Gib’s eyes fluttered closed, and the stone fell to the floor. For a moment, the body remained motionless.
“He’s not dead, is he?” Kaylyn whispered.
Jonah shook his head once, but he wasn’t entirely certain. As Jonah reached forward to feel for a pulse, Mr. Edwards sat up and looked around.
“Where is he…? Where am I? Jonah… and Kaylyn…” He seemed to pull the names from a distant memory.
“How do we know Gib isn’t just pulling one over on us?” Kaylyn asked over the roof of the car.
“Do you think he is?”
“Not really, but he was one crazy fuc—” She pressed her lips together until they nearly disappeared. “You didn’t tell him who his daughter married. Do you think he was even sick?”
“Sick, probably. Dying, unlikely. How the hell Pritchard pulled all that off is beyond me. We should look into him later, but… are you up for a long evening?”
“You really want me to spend the rest of the day looking for Pritchard?”
“No.” Jonah smiled as he opened the car door and leaned against the roof. “I was actually hoping to get the Teague wrapped up. You’ll have to find out how your sister fared on her interview, but then the hotel is yours for the evening.”
“Ours? You’re not coming?”
“Do I need to?”
Kaylyn shook her head and settled into her seat. “This was a test, wasn’t it?”
“Everything’s a test.”
“So I passed?”
“Yes, Kaylyn.” He slid the car into reverse. “You passed, I still have your sister to deal with. But, I think you can handle the assignment. I only want you two to look around, get a feel for the place. No attempting to engage whatever may be there. Take the equipment, and get a good sweep.”
Just as Jonah settled back in his new office chair, he heard footsteps approaching his office. With everyone else gone for the afternoon, it had to be Cole. And he still hadn’t figured out what he was going to do with her for taking off to the interview by herself without reporting it.
“Afternoon sir,” Cole said as she knocked on the doorframe. “You wanted to see me.”
“Cole, yes. Come in and have a seat. Kaylyn informed me that you went on an interview this afternoon.”
“Yes, Jerry Blake, the stepson of a former owner, agreed to talk to me, but only if I came right away. He was heading out of town on business.” She said, sliding a folder across his desk.
Jonah tapped the corner of the folder, deciding how to proceed. “I know you’re capable of handling your job, but I would appreciate if you inform me of your intentions before taking off. You should have at least told Kaylyn where you were going, or who you were going to see. I’m responsible for this office. That means I am responsible for you and your safety when on the job. I can’t uphold that if I don’t know where you are.”
“I understand.” Cole let out a long breath. “I was just following a lead, it happened too fast to think about. And Mr. Blake did mention a woman who disappeared in the hotel.”
Jonah moaned and nodded. “Yes, Kaylyn found out about that earlier. Surprisingly, without breaking any rules.”
Cole cleared her throat, twisting her fingers together in her lap. “Well, I think that might be a key in all of this.” Cole lowered her eyes, as she began to talk. “Mr. Blake basically confirmed the facts, but you’re right, he probably doesn’t know much more than what’s in the public record. I was hoping he might have had more of a connection with the place, but—”
“So you have nothing to confirm your hypothesis?” Jonah’s gut clenched, making his voice sound deeper. He remembered that Kaylyn mentioned hearing a woman’s voice near the back door. What was Cole lying about?
“Well… after I was done there, I went to see Rick Santos, the other contractor Mr. Roarch mentioned.”
Jonah’s back straightened. So much for a quiet end to the afternoon.
“I lied through my teeth to get him to talk, but what he saw centered around a room in the back corner of the second floor. Judging from that and Kaylyn’s reaction last night, I suspect that is the center of activity. I’m not sure either man was directly threatened, it seems like they were just scared out of their minds after experiencing something they couldn’t understand. According to Rick, Milton was pulled into the room by some unseen force, just before the lights went out.”
Jonah didn’t speak. The words blasted through his head, but he kept his tongue still and his jaw locked together. He reconsidered sending the two of them to the hotel, or even letting them participate further in the investigation, but Kaylyn had handled Mr. Edwards surprisingly well. He rubbed his palm over his mouth as Cole continued.
“I’d be surprised if he could see anything with the lights out. But if that’s the same room the woman disappeared in—”
“What would you have done if the interviews hadn’t gone as planned? And what if we have to speak with Mr. Santos again? You don’t think he’ll figure out that you lied to him?”He rubbed a hand over his face to temper his anger. “Don’t even consider doing that again. You don’t go on interviews without another agent or myself knowing where you are. It’d be even better if you take someone with you. If not for safety, having a back up to brainstorm with and help take notes is beneficial.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but—”
“Considering what Mr. Santos told you, do you think it will be safe for you and Kaylyn to investigate the building tonight? As I discussed with Kaylyn earlier, I just want a basic sweep, don’t agitate the entity.”
“Well, it’s possible it was the renovations agitating it, in which case, we should be able to do a walk-through without much trouble. Besides, we know what to expect and certainly don’t spook as easily as a couple of contractors.”
“Maybe that’s a problem. Sometimes, I don’t think people around here have a sense of personal safety.” Jonah rubbed his forehead then let his hand drop to the desk. “Kaylyn has the key.”
Cole’s eyes widened.
“She and I went to see Mr. Edwards and wrap up that case. I’ve already briefed her, you can call her and meet up whenever is convenient for you, but I’d like to be done with this case as soon as possible.”
Jonah returned to the papers on his desk, as Cole got up only to sink back in the seat in the next moment.
“Is there something else?”
“Are you really considering firing Kaylyn?”
“I’m considering firing a lot of people at the moment.” Himself included. Anything to get out of this town.
“But you’re sending us to the Teague.”
“For a walk-through, that’s all. Conduct it as if your careers depend on it.” Jonah took a deep breath. “I’m not unreasonable. I simply want investigations done according to the rules. We have them for a reason. I want to know that everyone under my watch is safe. I’m cautious about sending you two there, but after working with Kaylyn this afternoon, I’m convinced she knows how to do her job, when she tries. But we don’t know what to expect from the hotel. So far, we haven’t managed to get a straight or consistent answer from any source. Be careful.”
Kaylyn
By the time Cole and Kaylyn met up to investigate the hotel, it was once again nearing five o’clock. Yet another long day, while the weekend beckoned just out of reach.
Kaylyn held the plywood door open with her foot, while she and Cole adjusted their masks and flipped on their flashlights. Even with no natural light within the structure, they opted to bypass the work-lights and rely only on their flashlights and equipment to guide them through the building.
Kaylyn turned on her hand-held audio and video recorder—one of many devices created for Aicil investigators to capture images and sounds that normal recording devices couldn’t pick up. “In all the years I wanted to investigate this place, I always imagined something more—”
“Less atrocious would suit me.” Cole followed behind Kaylyn with her own device that recorded electrom
agnetic frequencies, temperature, and barometric pressure. As they approached the back of the building, moving toward the staircase, Cole paused at an opening in the back wall. “Wonder what’s back there.”
“There’s a back entrance.” As soon as she spoke, Kaylyn had to duck behind her arm to block the beam of light that Cole directed at her face. “What? Jonah and I found it when we walked the perimeter. It didn’t seem important.”
Cole redirected her flashlight and stepped over a pile of plaster toward the back door. Flanking the door were rusted metal shelves, attached to concrete walls.
“It’s a bit cooler in here,” Cole said, “but nothing outside the norm. The rest of the readings are the same.”
Kaylyn nodded, taking a few minutes to get video coverage of the entire space.
“Let’s head to the top floor and work our way down to the second. Save the best for last.”
“I’m game for that,” Kaylyn said, “The back stairwell should take us directly to the top, so we don’t have to wander around the mezzanine and second floor.” Then she paused, shining her light on the back door again. “The door is locked from the inside. When Jonah and I were back there, it was unlocked. I opened it a crack.”
“Okay,” Cole drawled.
“Mr. Roarch didn’t come back in here before he gave us the key, did he?”
“Well, no, but he probably has more than one key.”
Kaylyn shrugged, it was a fair enough explanation, but it still didn’t sit well with her gut.
The stairs were just around the corner from the back room. Kaylyn braced her hip against the metal railing as she climbed, keeping the recorder and flashlight directed ahead of her. “Love these old stairs. They look so solid and comforting.”
Cole snorted. “You think that about every set of stairs, sis.”
Kaylyn chuckled, but with every step, her mind grew fuzzier, as if it was absorbing the dust and debris of the old structure. At the top of the staircase, she rested her back against the wall, trying to catch her breath.
Cole took the last few steps, until they stood eye to eye. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just this stale air, and these damn masks. It’s unfortunate we can’t open a window.” Kaylyn took a breath, pushing down the nausea rising from her stomach. “Onward.”
“Are you sure? We can step outside.”
“Come on, Cole, we have four more floors to cover.” Kaylyn forced herself up the stairs. By the time they reached the fifth floor, both girls were slightly winded, but the fuzziness Kaylyn had experienced passed, replaced by a new wave of nausea as her flashlight illuminated the image of skeletal bird carcasses scattered across the floor. “Oh, gross.”
“Guess we’re lucky it’s not summer; this place must have been rank.”
“Smell or no smell, this is rank enough for me. They could have cleaned this up, or at least warned us.” Kaylyn backed toward to the stairs, but Cole caught her by the collar.
“Come on, we still need to get some readings. Cowgirl up and help me get a sweep.”
Kaylyn gagged as she stepped over one of the birds. “Maybe they’re causing the disturbances. Birds are people, too.”
Cole didn’t bother to respond, she just crept quietly across the floor. This level had been completely gutted, leaving only shadowed remnants of the walls on the floor and ceiling and large support columns. On the far end, part of the floor was marked off with safety tape.
Please, don’t let either of us fall through the damn floor.
Kaylyn walked the perimeter of the room, still more interested in the dead birds and the questionable integrity of the floor than the possibility of anything supernatural. She kept her distance as she neared the yellow bands of plastic that crossed the space.
She jumped, nearly dropping her flashlight when Cole nudged her arm. “Shit, Cole. I get used to you and your damn clickety boots, and I forget you have the ability to sneak up on people.”
“Clickety boots wouldn’t be practical on an investigation. And if you’re looking for the structural damage, look up.”
There was a whole the size of a small washing machine in the roof. “Lovely. So we don’t have to worry about the floor giving out, just the roof falling in on our heads.”
“You know you love the rush of crawling around in these old buildings.”
“I like it when the people are being honest about what we’re getting into.”
Cole moved to the center of the floor. “I’m not getting any readings up here. Is anyone here with us?” She called out. “Come on birdies, give us a sign.”
Kaylyn took two giant steps forward and flicked her sister in the back of the head. “That qualifies as engaging,” she whispered through her teeth.
Cole shrugged. “He wants this wrapped up, and it’s part of the job.”
“Not when he’s threatening to fire us if we don’t do as he asks. He’s probably going to review all of these recordings.”
“Fine,” Cole rolled her eyes, and headed for the stairs.
Kaylyn was relieved to get away from the crumbling ceiling, but the fourth floor, filled with stacks of crates and cardboard boxes, wasn’t going to be easy to sweep. “Looks like this floor became the storage area. There could be some cool shit in these boxes.”
“I don’t think we were brought in to treasure hunt.”
“We were brought in to investigate—there could be clues.” Kaylyn peeked in a few of the boxes, only finding old office supplies and blank letterheads with the Teague logo stamped on the top. She considered swiping a sheet, but by the time she got out of here, she’d be lucky if it was in salvageable condition.
Cole groaned and swept her flashlight around the room, “Shop at your own risk. I’ll check the surrounding area, and try not to get lost in the cardboard forest.”
”Only one floor left.” Cole huffed with relief as they descended the stairs to the second floor. They’d been looking around for nearly two hours, with nothing to explain the paranormal claims or give them any clues.
“Honestly, I think this has been a waste. I’ve never been in a haunted building that felt this norm—” Kaylyn’s flashlight bounced down the stairs as she curled into a ball halfway between the second and third floors.
“Kay!” Cole crouched next to her.
“I feel…” She grunted. “I can’t move.”
“Guess you spoke too soon, but I feel fine.”
“Great for you.” Kaylyn grabbed her shins and pulled her legs tighter against her.
“You should get outside, I’ll just take a quick peek.”
“You’re not going alone, even if there’s nothing paranormal, it might not be safe.”
Cole turned off her device and slid it into her pocket, picking up Kaylyn’s recorder. “Jonah said to finish this, and you’ve been weird for days, maybe it’s just a virus.”
“Of course, the second floor Teague Hotel virus. Jonah also said take no chances, especially after what happened with the contractor.”
“Fine, let’s get outside and call him. Let him make the decision.” Cole pulled her sister to her feet. Kaylyn had to steady herself between her sister and the railing to make it back to the ground floor.
“Breathe, Kay, you just needed fresh air.”
“Since when do you treat me like I’m five?” Kaylyn slid down the exterior wall and sat on the ground. The air was freezing, but after the suffocating air inside the hotel, the cold was an acceptable sacrifice. “There is something fucked with the second floor.”
“Sorry, but—”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s just attribute it to Kaylyn losing it. It’s not like she isn’t already being evaluated for reassignment. Obviously, I can’t do my job.”
“Seriously?” Cole’s mouth remained open. “That’s not what I was getting at.”
Kaylyn nodded and wrapped her arms around her shins. “Just call Jonah already. I just hope that since he’s such a control freak, he’ll revel in being asked what we should do.”
>
Laying her unbruised cheek against her knee, Kaylyn watched Cole pace as she talked to their boss. Then, she closed her eyes and tried to silence the screaming in her brain. As much as it seemed like everything going wrong was out of her control, she wasn’t sure that argument was going to save her ass.
Jonah
Jonah pulled up to the hotel within fifteen minutes of Cole’s call, still in the clothes he’d worn to work—minus his tie—with a thick charcoal coat pulled over top. Cole was pacing along the sidewalk, while Kaylyn sat next to the building curled up over her knees.
“Live close?” Cole asked with a smile that didn’t quite touch the rest of her face.
He took a long breath of the cold night air and dragged his fingers through his already ruffled hair. “Believe it or not, I hadn’t even left the office. What’s going on?”
“Sorry, but Kay gets sick anytime we go near the second floor.”
“And you?” Jonah tried to keep his sights on Cole while they spoke, but he couldn’t keep his gaze from drifting to Kaylyn. Huddled on the sidewalk with her back to the wall.
Cole shrugged, “I haven’t felt a thing. As far as we can tell, we haven’t picked anything up on the equipment either. Although there was a nice collection of bird carcasses up top.”
Jonah scrunched his face and knelt next to Kaylyn. “So, bird carcasses don’t make you sick, but the second floor does?”
“No, sir. The bird carcasses made me sick, just not in an ‘all of my internal organs have been trapped in a compactor’ kind of way.”
“How do you feel now?”
“Sore, like I’ve just participated in a day-long kickboxing session, but mostly fine. I was fine until we hit the landing between the third and second floors… I didn’t think I’d make it down the stairs. “
“You didn’t hear or see anything strange?”
Kaylyn shook her head and glanced, wide-eyed at Cole.
Fractured Legacy (Darkness Bound / Frqactured Legacy #1) Page 6