The Haunting at Sebring Hotel (A Riveting Haunted House Mystery Series Book 13)

by J. S. Donovan

  He was good at making it seem like her words didn’t hurt him, but his soul ached knowing his mother was attacked. After Father passed away, he’d promised himself to never let another man hurt her, and yet he was gone in her most desperate hour. Afflicted by a sudden jolt of rage, he punched the inside of the shower. Pain shot through his knuckles to his wrist.

  He should’ve stayed, but instead, he fled like a coward. He hated cowards. He’d die before he let himself become one. A battle waged in his mind. Logically, leaving was the best option, but he knew Anna. She wouldn’t change her mind. And where she went, Asher followed. The other option was to stay. Justin wouldn’t be a coward, but at any moment, the faceless man or the woman in the green dress could come for him. The only thing that scared Justin more than them was the loss of his family. Yes, they annoyed him and made stupid decisions, but they survived under Father’s iron rule together. Any one of them could’ve run away, but they endured the horror together. When Anna had every right to leave, she stayed behind for her children, knowing that James would kill them all if they tried to flee.

  Justin turned off the shower dial. He stood bare in the shower. Maybe there was a way to leave and keep them all together. An idea came to mind. It was foolish and not thought out, but it might just convince the others he was right.

  The next morning, he woke up before sunrise and booted up his phone. Finding what he needed online, he took the Sorento to town and parked outside of the local tech shop. The moment the owner unlocked the door, Justin moved inside.

  With a perplexed expression on his face, the cashier rang up his items. Justin collected the large tab. Mom wouldn’t be happy, but it was a small price for safety. He returned to the hotel and unboxed the camera, audio recorder, motion trigger, and an EMF reader. It was a remote-like handheld device designed to detect electromagnetic fields. Spikes in the frequency suggested a change in electrical current, and thus a spirit being.

  Working the day shift, James pushed his cleaning cart through the halls and kept the EMF reader within reach. He watched the little needle, waiting to see a spike in energy. Getting no results, he decided to wait until evening to hunt for the woman in the green dress. If he could catch her, he might just have enough proof that ghosts were real. The moment Anna saw it, she’d want to leave. Until then, Justin just had to stay alive.

  18

  City on a Hill

  A week had passed since the incident and Agent Cameron… well, Cameron had been a godsend. Anna liked to call him by his name now. He had offered to fix the window with the promise of being reimbursed by the insurance company. Anna agreed and Cameron got working. He knew a lot about the hotel’s window design and where to buy similar glass panes. Anna assumed it was his investigative skills that led him to that discovery.

  Meanwhile, Anna worked at the desk. She cut back on her drinking after the major hangover the morning after Lance’s attack. The police carted him off. They found pliers, disposable gloves, and other tools in his travel bag. The cops told her that she wouldn’t have to worry about him again. She chose to leave the past behind her and focus on her job.

  Working the front desk took a certain type of patience and imagination. She had a lot of time to herself and dedicated it to social media marketing, blogging, and reading saucy romance novels. After the attack, she needed to have something more loving to dwell on and hoped the novels would be her balm. Unfortunately, they were way too graphic and made her feel uncomfortable having them around.

  A grey-haired man and his beautiful twenty-something daughter arrived one evening. At least Anna thought they were father and daughter until they kissed each other after getting their keys. Let’s just say it wasn’t a peck on the cheek.

  Anna went back to reading her book.

  The end of October neared, and the weather grew colder. Colorful leaves painted the trees around Club Blue and Sebring. The wind swayed their branches. Justin raked the leaves every few days. Anna forced Asher to help, though the fourteen-year old’s allergies proved problematic.

  Towards the end of her shift, Anna got a call from Andrew Warren, the older gentlemen from the second floor, asking about his broken heater.

  Anna sent Justin to check on it. He wasn’t happy, but that was a given. Her son was adamant about wanting to leave, but eventually followed Anna’s way of thinking. He didn’t talk anymore about the crazy supernatural stuff either. Frankly, he was suspiciously quiet about it since that horrible rainy night. Meanwhile, Asher was in his own world. She gave him more time to complete his homework. Despite Anna threatening to take him out of school if Justin left, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. It would be a crime to let a smart kid like that waste his talents cleaning hotel rooms and doing general repair. That type of work was better suited for Justin.

  Justin sent Anna a text, saying that the heater wasn’t started. Anna decided to head to the boiler room. She descended into the basement. The concrete floors and grey corridors were unappealing and maze-like. Every step, her heels clacked on the floor. As she neared the boiler room, the temperature climbed. She entered the room, seeing the large boiler, pipes running all across the wall. Steam filled the room. It was part of the old design and fogged the entire space. Anna entered. She grabbed the worker’s manual placed in a wall-mounted box. Anna flipped through the pages, scanning over content and info-graphs until finding the section labeled room heating. Holding the book at her side, she braved the steam.

  The heat caused her to sweat like a pig. She reached the back of the boiler, reviewed the chart mounted on the wall, and found the valve to Warren’s room. She touched it and yelped at the sudden contact with scalding hot metal. She opened and closed her hand a few times. She slipped her hand into the sleeve of her blouse and turned it that way. The valve resisted her and the heat leaked through her thin sleeve. Muscling through the pain, she turned the valve. Victorious, she called Justin.

  “Any luck?” Justin asked.

  “Try it on your end,” Anna said.

  She waited, the heat bearing down on her.

  Justin returned to the phone and said, “It's working now. It just took a while to warm up.”

  Anna said, “It could’ve been a lot worse.”

  “What was the problem?” Justin asked.

  “The valve was turned off,” Anna said. “Were you down here at all?”

  “Nope. Maybe it was Asher.”

  “Unlikely,” Anna said.

  “Anything else you need?” Justin asked.

  “That’s all. See you up there,” Anna replied.

  The call ended. Anna slipped her phone into her pocket. She had suspicions that someone had turned off the valve. No one could get down the basement without the elevator key. She imagined that the same person messing with the valve had stolen her pens, broaches, and earrings. So many small things had gone missing in the last few weeks, Anna stopped counting. Either she was becoming incredibly forgetful or there was a thief in her midst. Anna dreaded both reasons.

  She stepped back into the fog, slowly making her way out of the room when she saw the figure silhouetted in the steam.

  Anna stopped.

  The figure was fifteen feet away. Their features were lost in the white fog. By their shoulders and height, Anna could tell it was a man. Her hand found her cellphone but kept it in her pocket.

  She waited for the person to move. He must’ve seen her too. There was no way he couldn’t.

  “Justin? Were you down here the whole time?”

  A loud jet of steam burst out of the pipe nearest Anna’s head. She staggered, blinded temporarily. Regaining her balance, she turned her attention back to the fog.

  The figure was gone.

  “H-hello?” Anna asked.

  She hugged the book close to her chest.

  “This isn’t funny,” she said.

  More steam flooded the room. The hot and damp air blanketed her. She continued forward, glancing into every blind corner. She reached the end of the room und
isturbed. She put the manual back in the wall-mounted box and waited to see if anyone would step out of the steam. After a long minute, she turned off the light and headed to the elevator at a brisk pace. It must’ve been in her head.

  She reached the elevator and recognized her need for another handyman. Her strengths lay in management and hospitality, not gritty, sweaty work. Justin was a huge help, but he was a novice. Anna returned to the lobby counter. She took a seat on her comfy chair and fixed her frizzy hair. She needed the money and extra employment to keep the hotel afloat. New people visited every week, but Anna was still in the red.

  Stress caused her head to throb. She contemplated going on a mini-vacation, but that wouldn’t help her. Weighed down by the million little things she needed to do, she rested her head on the counter. It was meant to be a little nap, but the moment she got comfy, she was out.

  She dreamed about walking the halls of the hotel when suddenly it caught fire. The doors to various rooms burst open as residents dressed in flames ran. They screamed and cried for help, but dropped like flies all around Anna. A man shrouded by smoke and shadow watched her from the end of the room. He was silhouetted against the back wall. He held a scalpel in his hand. Anna knew she needed to run, but she stepped towards him. The small flame nipped at her heel and caught her pantyhose on fire. She continued down the hall. The flame grew greater and soon engulfed her body, but she walked forward, unaffected.

  The mysterious man said, “It’s your home. Let’s share it together.”

  Suddenly, the flames became real and licked her skin. Excruciating pain exploded all across her. She screamed as her body started to liquify. She expected to wake up, but the fire burned hotter.

  A cold hand touched her shoulder.

  She awoke and nearly fell out of her chair. Anna panted. The dream felt so real that she patted down her body, making sure she wasn’t still burning.

  “Ma’am, are you alright?” the Catholic priest asked. He was a short man with soft features. His eyes were a lively blue and there was a shaky smile on his lips. His priestly garments were traditional black and he had a white collar.

  The priest looked at her, both curious and empathic.

  Anna apologized. She wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth. “This is embarrassing,” she said, trying to get into the right mindset.

  The priest said, “You look troubled.”

  “No, no, I’m… um, I’m fine. My name is Anna. Welcome to Club Blue.” She forced a smile. Falling asleep on the job. You know better than that, she berated herself.

  “I’m Stephen,” the priest said, smiling.

  “What can I help you with today, Stephen?”

  He fished out his wallet. “I’d like to stay for five weeks.”

  “Really? Business or pleasure?” Anna asked.

  Stephen replied, “A bit of both. Is it okay if I pay in cash?”

  “Be my guest,” Anna said.

  Stephen pulled out a bank envelope of large bills. “That should cover the cost.”

  Anna opened the envelope and pulled the bills halfway. She counted them. “This is way too much.”

  “You can keep the extra,” Stephen said.

  Anna said seriously. “I can’t do that.”

  Stephen said, “You need it more than I do. Please. I insist.”

  Anna wasn’t going to say no to free money at this point. She opened the register and put it inside. “Thank you, Father. It’s a major blessing.”

  Stephen chuckled lightly. “It’s not Father anymore.”

  “Oh,” Anna replied, usually much better at hiding her surprise, but the drowsiness made her much more emotive.

  Stephen didn’t provide any more details.

  Anna grabbed a key from the case before her.

  Stephen said, “Actually, can you put me on the third floor instead?”

  “Of course,” Anna grabbed the key from a higher hook. For the money you’re paying me, I’d let you have my suite.

  “Suite 303,” Anna said proudly. “Is there anything else I can do? Extra towels? Delivery.”

  “I just want space. That’s all,” the priest replied.

  “I’ll tell my sons not to disturb you,” Anna said.

  The priest nodded. “Thank you, Anna. Have a wonderful evening.”

  “Enjoy your stay,” Anna replied.

  Stephen grabbed a small travel bag from the cab outside, spoke to the driver, and returned inside.

  “Would you like any assistance carrying anything in?” Anna asked.

  “No, ma’am,” Stephen replied. He raised the little bag slightly. “This is all I have.”

  He entered the elevator and left the lobby.

  Anna wondered how he could survive five weeks from a bag only big enough for an extra change of clothes.

  19

  Darkest Hour

  The alarm blared.

  Justin quickly reached over and turned off the alarm clock on his phone. Silence filled his lightless room. It was almost 3 am. Witching hour.

  He rose from his bed and glanced around, waiting for his heavy-lidded eyes to adjust. He pulled on the lamp string. The sudden introduction of light blinded him for a moment. He squinted and yawned. Already dressed in jeans and a long-sleeve shirt, he slipped his feet into his shoes resting at the foot of his bed. He stood up knowing that if he stayed in bed any longer, he’d fall back asleep. He approached the kitchen counter, pulled the camera battery off the charger, and put it in his GoPro camera. Next, he grabbed the audio recording device and clipped it to the lip of his pants. Not wearing a belt, his skinny jeans sagged slightly and the top of his boxers muffined out. Lastly, he grabbed a cheap flashlight to go above the GoPro and EMF reader.

  He admired himself in the mirror, impressed by his gear and his due diligence to get up for the last five nights at 3 am to ghost hunt. He stepped into the lit hall and quietly shut his door. At this time of night, the hotel was deathly silent. Keeping every step as silent as he could, he turned on the EMF reader and scanned. Simply imagining another encounter made his heart race. Keeping a mental list of unoccupied rooms, he unlocked the first suite and stepped inside. He kept the lights off. He listened to his own breathing as he navigated the room using his headlamp, carefully opening the bathroom and closet door. Getting no results, he returned to the hallway and tried the next room.

  The second floor was a bust. He took the stairs to the third. The atmosphere felt different on this floor. Tenser. Justin believed it was just his mindset, but there was a little thought bubble that said it was much more. He started with Suite 301. It was a dead lead. He moved to 302 and then 304. Entering Suite 306, the needle on the EMF reader wobbled but quickly returned to normal. Justin was on edge, waiting for something pop out as he searched every nook and cranny.

  He left the room unsatisfied and continued down the hallway, checking each suite until reaching the one where he first encountered the woman in the green dress. Suite 309. He hesitated to open the door. You’re not a coward, he reminded himself, using his own convictions to force him to step inside. He didn’t let the door close fully behind him. His pulse pounded. He kept the EMF reader in his hand. The needle stayed steady. He slowly turned the corner where he could see the bed. No woman. No change in frequency. Justin doubted that the device worked. He finished exploring the third floor before going down to the lobby.

  He walked through the bar and kitchen before entering the ballroom. The room was pitch black. Justin’s flashlight shined over large pillars and dozens of tables forming a U around the dance floor. At the far end, he saw the grandiose staircase that was center with the room until it reached its first flat area and then split left and right into the balcony. The second-floor balcony had dim lights on the wall that allowed for some visibility.

  As Justin walked through the ballroom, he heard a woman scream.

  Immediately, Justin dipped behind the pillar and turned off his headlamp. On the balcony, he saw a woman dashing out from the second
floor’s main corridor and for the stairs. From Justin’s point of view, he could only see her upper body. She wore a dress. Her long brown hair flowed as she ran. She had olive-colored skin.

  Someone out of sight grabbed her wrist and pulled her from Justin’s view.

  The woman’s scream was muffled by the attacker’s hand.

  Justin watched in horror. Staying in the shadows, he pulled out his cellphone. He hated the cops, but he called them anyway.

  The muffled scream died down.

  Justin told the woman on the other end, “I just witnessed a murder…. Yes, Club Blue. Hurry.”

  Justin stayed behind the pillar. The ballroom fell silent.

  He took deep breaths. That woman was just killed. It didn’t feel real. The killer was in his hotel. He needed to stay quiet and out of sight. In a few minutes, help would arrive.

  Someone knocked on Anna’s door.

  She awoke from her nightmare and pulled her covers up to her neck. A loose strand of hair glued to the corner of her mouth.

  The person knocked again, louder.

  “Sebring PD. Open up,” the cop said in a muffled voice.

  “What the…” Anna mumbled. She swiveled her legs out of bed and put on sweatpants and a large t-shirt. She combed her fingers through her messy hair as she reached the door’s peephole.

  Officers Dana and Parkman stood on the other side. Their faces were stretched and distorted by the fisheye lens.

  Anna removed the metal bar lock before opening the door. “What’s happened?”

  Dana, the short, ugly mug cop, said, “Someone reported a homicide here.”

  Anna cursed.

  Parkman said, “Yeah, but there are no bodies or blood.”

  “Who called it in?” Anna asked.

  Parkman said, “Your boy, Justin.”

  Anna rubbed her brow. “Okay. Show me where.”

  She followed them out. It must’ve been around 4 am. The cops looked more miserable than Anna.