While I was certain something of the sort had taken place, I wasn’t sure Gloria had the facts correct, and I must have shown my skepticism because she assured me she got her “intel” from Betty Schultz, who had heard it from Erin Hughes herself.
“See, Darryl thought that if he got rid of Bryan,” Gloria went on, “there might be a chance for Coleman. I guess Darryl thought he could beat Cole into being straight. Cole became suspicious, though, and Darryl lured his son out into the woods and killed him. Buried him right there, where you found those bones.”
I suppressed a shudder, thinking about that night. I was sure I’d have nightmares about bridges, bones, and storms for months to come. At least in the dreams I’d had so far, Trey had been there to offer comfort and solace.
I also wondered what stories Gloria had spread about that night. So far, from what I heard, Trey and I had been barely alive when we finally crawled across the abandoned bridge. One customer asked me if it was true that Trey had left me barely conscious in the woods while he went back to the road and flagged down a passing car. I assured her that the story was exaggerated.
The truth was considerably less dramatic. In fact, we’d both made it over the bridge, and we had tried to get a couple of cars to stop for us, but the drivers had sped off, undoubtedly thinking that it wasn’t in their best interest to pick up two ragged, filthy guys in the early hours of the morning. Trey and I had laughed at the face of one motorist as he increased his speed at the sight of us.
Back on the road, though, we finally had a phone signal and called the sheriff’s department.
I went out to the dining room to find Hughes seated at the table by the front window. She smiled and stood when she saw me.
“You’re looking well,” she said, shaking my hand.
“Better than the last time you saw me, anyway.” Hughes had been one of the deputies who had responded to our call. The other officer had been dubious when we said we had found a body out in the woods, or maybe he just hoped we were wrong. “You guys sure it was a human body? People hunt out here all the time,” he’d said. “Maybe it was the bones of an animal.” Hughes hadn’t doubted us for a moment.
“You got time to sit?” Hughes asked me.
I looked back to the counter, where Gloria nodded. Hughes and I sat.
“I thought someone should bring you up to speed about what we’ve found.” Hughes looked tired, probably from working extra hours. A decades-old double murder wasn’t exactly something the town of Banning dealt with on a regular basis.
“I’ve heard that Gary Thornton confessed his part in the crime,” I said.
Hughes’s cheek twitched. “I really can’t talk about that, although, just between you and me, his lawyer has warned him that he’s said too much already. No, what I wanted to tell you was about Bryan Finn. Or, more accurately, about the box he was buried in.”
“What about it?”
“It was a very old chest, lined with metal. Might be lead. I don’t know. Tin is more likely, I’d say. But Jesenia Maupin stopped me on the street this morning, and she said she had a vision about Finn’s burial.”
I sat forward. I knew better than to dismiss Jesenia’s visions.
“She said that the metal lining of the box must have held Bryan’s spirit there. Inside the trunk. That’s why, according to her, Bryan and Coleman’s spirits couldn’t be together.” Hughes sighed. “Of course none of that goes on any report I’ll be making. I just thought I’d let you know.”
“Thanks for telling me.”
Hughes tilted her head and went for a change of topic. “How’s the arm?”
I wiggled the fingers of my damaged appendage. “Painful. But I guess it was a pretty clean break. The doctor’s putting the cast on tomorrow. He wanted to wait for the swelling to go down. Luckily, he gave me some awesome pain pills.”
“And the new apartment? Settling in okay?”
“It’s fine. Perfect. Still feels a little weird, living on my own. But I think I like it.”
“Well, you’re a Banning resident now. Officially.”
I grinned. “I’m not sure, considering the things that have happened, if that’s a good thing or not.” I spied Trey working back in the kitchen. At least Banning had him going for it. That was enough to keep me in town, if nothing else.
“Jesenia also told me that you and she are going back to the Raven’s Rest later on today. Another séance?”
“Not exactly. It was Betty Schultz’s idea, actually. She wants to see if the spirit of Coleman Hollis is still in residence, or if he’s gone now. Jesenia’s just going to see what her psychic impressions tell her.”
I was anxious to see what the atmosphere of the inn would be as well. Was Coleman at peace, finally? I hoped so.
“ARE YOU ready for this?”
Trey sounded chipper, the words offhand and easy, but I knew there was a seriousness behind them. I felt so close to Coleman Hollis. Hell, he’d been literally a part of me! What if all that I’d—we’d—gone through, had all been for nothing? What if Coleman’s spirit was still trapped within the walls of the Raven’s Rest, doomed for eternity to be searching for his lost love?
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, sighing.
An early snow had started to fall. Big, fluffy flakes filled the air, and I was reminded of an old Peanuts cartoon, which had Charlie Brown, Lucy, and the gang attempting to catch snowflakes on their tongues. Maybe that would be a better way to spend an evening, out in the open air with Trey and trying to relive childhood glories. Better than a night in a haunted inn, checking on the status of its resident ghosts.
Trey held my hand as we mounted the porch steps of the Raven’s Rest. It was comforting, which he meant, but also natural. Trey was my rock, my anchor. Unlike with Kevin, though, I didn’t feel like Trey defined me. I was a person on my own. With Kevin, my only identity had been Kevin’s boyfriend. That was my existence. My fault as well as Kevin’s, I know, but it had become so toxic. With Trey, I was me. Trey’s boyfriend, yes, but more as well.
That was an empowering thought. Slightly terrifying too, but I could deal with it.
What I wasn’t sure I could deal with was what lay beyond the inn’s front door.
Inside, I was surprised to find that nothing seemed to have changed. I had thought—hoped, even—I would immediately sense that Coleman’s spirit had gone, happy that he’d finally been reunited with Bryan. But standing in the foyer, I couldn’t tell. The atmosphere seemed the same. Lonnie was behind the desk, chatting with some guests. He smiled at us in acknowledgment before returning to the couple obviously checking in.
“Well, if it isn’t Banning’s favorite couple!” Jesenia Maupin emerged from the solarium, wearing a bright blue outfit with lots of frills, her Town Witch button proudly situated over her breast. The couple at the desk turned in puzzlement, but Jesenia ignored them. She swooped over and gave Trey and me a kiss on the cheek in turn. After kissing me, she turned back to Trey and pinched his cheek. “And this one’s so handsome, I could just eat him up!”
Trey blushed, touching his face. “Um… yeah. Thanks.” There were still slight traces from where he’d been scratched that night in the woods. The bruises on his back from being clobbered by Hollis had been nasty-looking, but the damage was actually slight, as the man couldn’t really get a good angle. Trey assured me that they didn’t really hurt, although I’d caught him swallowing some ibuprofen before we’d headed out.
The new guests gathered up their bags and headed for their room. As soon as they were gone, Betty Schultz entered. I had the feeling she’d been in the solarium waiting for them to depart. Probably didn’t want mention of ghosts in the inn to put off new arrivals. She beamed at us as well, and she was holding a copy of the Banning Herald. The front page was devoted to the big story, complete with pictures of the places where Coleman and Bryan had been buried, and shots of Hollis, Thornton, Trey, and me.
I’d already seen the paper and cringed at the thoug
ht of the photo of me and Trey. It had been taken as we’d left the sheriff’s office, and I hardly thought it was flattering. I thought I looked like death warmed over. Trey, however, looked scruffy and ragged but still somehow managed to be handsome as hell. Or maybe that was just my prejudice showing.
“I should have you autograph this,” Mrs. Schultz said, tucking the paper under her arm. “You’ve certainly given us a boon. We’re almost full up!”
“People wanting to stay in the haunted inn?” Trey asked.
There had been no mention of ghosts in the newspaper, but Jesenia had written a long blog post about our experiences. Word had apparently gotten out.
“Mostly,” Mrs. Schultz admitted. “Some are just staying here because of the notoriety of the murders. I’ve already had two calls from reality TV shows. You know, those true ghost type shows. Something tells me we won’t be having a slow period for quite some time!”
Jesenia touched my arm. “Betty has kept the Ulalume Suite free, though, so that we can check it out.”
“Have you been up there yet?” I asked.
She shook her head. “We were waiting for you. Betty’s been in there, of course, and she says it seems pretty quiet. I’m not sure, though.” Jesenia gazed around her. “I’m still getting a weird vibe about this place. I know Coleman wasn’t the only spirit haunting the inn, but I’m getting the impression that he’s still here. It’s faint, but my instinct so far tells me he hasn’t moved on.”
That disappointed me. I had hoped we’d helped Coleman.
Lonnie had been listening in to our conversation. “Personally, I’m kind of hoping he’s still here,” he said, wearing his usual cheeky grin. “Life was interesting when he was around!”
Jesenia wiggled a finger in his direction. “Oh, don’t you worry. There are other spirits roaming this old place. One little girl called Lisa has been talking to me since I came in here! And she’s got a crush on you, Lonnie, so you just watch out!”
I had no idea if Jesenia was kidding the young man or not, but his face grew serious. “What? A ghost has the hots for me? What the hell! She’s not watching me, you know, in the shower or anything?”
Jesenia didn’t answer him but merely smiled slyly. To the rest of us, she said, “Shall we go upstairs now? I’m anxious to get the feel of the room!”
The four of us traipsed up the stairs and made our way to the room I had so recently occupied. Mrs. Schultz had a key card ready, but we all paused at the door, almost reverently.
“I don’t know about anyone else,” Trey said, “but the hairs on the back of my neck are doing the Watusi.”
Jesenia placed her hand flat on the door panel. She shook her head. “I’m getting a faint trace of him,” she said, her eyes closed in concentration. “Maybe it’s just a residual impression, since his presence was so strong here. I can’t tell.”
Mrs. Schultz made a sour face. “Well, we’re not going to find out anything by lollygagging out here.”
She opened the door.
I didn’t know what I had been expecting. Maybe a burst of ghostly wind to come rushing out at us or the room bathed in a spectral blue hue. Instead, as we entered and Mrs. Schultz turned on the lights, we were met with a simple, quiet room.
Walking to the bed, I said, “I’m not getting anything myself.”
Jesenia tilted her head. “I feel… something. It’s faint but there.”
“Shouldn’t we do something, you know, like asking old Coleman if he’s still around?” Trey asked. “Get him to speak up if he’s still around? Maybe hold another séance?”
Mrs. Schultz’s face brightened. “Maybe we’re in the wrong room.” We all looked at her as she went on to explain. “This wasn’t Coleman’s room when he was alive. The Raven Suite was. If he’s anywhere, wouldn’t he be in the place he was most comfortable?”
“Can we go there?” Jesenia asked. “Is it occupied?”
“It’s booked, but they haven’t checked in yet. As long as we don’t spend too long in there….”
Moments later we were entering the Raven Suite. As soon as I stepped over the threshold, I could feel a change in the atmosphere. When Mrs. Schultz switched on the lights, I almost expected to see Coleman sitting on the bed, awaiting us. The room, however, was empty. At least of visible entities.
Jesenia agreed with me. She spun around, arms outstretched, soaking in the environment. “He’s here!” she announced. “I can feel him!”
“He hasn’t moved on,” I whispered, moving over to the bed. I touched one of the pillows. “Why hasn’t he moved on?”
“Something is keeping him here, even still,” Jesenia said. “Maybe….”
She may have let the sentence drop, or maybe she kept on talking and I just didn’t hear her. Suddenly I wasn’t completely with them in the room. It changed for me, the furniture and surroundings shifting before my eyes. I grabbed the bedpost, feeling dizzy. Finally the change was complete, and I was seeing the room as it had been back in Coleman’s day.
But weirdly, I was aware that Trey, Jesenia, and Mrs. Schultz were still with me. I could see them, hazily, but I knew they weren’t seeing the room as I was.
Coleman was sitting on the bed, speaking into a telephone. He was alive, real. Not a ghost. I knew this, although I had no idea how I knew it. I was having a vision of some sort, a glimpse into the past. It was now 1983, and Coleman was wearing a tight white sleeveless shirt and shorts. He seemed worried as he spoke into the receiver.
“But Mr. Finn, I haven’t seen Bryan for days.” Coleman’s eyes were welling with tears. “Please, if he’s there—” He listened for a moment. “Okay. If he comes in, please tell him to call me right away.”
If I reached out to touch Coleman, to offer him some comfort, would he feel it? Was I just a shade, watching but helpless to interfere, like Scrooge when shown events from his youth by the Ghost of Christmas Past? I sat on the bed. It felt real. And I could smell Coleman’s cologne.
I looked back, and Trey, Mrs. Schultz, and Jesenia were standing together, watching me with interest. Jesenia’s mouth was moving, but I couldn’t hear the words clearly. Something about me being in a trance and that they shouldn’t disturb me. I turned back to Coleman. He had hung up, and he clutched the phone to his chest, his face in agony.
The door opened and Darryl Hollis entered. He was younger than the Hollis I knew. There was no gray in his hair, and he had less of a gut. “I thought I told you to stay off the phone,” he growled.
“I’ve got to find Bryan,” Coleman replied, putting the phone onto his nightstand. “I know—”
“I don’t want you seeing him. I told you that.” Hollis’s voice was hard, cruel. “You’re better off without him, and the sooner—”
“I don’t want to be without him!” Coleman shouted, rising to his feet. His cheeks were flushed with anger. “I love him! And you can’t do a fucking thing about that!”
The effect of this outburst on Hollis was frightening. He stepped forward, his hands clenched at his sides. There was murder in his eyes and countenance, and I shrank back instinctively, even though I was sure he couldn’t see me sitting there.
“No son of mine…,” he began.
“Oh no. No son of yours could be a faggot.” Coleman’s lip quivered, and he chuckled mirthlessly. “You’re pathetic. I hate you. And I’m not staying here another day.”
“Leaving town is probably the best thing for you,” his father said, snarling.
Coleman shook his head. “Oh, I’m not leaving. I’m going to go stay with Marshall, at least until Bryan and I can get up enough money to get out of here. I know you’d rather have me out of your sight entirely. Can’t have the town know that your only son is a flaming homosexual. Well, guess what, Daddy darling? They’re all going to know. I’ll make sure of that.”
Darryl Hollis picked up an ashtray. A big, heavy glass one. The remains of a joint and several cigarette butts went flying as he raised it high over his head.
And then he brought it down onto his son’s skull.
I BLINKED. I was no longer in Coleman’s room, but now in a car. An old model Buick, but it looked fairly new. Hollis was driving. It was dark, and we were turning onto the road by the church. I was in the passenger seat, frightened by the man sitting next to me, even though he seemed unaware of my presence. There was a tiny moan from the backseat, and Hollis growled, “Just sit tight. We’ll soon be there.” He seemed to think he was saying something funny, because he chuckled. It wasn’t a pleasant sound. “I’d bury you with your little friend, but there’s not room for two in that trunk. That, and it’s just too dangerous. I can’t believe Gary talked me into burying him in that lot. Sure it was out of the way, but… right in the middle of town. No, we’ll take you out where no one will find you.”
We were heading over the bridge. While it still looked rickety to me, it at least looked like it would hold the weight of an automobile. Outside, the moon shone down, bright and stark, as if in judgment of Darryl Hollis and his actions. It was an angry moon, holding him in contempt.
I turned. Coleman was bundled into the back. It was hard to see him, but he looked half dead. Blood was running from a wound on his temple, dripping down onto his face. His eyelids fluttered, and I wondered if he knew where he was and what was happening. Had Coleman died in pain?
I felt a gentle hand touching my elbow. “Michael? Are you okay?”
It was Trey, his eyes full of concern. I shook my head, and the car, the bridge, poor Coleman, and his father were gone. I took a deep breath and realized I was crying. Wiping my cheeks, I said, “Yeah. I just… I just had a vision.”
Jesenia asked softly, “What did you see, honey?”
“I saw it all.” I sat on the bed, feeling suddenly weary. “I saw Darryl Hollis kill Coleman. I saw him drive out to the woods. Coleman was in the backseat. I think he was still alive at that point, but only barely. I saw—”
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