair, he heard Kaylyn’s voice in the first office. “What gives Sir Ass the right to come here and piss on everything?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and waited in the middle of the hallway. If either of them bothered to look around, he’d be in plain sight.
“Kay,” Cole said, “He wasn’t that bad. He’s doing his job.”
“His job is to be a condescending jackass in suit pants? Who does he think he is? He’s barely older than me. And his last name is Troyer. He must be Nathan Troyer’s son. “
Jonah’s jaw clenched tighter.
Cole looked up, meeting Jonah’s gaze. Her eyes went wide as she tapped the tip of her pen against the desk. “Um, Kay—”
“So, what? Being a Council leader’s son, gives him the right to walk in, take over our office, and critique everything we’ve done? We may not do it his way but—”
“Kay!” Cole shouted.
Kaylyn froze, then her body went slack. “All of the signs we came up with growing up and we never invented one for ‘he’s standing right behind you’?”
Kaylyn
When Kaylyn turned to face Jonah, she couldn’t tell if the look on his face was slightly befuddled or amused, but the throbbing vein along his temple indicated that the rest was undeniable anger.
“I’m guessing you’d like to return to my office to continue your rant.”
“Not really.” Kaylyn lowered her head, and hoped he didn’t hear all of her grumbling.
Jonah jerked his head back and led the way to his office. Kaylyn closed the door, hoping to get it over with, but his silent stare continued. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, biting the inside of her bottom lip.
“Did I not make myself clear?” he finally asked.
“Yes, sir.” Her voice squeaked, furthering her embarrassment.
His eyebrows rose. “And that bit?” He nodded toward the door.
Her brain, which seconds ago wouldn’t shut off, now left her high and dry. When she opened her mouth to speak, only a grunting sound escaped.
“Well?”
“I’m sorry, sir,” she muttered, and hoped it didn’t sound too much like a question.
He sat down in his chair and motioned for her to sit as well. “You’re familiar with the term insubordination?”
“Yes, sir.” She couldn’t remember the last time she’d used the word “sir” so much. Barely half a day of work had passed, and she was beginning to feel like she’d landed in an alternate universe.
“Then you’re either brave or you just don’t care. Pleading ignorance would have at least made you look slightly excusable. But I understand that under Carlisle’s guidance, the concept applied quite loosely.” He paused, rubbing his temple and staring at the mess on his desk. “You’ve been with Aicil three years, but you and Cole both became full-time investigators just three months ago, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Two months after you both graduated from college?”
“Yes,” Kaylyn replied slowly, unsure of where this was going.
“How is it that you both graduated from college at the same time, when you’re a year older?”
Kaylyn pulled at her shirtsleeve, trying to gauge what he intended to gain from her answer. “I...,” wasn’t exactly a model student for the first couple years, “didn’t really go into college knowing what I wanted to do.”
Jonah pressed his lips together, as if he knew exactly what she was hiding, which just made Kaylyn feel the need to fidget even more when he began speaking again.
“You should know that your name, in particular, has come up in recent discussions,” he paused, probably just to watch her squirm in her seat. “The Council is beginning to wonder how much your sister is carrying you.”
“Excuse me?!” Kaylyn rose, realizing that was where he’d been going with the entire conversation. Sure, she hadn’t taken college seriously until the latter half of her second year, but that had nothing to do with Cole.
“Sit down.” Jonah’s voice deepened with the command. He may not have been much older, but he certainly had more experience being in charge. “If you want to refute the allegations, first explain the shiner you have forming. And the condition of the object you were sent to retrieve this morning.”
Kaylyn’s fingertips brushed against the swollen skin of her cheekbone, and she flinched. “He caught me off guard, sir. No one told us what the box was, or that it could turn him into some berserker freak.”
“When you’re dealing with the paranormal, you can’t afford to be caught off guard. You had no idea what kind of disaster could have precipitated because you allowed an object to be smashed.”
“Of course, but—”
Jonah raised his hand to hush her. “You’re lucky that it destroyed the connection. Making such a mistake on a simple assignment tells me you’re either getting too cocky for your own good—which given your behavior wouldn’t surprise me—or you’re overwhelmed with the job. Common, in this line of work.”
Kaylyn sank in her seat as Jonah’s voice rose. Carlisle had recruited her and Cole to Aicil when she was a sophomore in college and, since then, it had been her life. She had found something that helped her make sense of life, something that gave her a drive to do more. And it gave her the drive to finish college, since Aicil required all full-time investigators to have at least a bachelors.
“Either way,” Jonah continued, “we are considering reassignment and removal from field work, pending my review of your performance.”
Kaylyn’s eyebrows drew into a sharp line across her face as she swallowed and forced herself to meet his gaze again.
“No response?”
“No, sir.” She replied, barely making a sound.
“Well, since you’re here, perhaps you’d like to know that the hospital called, Mr. Edwards will be fine.”
Her nails dug into the arm of the chair as she forced out, “That’s good news.”
“Yes. We’ll find out in the next couple of days what the researchers manage to pull from the shards of the artifact.”
You are fucked.
Jonah took a deep breath and his shoulders dropped. “I was coming up to tell you and Cole that a client has requested you for an investigation. Apparently, he had talked to Carlisle, but I haven’t found any notes on the arrangement. If you two can take the case, you’re welcome to take the rest of the afternoon off and meet me at the Teague Hotel at 4:45.”
Kaylyn’s eyes widened at the mention of the Teague Hotel. Since she was a kid, she’d imagined what the inside of the hotel looked like. It had been gutted since then, but her curiosity of the building continued to niggle at her. Trying to ignore Jonah’s look of disappointment at giving her and Cole the assignment, she nodded. “Sounds good. Thank you, sir.”
Raising his eyebrows Jonah asked, “Why are you thanking me? I didn’t make the arrange
ment, I’m giving the client what he wants and, rest assured, I’ll be keeping an eye on you both throughout the assignment.” Jonah exhaled slowly and turned his attention to the pile of papers on his desk. “You’re dismissed.”
Kaylyn dragged herself out of the chair and into the hallway, where she finally managed to take a deep breath. Heading back upstairs, she avoided eye contact with everyone until she found Cole.
“How’d it go?” Cole peeked up from behind her own pile of paperwork.
“Do not ask. Let’s just say for the immediate future, I still have my job.”
“He threatened to fire you?” Cole’s eyes narrowed as she stopped writing.
“He basically said he’s not sure what he’s going to do with me, but while he completes his performance evaluation, we have a new case. We’re supposed to meet him at the Teague Hotel at quarter to five.”
“The Teague? I’m surprised you’re not bursting at the seams.”
“He threatened to fire me and assigned me to the case in the same breath. That kind of kills the excitement.” Kaylyn sat back abruptly and chewed on the cap of her pen while she looked over the list of reports Jonah wanted.
By the time Kaylyn and Cole submitted all of their paperwork, it was two in the afternoon, which left a couple of hours to get Kaylyn’s wardrobe up to Jonah-approved specifications before meeting him at the Teague Hotel. As they tore through Kaylyn’s closet, Cole offered half a dozen times to take her shopping—which would inevitably make them late for the meeting—or let her borrow something, but since Cole was taller and leaner, Kaylyn couldn’t imagine trying to fit into any of her tailored clothes with ease. They tracked down a white button down blouse in the back of the closet and a pair of black slacks that she’d worn only once—to a funeral.
Jonah was already waiting outside the Teague Hotel by the time they arrived. They were early, thank goodness, but Kaylyn wasn’t looking forward to Jonah hovering over their every move as they began the investigation.
“Good evening,” Jonah said, nodding to the girls as they approached.
“Good evening, sir,” Cole replied with a smile.
Kaylyn glared; she hated that Cole actually liked and defended the new boss. But then, Cole wasn’t the one getting reamed all day. Putting on her best imitation of a personable expression, she decided her best choice was to hang back and resist saying anything sardonic. She could feel Jonah’s assessing eye fall over her wardrobe, but refused to meet his gaze. Instead, she rubbed a hand over the hem of her blouse, an attempt to smooth it out, but it just reminded her of her discomfort.
“I came over here just after a conference call. I haven’t heard from Mr. Roarch since this morning,” Jonah said. “He should be here by five.”
“No problem.” Cole shrugged, trying to peer through a crack in the plywood covered windows. “What are we looking for?”
Jonah took a breath and glanced toward the darkening sky. “He led me to believe that he had told Carlisle, but wouldn’t repeat the information to me, and I haven’t been able to find anything in Carlisle’s files. Since you’re both from this area, I was hoping to rely on your familiarity with the building.”
Kaylyn’s eyes lit up. He was going to rely on them—that was promising. And the Teague Hotel was certainly a conversation she could keep up with. She heard Cole chuckle, and glanced over to see them both watching her.
Jonah leaned against the wall, crossing his ankles. “Maybe you’d like to make the introduction, Kaylyn.”
With the sudden spotlight, her insecurities crept up again. She wasn’t sure if he was testing her, or toying with her.
Jonah’s eyes widened as he waited. “The floor is yours.”
Kaylyn finally opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the buzz of Jonah’s phone.
Glancing at the screen, he groaned. “Mr. Roarch. I’ll give you a few seconds to gather your thoughts, and you can brief me on the hotel.” Jonah smirked as he slipped around the corner to take the call.
Kaylyn blew a slow breath through her pursed lips as she tried to figure out how the hell she was supposed to act around him. The smirk was the closest thing he’d had to a comforting expression.
Maybe it won’t be so bad, she tried to convince herself, but another little voice in the back of her head told her not to get comfortable. Comfort leads to Kaylyn being Kaylyn, she reminded herself, and apparently being Kaylyn is against Aicil guidelines.
Jonah returned, tucking his phone into his pocket, “He’s on his way, but running a little late. That gives us plenty of time to discuss the hotel.”
Kaylyn took a deep breath. “The hotel was the largest in the area when it opened in 1920, while the town was emerging as an industrial hub. A couple of months after opening, the owner, Lawnrence Teague, died when the elevator cable snapped. Despite the tragedy, a new owner took over and continued building on the success. It had a good run until around 1986, when it was no longer feasible to update the old structure. I heard they started renovations around 2000, but nothing came of it. The city bought it recently, for a pretty penny, and then turned over for about half of the purchase price to a private owner for renovations.”
“Any idea what makes this an Aicil case?” Cole asked. “I’ve never heard any strange reports.”
Jonah grunted. “Mr. Roarch doesn’t want to be bothered with it. He did mention that the complaints came from his crew. They won’t return to work until the building is cleared.”
Kaylyn’s eyebrows drew toward the bridge of her nose as Jonah spoke. Old buildings didn’t become haunted overnight. Sure, reconstruction could stir up old spirits, but there were typically signs—old stories of strange events believed to be urban legends. The Teague Hotel had a colorful history, but none of the telltale signs of a haunting.
“Yes, Kaylyn?”
Even with Jonah’s civility—or maybe because of it—Kaylyn hesitated.
“I’m not going to cut out your tongue. If you don’t say what’s on your mind, we’re not doing a lot of good here.”
“Well… Mr. Roarch has a lot invested here, even with the deal he cut. There haven’t been recorded claims before, and a haunted hotel would garner a lot of attention.” Her voice lingered for a second as she considered the implications. “As much as I love the place, is it possible this is nothing more than a marketing ploy? Or a strategy to protect himself if the restoration fails?”
Jonah smiled, possibly his first approving gesture toward Kaylyn. “It is a possibility. Our contract for investigation requires it to be kept out of the media, and Mr. Roarch was insistent on keeping it quiet, but it never hurts to be a little suspicious.”
Cole took a seat on one of the brick windowsills. “The hotel was shut down almost twenty-five years ago. It's possible that there’s a deeper reason no one has finished renovations since then.”
They wrapped up their conversation when a black BMW M3 parked along the curb. An older man, with a beer gut and a combover, stepped out of the car, grumbling what might have been a greeting as he walked by to unlock the building.
“Evening, sir.” Cole attempted.
“So, there are three of you?” Mr. Roarch asked. “Carlisle said he would be sending Cole and Kaylyn Anderson.”
Cole raised her hand, “Cole.”
“And I’m Kaylyn.”
Then, all eyes fell on Jonah. “Jonah Troyer. We spoke on the phone. I thought since you wanted it wrapped up so quickly, an extra pair of eyes and hands would come in handy.”
Mr. Roarch sneered and shoved open the door.
Kaylyn kept her head down, but risked a glance up to Jonah, curious to see his reaction to Mr. Roarch’s distant attitude. He rubbed a hand over his face, as if he was trying to massage away a grimace, then waved his hand for Kaylyn to enter ahead of him.
“I’ll give you a quick tour, and then I have some boxes of information for you to take with you.” Mr. Roarch walked into the lobby. Given the chance, he probably would have continued the tour without
them.
Jonah
Jonah fell back, holding the makeshift door as the girls entered the dark building behind Mr. Roarch. As he crossed the threshold, it was like stepping out of the city and into a dank cave, where the air felt heavy and humid compared to the cold winter air outside.
“Flashlights,” Mr. Roarch grumbled and kicked a box on the floor, while he flicked on the work-lights that were strung up overhead. “There are sections of work-lights throughout the building, but it doesn’t hurt to have a backup.”
“In this job,” Cole said, “we never travel without one.”
Jonah planned on hanging behind and letting the girls take the lead on the investigation. He wanted to make sure that nothing got broken or screwed up in the process, and it did give him the opportunity to acquaint himself with some of the town’s history, while keeping an eye on Carlisle’s “star employees.”
Despite the sorry state of the building, he had to admit that the hotel was still an impressive sight. A mezzanine cropped out of the space overhead, with heavy layers of paint and wallpaper chipping and peeling from nearly every surface. The lobby area was packed with tools and piles of construction debris waiting to be cleared out, but under his feet, the cracked upper layers of flooring revealed a mosaic of burgundy and black tile. This must have been quite the gathering place in 1920.
Jonah’s admiration for the architecture was interrupted when Mr. Roarch shoved some paper face masks into his hand.
“Masks. You should all wear one while we’re in the building.”
Keeping one for himself, he passed one to each of the girls. Cole took hers with a faint smile, while Kaylyn’s face twisted as if to say, my career depends on this? If he were in her shoes, that’s sure as hell what he would be thinking. Instinctively trying to ease the tension, he pressed his lips into a tight smile, but that only seemed to fluster her more.
She really thinks you’re out to get her, he thought, pulling on his mask.
But, wasn’t he? Hadn’t that been part of his orders?
Fractured Legacy (Darkness Bound / Frqactured Legacy #1) Page 3