“I don’t know.”
“Maybe with Infurnam Aeris spells or something? Or by getting the Brimstone Beast to help?”
Steve shook his head. “You wouldn’t think so. But … who knows? I sure don’t.” He shut the book. He’d given himself a massive case of the creeps. Every time he felt a hint of a breeze, he was afraid the lobby was going to turn icy cold again. He needed to get his mind off it for a while. “Want a soda?”
“Sure.”
They drank pop and played Scrabble for an hour, and nothing more was said about H.H. Barrow or Pearl Abbott. It was past eleven when Holly started yawning. “I guess I should go to bed.” She manufactured a smile. “I don’t want to leave Fluffy alone with Miss Annie Patches too long. He might get scared.”
“Shall I see you to your room?”
“That’s okay.” But she didn’t move. He could tell she didn’t want to go up alone.
“Have you talked to your grandmother about Arthur Meeks yet?”
She shook her head, not meeting his eyes. “Not yet, but I will.”
“Good. I should go with you in case somebody went in and drew that Infurnam Aeris symbol on your mirror again.”
She nodded. “Yeah. That’s probably a good idea.”
Together they walked upstairs and as they reached the fourth floor, he saw Arthur Meeks disappearing into his room by the elevator. Good riddance.
Holly saw the bellhop too and Steve thought her shoulders stiffened, but it was probably his imagination. She said nothing, just unlocked her door and waited while he went inside.
He switched on the light. “All clear.”
“Fluffy!” she said as the cat came to greet her.
Steve checked the bathroom. “Everything looks fine.”
“Thank you.”
Then he noticed the mirror. “What happened?” He traced the three-foot-long crack with his finger.
“I dunno. Maybe the earthquake?”
“Could be,” he said, thinking she looked embarrassed. “I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. The mirror won’t shatter. It’s a very shallow crack.” He headed for the door.
“Steve?”
He turned, saw her face half hidden in the cat’s marmalade fur. “What?”
“I did it.”
“Did what?”
“Cracked the mirror.”
“I’m sure it was an accident.”
“Yeah, it was, but I did it with my eyes. I mean, you know… I didn’t mean to or anything. I got really mad and it happened.”
Steve nodded. “You must’ve been very angry.”
“Yeah.”
“I guess maybe you should let Addie help you learn how to control it better.”
“I’m going to get lessons from Addie for sure.” Her smile was small, uncertain. “Thanks, Steve. Goodnight.”
Lost in thought, Steve strolled the long way along the fourth floor hall toward the elevator and when he came to Arthur Meeks’ room, he slowed, seeing his door was ajar. He caught a glimpse of an unmade bed, clothes on the floor. “Arthur?” he called, tapping the door. “You in there?”
No answer.
“Arthur? Your door’s open: Everything okay in there?” He leaned in, caught a whiff of old food and dirty laundry. Then Arthur Meeks, clad only in his birthday suit, burst out of the bathroom, red-faced, holding a wad of tissue over his groin. “Mind your own beeswax,” he sputtered, and slammed the door in Steve’s face.
48
The Cave in the Desert
Once again, the inhabitants of Brimstone slept soundly. Delilah and Holly slept dreamlessly, and Steve Cross caught four uninterrupted hours behind the desk. Abner Hala dreamed he was on a picnic with his wife, Mary, and Ben dreamed of flirting with Carrie over chocolate sodas. Ike Chance slept well. Addie, though, was troubled by dreams of Holly calling for help.
When morning dawned the smell of rain drifted in on red sunrise breezes. Overhead, the sky gleamed salmon, lavender, and blue between ragged strips of gray clouds. Abner Hala, entered the lobby of the Brimstone Grand. “Hello?” he called. “Anybody here?”
“Just us chickens.” Steve Cross appeared from the vicinity of the desk and smiled. “Mind if I tag along on the field trip?”
“I expected you to.” Abner shook his hand. “I hope we can find the cave. It’s been a long time.”
“Coffee?”
“I’d love some.”
Steve went into the back office and came back with two steaming mugs. “I tried doing a little research, but there doesn’t seem to be much about any petroglyphs but the famous ones at Brimstone Peak.”
Abner blew on his coffee. “And that’s a good thing because there’s something special about that cave; I sensed it even as a kid. It’s a place that feels like it can only be found if it wants to be found. Know what I mean?”
Steve nodded.
“It was virtually unknown even among my people. Today, we’ll hopefully pass its location on to Holly. And you.”
“I hope so. I promise to keep it secret.”
Abner nodded. “Good. My grandfather showed me. I chose not to show my son because I didn’t believe he would respect it.” He looked hard at Steve. “I trust you and Holly.”
“Good morning.”
Abner looked up, surprised by Delilah’s voice. Holly stood beside her. They were both dressed for hiking. “Good morning, ladies.”
The lobby door opened and Peg Moran came in, Addie Chance behind her. Peg slipped behind the desk and Addie, dressed in jeans and a chambray shirt, smiled at Delilah. “I’m pretty fast for an old lady.”
Delilah chuckled. “Faster than I am, I dare say.” She looked at the others. “I wish I could tell you that I’ve remembered the cave’s location, but nothing more has come to mind.”
“I recall the general area,” Abner said. “Between the two of us, I think we’ll find it before it starts raining.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“One minute.” Steve Cross trotted into the storage room and returned with a plastic bag. “Glad you mentioned rain. We may need this for the book.”
Delilah smiled. “You’re an optimist, young man. I like that.”
They left the hotel by the front entrance just as Delilah had described doing decades ago. She and Abner led the way, and behind them, Adeline walked beside Holly and Steve, hoping she wouldn’t slow anyone down. She and Ike took regular evening walks so she wasn’t too worried.
She’d thought about begging off this hike, but felt she couldn’t desert Holly. Now she knew why. There was something - a new intensity - about the girl. Something was on her mind besides Henry Hank and Pinching Pearl. She’d swear to it.
As they passed the curving driveway that led to the dark Granger house, everyone fell silent, but once the playground was behind them and they entered the old graveyard, Addie touched Holly’s shoulder. “How are you doing, sweetheart?”
Holly smiled perfunctorily. “I’m okay.”
“Maybe when we get back I can help you hone your gift a little.” Addie’s words were soft, gentle.
“That’s a really good idea,” Steve agreed when Holly didn’t reply. “Addie,” he continued, “I had a little scare yesterday.”
“What kind of scare?”
“Something very cold got off the elevator and traveled through the lobby.”
“I saw it, too,” Holly said. “It was the black cloud. It was Henry Hank.”
They stopped walking. Abner turned. “You saw him yesterday?”
Holly nodded.
“What happened?” Delilah demanded.
Adeline spoke up. “Our grandfather is back, Dee. He’s not finished.” She put a hand on Holly’s shoulder. “And he won’t be until he gets what he wants.”
Abner glanced at the lowering sky. “We don’t have time to talk about it now, but Adeline is right; your grandfather is a formidable foe even without the Beast. We must get the book and banish him. For Holly. For all of us.”
<
br /> Holly nodded without looking at Delilah.
“Let’s keep moving,” Abner said.
Far past the tall wooden cross, deep in the cemetery they came to the small mausoleum, stern and plain except for the Infurnam Aeris symbol carved above the name “Barrow” over the wrought iron door. Delilah looked pale. “I’ve never seen this before. I haven’t been back since that day ...”
“Just as well.” Addie had stood before the mausoleum a dozen times over the years. Three bodies were interred in the mausoleum building. The names read: Henry Harold Barrow, his wife, Lillian Lane Barrow, and Pearl Bathsheba Abbott. Granite grave markers for William Delacorte, his wife, Myrtle, and daughter Carrie were lined up to the left of it.
Delilah shook her head. “What in the world would possess them to put Pearl Abbott inside a family mausoleum?”
“I asked that question, too, Dee,” Addie said. “Your father told me that Henry Hank decreed it in his will.” She paused. “At least he had our grandmother’s body reinterred here as well.”
Delilah touched Carrie’s stone. “I should have visited.”
“She knows why you didn’t,” Addie said. “We’ll bring her flowers after this business is settled.”
“Yes.” Delilah pointed north. “That old oak over there. I remember it. I think that’s where I started down the hill.”
Abner glanced at the dark sky. “Let’s go.”
They’d passed the old oak perhaps ten or fifteen minutes before. Delilah shivered and drew her windbreaker tighter around her and wished she’d brought an umbrella; the rain was close now and she hoped they weren’t on a fool’s errand. The day had turned as dark as twilight and she recognized nothing. Carrie, she thought, I wish you were here.
“Dee.”
She thought she heard her sister’s voice, but realized it was only the wind. Don’t be a fool. “Abner,” she said. “Does anything look familiar to you?”
“Not yet, but it’s so dark it’s hard to see details.”
“Dee,” the wind sighed again.
And then a lone shaft of sunlight broke through the dark clouds, coming to rest halfway down the mountain slope. Delilah gasped; the beam shone on the red and tan standing stone outside the hidden cave.
“Do you see it?” Abner asked softly.
“I do. It’s a sign.”
Abner nodded.
As they began walking again, the clouds swallowed the sunbeam. Aunt Beatrice would have called it a sign and Delilah thought maybe she was right this time. Thank you, Carrie. As they slowly drew nearer to the sentinel stone she realized she’d never expected to find the cave at all. It hadn’t seemed real until now. “There,” she said, halting ten feet from the shadowed, nearly invisible stone. “There it is.”
Abner squinted. “We’re here.”
“We’re lucky,” Steve said.
“It was more than luck,” Delilah said as the five of them arrived at the stone.
“Synchronicity,” Holly murmured. She touched the stone, wonder in her eyes. “Where’s the cave? I’ll go in and get the book.”
“You’re a brave young lady,” Abner said.
“Thanks.”
“You don’t have to do this, Holly,” Delilah said.
“I can go in and get it,” Steve said.
Holly looked at Steve. “You’re too big.” She turned to Delilah. “I have to get the book. It’s the only way.”
“There’s an alternative,” Delilah said softly. “Come over here a moment.”
Holly remained silent as they walked a few steps away from the others.
“How would you like to travel around the world with me?”
“What?” Holly asked.
“I have a small inheritance from my aunt - some money and her townhouse. When we’re done traveling, we could live in Boston. You, me, and Fluffy. We could sell this place and never come back. No more ghosts.”
“I like it here.” Holly said. “And there are always ghosts. Everywhere.”
“Okay. It’s just something to think about.” Delilah drew Holly into a quick hug. “Don’t worry about anything.” I shouldn’t have brought this up yet, damn it. She’s upset enough as it is.
“I want Brimstone to be my home now,” Holly declared.
“Then it shall be, sweetheart.” Delilah hoped it was true. “Let’s join the others.”
At first, the cave looked like nothing but a dark rocky mound. The entrance was not only hidden in the stone’s shadow, but masked by sage and mesquite. Still, there was plenty of room for Holly to climb up without getting scratched by the brush.
The wind howled louder as she clawed hair out of her face and peered into the darkness. She couldn’t see more than a foot inside, but she could see it was dusty and dirty with rocky walls. It was maybe three feet in diameter - easy enough to climb into. She put her hands on the bottom to push herself up.
“No, Holly, wait!” Delilah stood beside her.
“Why?”
“Let’s see what’s in there first.” Abner clicked on a flashlight and played the beam over the walls. Steve added his and Holly gasped as she got a close look. The cave ran at least a dozen feet before it became too small to travel. The light couldn’t penetrate the darkness once the opening narrowed. Abner looked at Holly and said solemnly, “No bears. That’s good.”
“Wow,” Steve illuminated the petroglyphs on the wall six feet in. Stick figures of men hunting a buffalo. Beneath the image lay a pile of rocks half-buried under a thick sift of dust.
“I put the rocks on the book to hide it,” Delilah said. “It was wrapped in my pinafore.”
“I’ll get it,” Holly said.
“Be careful,” Delilah told her.
“Here.” Steve gave her his flashlight.
“Thanks.”
She pushed herself up into the cave. The light from Abner’s flashlight shone steadily on the floor and Holly shined her light around the walls. It hit the ceiling and she gasped. “It’s the Brimstone Beast!”
“Yes. It’s always been here.” That was Abner.
The Beast was chasing the hunters across the ceiling. Dead men lay everywhere and even though they were stick figures, the running ones looked terrified. Holly shivered, suddenly eager to get the book and leave the little cavern. She felt like she wasn’t alone.
“The book should be there,” Abner said. He pointed his light at the pile of rocks under the wall glyph.
Holly crawled to it and began moving the rocks. Finally, she uncovered something wrapped in shreds of dirty gray cloth. “I found it!” She pulled the book free of the dirt and pebbles.
Wind whipped outside, howling. Holly suddenly knew - knew - eyes were on her now, eyes hidden in the narrow darkness behind her. Near panic, she held the book to her chest with one arm and crawled forward. As she neared the mouth, a lightning bolt struck the ground somewhere toward the hotel. Thunder boomed like a cannon. The ground shook. She handed Steve the book and pushed herself forward as he placed the grimoire in the plastic bag.
Another flash of lightning, closer. A thundering of timpani. Holly scooted out of the cave, and Abner helped her to the ground.
The earth began to shake, but this time there was no thunder. “Earthquake!” Steve caught Addie as she lost her balance. Delilah looked like a deer caught in headlights and Holly and Abner ran to her.
“Come on!” Abner cried as something cracked and roared within the cave. “Follow me!”
The shaking slowed as lightning struck again, making the world brighter than reality. Thunder crashed, and then came another sharp jerk of the earth. Suddenly, the cave spewed dirt and rocks, barely missing Steve and Addie as it began to collapse in on itself. “Hurry!” Abner yanked Delilah forward. “Over here!”
They half-climbed, half-tumbled into an old streambed just north of the cave. “Holly, everybody, get down!” Abner cried as he pulled Delilah down with him. “Steve, Addie! Get over here! Get down!”
They obeyed just as lightni
ng struck directly in front of the cave. Holly, momentarily blinded, saw jagged spots from the brilliant light. Then the rain came, buckets of it, cold and hard, soaking them. Delilah started to rise.
“No!” Abner put his hand on her back and shoved her back down. “Lie flat, all of you. Put your heads down. The rain won’t kill you but the lightning will. Stay low until I say so.”
49
The Book
Once the ground stopped moving and the thunder and lightning let up, Ben Gower had braved the downpour to make a delivery to old Mrs. Beezer, who lived in one of the last houses before the turn off for the Grand. When he got back in his Metro and flipped on the wipers, he’d squinted at a group of bedraggled people trudging up the road in the rain. “Damn fools,” he muttered, driving toward them. As soon as he saw who they were, he had them pile into the Metro and ferried them up to the Brimstone Grand.
Now he sat sipping hot tea in Delilah’s penthouse with his passengers. Delilah and Holly had changed clothes, and Steve, Adeline, and Abner were wrapped in thick hotel robes while their clothing was being dried in the hotel laundry.
They’d filled him in on their adventure and in the center of the table was the book Delilah had hidden so long ago. “Another thirty seconds, and we would have lost both Holly and the book to the cave-in,” Adeline told him.
Ben nodded at the book. “This all sounds very apocalyptic.” He could see the others were thinking the same thing.
“It may be just a coincidence,” Steve said. “It’s monsoon season and the quakes were probably just aftershocks.”
“You don’t sound very convinced,” Ben said.
“I’m not,” Steve admitted. “I’d like to believe it, though.”
“The timing disturbs me,” Abner said quietly.
“There was something in the cave with me,” Holly said. “I felt it right at the end. It was watching me.”
“Could be something elemental,” Abner said. “It might have been warning you to get out.”
Holly’s face was a mask of impatience. “Let’s open the book.”
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