“Thanks. I appreciate your seeing it that way. I can’t make any promises.”
“None are needed,” he says.
“Okay, then. What can you tell me about Abner Tollison?”
Kyle seems surprised by my question. “Can’t say I know anything about him. I saw the man a time or two on the news. I was just a kid and wasn’t allowed to go to the trial. I recall that my dad spoke well of him once. I think everyone knew how badly the man took the murders. You going to tell me otherwise?”
“No. I’ve heard the same about him. How about afterwards? He hasn’t been dead that long. Did you ever talk to him, hear anything about him?”
“No, can’t say I ever thought about the man. I figured he had his own problems with having to close the hotel and all. Don’t recall hearing anything about him over the years. Sounds like you know something about him though.”
Radford said nothing about keeping Tollison’s suicide a secret, but I don’t want to start any gossip about the man. “I heard he did take it badly. I just wonder if he took anything more to his grave. The investigators all thought it was an inside job. Have you come up with any theories of your own?”
“Not theories really. I was too young at the time. I guess I was sure Butch Seggren did it because they put him on trial. I know my dad thought he did. He never spoke of it after the acquittal. He seemed to accept that the jury had it right, so I guess I did too. My father wasn’t one to talk much. I got my mom’s personality. She was real outgoing.”
Kyle drinks his coffee while watching me then he grins wide. “So what aren’t you telling me about Abner Tollison?”
I regret my inquiry then ask that he keep the information confidential. He agrees and I tell him about Tollison’s suicide in the basement. He leans back in the booth and does a long, soft whistle. He looks around before looking back at me. “You think he knew who did it, don’t you?”
“I’m not sure. Carol seemed convinced that the man suspected Seggren. But why commit suicide?”
“Good question,” he says. Then he tells me he read the articles on my website. “Now I just might have myself a heart attack if I saw a ghost, but I can’t say I don’t believe it’s entirely impossible. Do you think my mother’s ghost is in that hotel? Because if you do, I want to help you release her spirit. I need to do that.” Kyle laughs at the expression on my face.
“I don’t think any of the women are still in the Herman Hotel.”
“But?” he asks.
“But I think Abner Tollison’s spirit might be.”
“Then let’s get out your Ouija board and find out if he knows who killed my mom and the other two women.”
Kyle walks me to the jeep, and I promise I’ll call him tomorrow after I have a chance to think about doing a séance with him. I sure didn’t see that coming and tell him so. He gives me his card and tells me that there are a few houses in the area that I might be interested in.
It’s getting dark so I decide to drive to Quincy Park. When I get to the camp, there are four men who are setting up home for the night. I don’t recognize them from before. They look at me like I’m an alien who they aren’t happy to see. I don’t plan on staying long enough to change their minds.
I tell them I’m looking for Mac the Night. One says he sees the man almost every day and wants to know what it’s worth to me to find him. I hand him five dollars and tell him to ask Mac to meet me in back of the Herman Hotel tonight around eight. He says he might remember to tell him, but that his memory isn’t all that good these days. I hand him another five and he smiles. I think I just wasted ten bucks.
When I get back to the hotel, the lobby is empty and the phone is ringing. There’s no one at the front desk. The ringing stops. I’m at the elevator when it starts again. My head is pounding, and I can’t step into the elevator. I wonder if the clerk had all she could take of Aubrey and abandoned her post. I wonder if something else happened.
I go to the desk and call out. The caller gives up, and I listen to the silence before calling out again. I head down the hall to check Aubrey’s and Boshears’ offices. They’re locked as is the basement. I decide to go down and look for Rita when the ringing starts again. As much as I don’t want to, I need to find out what’s going on and let Boshears know if the clerk really is gone.
I get to the desk and call out again. Even if the clerk stepped away for something, he or she should be back by now. I go around the side entrance to double check. I see the blood before I see the girl who’s lying in it with a butcher knife beside her.
Chapter Thirty One
§
I’m sitting in the waiting room at the hospital with the clerk’s parents waiting for Boshears to arrive. Nicole was unconscious with a nasty blow to the back of her head. The knife wound will leave a scar, but was more sadistic than lethal.
I’ve already given my statement to the police, which included a mention of the tongue lashing that Aubrey was giving the woman when I was leaving the hotel earlier today. I hope Aubrey is sitting in an interrogation room right now. For her sake, I hope the woman had nothing to do with Nicole’s injuries, but an evening with the police may teach her a needed lesson.
I’m getting more angry with Boshears by the second. I called her right after I found the girl and called for an ambulance. Despite the police taking over the hotel, she insisted she had to get someone to cover the front desk. That was over two hours ago. She hasn’t even bothered to call back to find out the status of her employee. I tried again and got her voice message. It seems a little cold to leave the parents alone, but I’ve got to get out of this place.
I had intended to get Mojo and go to the fountain in the hopes that the man at the camp would see Mac and give him my message. I hate to think Mac showed up and I missed him. With half the town’s police force at the hotel, I doubt he would stick around long if he did.
The doctor comes out and Nicole’s parents leap out of their chairs. I feel like a nosy neighbor. They’re keeping her overnight for observation, but she’ll be fine, according to the doc. This is the perfect time for my exit.
The girl’s father shakes my hand and the mother hugs me. “She would have bled to death if you hadn’t found her,” the woman says. I know she wouldn’t have.
Things are worse than I imagined when I get back to the hotel. There are three police cars blocking the front entrance. One officer is acting as guard. Worse there are two news trucks across the street and some reporters who are looking eager for a good story. This event may put an end to my hotel ghost search.
I show the officer my key card and tell him my dog has been locked in our room too long. If I thought Mojo was in a bad mood before, I can’t wait to see how he’s doing now. Another officer rides the elevator to the thirteenth floor with me and waits while I retrieve the wolfdog so we can go back down. He tells me I’ll be able to stay in the hotel for the night, but that I should plan on staying in my room with the door locked. That’s reassuring.
I go to the fountain and watch and wait. There are two more police cars in the alley and four officers searching the grounds. I might as well pack my bags and leave now. No ghost publicity stunt is going to save the hotel from the news coverage it’s probably getting. I can hear a helicopter overhead. If I didn’t know better, I would wonder if it was a terrorist attack.
I check my phone. Boshears still hasn’t bothered to call me back. For a second, I wonder if she’s the one who finally snapped and is sitting at the police station. I’m reminded of why I always get payment up front.
Mojo has come to stand in the fountain and glare at me. “Did you hear anything downstairs?” If he did, he isn’t talking.
I’ve been waiting a half hour for the officers to leave. As I’m getting up to go to the Dirty Dog to get some gossip about the night’s events, I see Detective Radford walking my way. He looks tired.
“Ms. Raven.”
“Detective.”
“Mind?” he says, holding up a cigarette.
<
br /> “Not as much as your lungs will.”
“I read your statement. Is there anything you’ve thought of that you’d like to add?”
“No, I included everything I recalled. Did Aubrey Marks raise any questions about what I said?”
“Not yet. We haven’t been able to locate her.”
Radford is watching me, and I don’t even try to hide my surprise. “She’s missing?”
“Appears that way.” Radford blows his smoke away from me.
I feel a little guilty for semi-accusing her of attacking Nicole when she could have been another victim of the attacker. “You don’t seem concerned about that.”
He shrugs.
“What about Ellen Boshears? She was suppose to come to the hospital, and she hasn’t returned my phone message.”
“She’s at the station right now.”
Good grief, she did snap. The waitress at the Dirty Dog who warned me was right.
“If you think of anything, give me a call.” Radford is walking away.
“Wait. Is Ellen Boshears under arrest?”
He almost laughs. “Not yet.”
Radford has moved on to talk to an officer. I go through the bushes to walk behind the hotel and avoid the police. I’m hoping the patrons of the Dirty Dog will be more forthcoming with information than the detective.
I open the door to the tavern and get stopped by a wall of the loud, the curious, and the drunk. The television is blaring the news report of the attempted murder of Nicole Clarkston at the Herman Hotel. So far, they only know me as a guest at the hotel who found her lying in a pool of blood. It was much less than a pool. It wasn’t even a puddle.
“What’s going on?” I ask a man who’s glued to the TV.
“Butcher’s back in town,” he says. “Almost killed another one. Cut her up real bad, but she isn’t dead. She’s barely hanging on though.” He seems way too excited considering his words, which aren’t even close to the truth.
“Who’s the butcher?” I ask.
The man turns to look me in the eye. “You must not be from around here. The butcher’s—
The bartender’s turned the volume up on the television. Everyone is staring at the screen. Staring at Aubrey Marks as she’s being led into the police station in handcuffs.
The man I was talking to is at the bar talking to other patrons. Even though I assume he was talking about Butch Seggren, I still want to confirm, but the crowd is growing and Mojo is already at the door.
I take the back way to the hotel on the long shot that Mac showed up. There are still a couple of police cars in front of the building but none in the back. No one is waiting for me.
A cop is standing guard in the entryway. I show him my key card and he lets me pass. Alex is sitting at a makeshift desk in the lobby. He looks worried and relieved to see me.
“Ms. Raven. I wondered if you were still here.”
“I don’t think I will be for long. Have you talked to Ms. Boshears?”
“She called me to come in and answer the phone. She said she doesn’t plan on coming in tonight.”
He raises his eyebrows and gives me a half grin then asks about Nicole. I can’t believe she asked an employee to come in alone. “Nicole will be fine. Are you okay out here by yourself?”
“I wish I hadn’t answered Ms. Boshears’ call.” He laughs but I know he isn’t kidding. “The only ones who have called are a couple of reporters. I just say no comment and hang up.”
“That’s probably best,” I say.
“I heard you found Nicole. I feel really bad. I’m the one that told her about the job opening. It was her first day here. I hope they find whoever hurt her.” He nods towards the cop. “I also hope the police don’t go anywhere in case the guy plans on coming back.”
“I don’t think there was any guy. They arrested Aubrey.”
“What?” Alex pushes back in his chair and looks over at the roped off area at the front desk.
“It was on the news. Innocent until proven guilty,” I say. “Unless she confessed.”
I’m on the way to the elevator while thinking I should pack my bags. I can’t imagine that Boshears will go ahead with her grand reopening party after tomorrow’s top story. But what about Rita?
I look back at the lobby. Alex has stepped away. I hurry down the hall and unlock the basement door. I’m probably wasting my time, but I have to search for her again. I hope she isn’t in cahoots with Aubrey, but I have to consider that she’s gone rogue with the slasher concierge.
I shine my flashlight down the steps then across the room. “Come on, you have to help me find the rat girl,” I tell Mojo. He goes down the steps to sniff around.
There’s a thump in the corner. I shine my light at the industrial-sized furnace. I’m nearing the bottom step where Tollison’s body was supposedly found. I stop and close my eyes and try to get a sense of the energy.
“Hello, Mr. Tollison. My name is Jack Raven and I’m here to help you if you’re stuck down in this basement. This is no place to spend eternity. Speak to me and I’ll hear you.”
I’m listening to the silence when I feel a wet touch on my hand and jump a foot. Mojo is staring at me. I was almost falling asleep. “Okay, let’s find Rita. I think we’re going home tomorrow. We can’t leave her behind.”
I decide to check the far end of the basement where I heard the thump. It’s the one place I haven’t checked. I’m on my hands and knees crawling around when Mojo pokes me in the head. He walks a few steps and waits. “You found her?” He keeps going and I get up to follow.
He sits beneath the window. I’m shining my light on Rita who is sitting on the windowsill, glaring at me.
Chapter Thirty Two
§
I stand and stare at Rita for several seconds. There’s no way a rat dragged her five feet up the wall and put her back on that windowsill. I hope anyway. I’m seriously afraid to touch the thing. I’m sure she’s possessed, but I still can’t bring myself to leave her behind. No telling what she’ll do under Boshears’ command.
“Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you for two days now.” I wait but she isn’t talking. She isn’t moving either and for that, I’m relieved. I grab some tissues from my bag and pick her up. I turn her in every direction and shine my light over her before depositing her into my bag. Now I’m sure she’s a plant requested by Maybelle to drive me out of the eradication business. The old lady won’t think it’s so funny after I dump the rat’s body at her doorstep.
“You’re going back in the box for this little stunt,” I tell her, but not before zipping my bag closed.
When I turn around, Mojo is at the bottom of the stairs in ghost pose. I start to ask if Tollison’s spirit is present, but end up in a coughing fit before I get a word out. Every time I try to speak, my throat closes. The wolfdog is at the top of the stairs. We both need to get out of this dank place.
I climb the stairs and barely touch the door when it opens. As I go to close it behind me, I think I hear my name whispered. From below. It sounded like a man, and he wished me a good night. I put my bag down and slip the key to the door in my pocket. I’m not getting locked down there again. I don’t care what anyone says about the last time, the door was locked.
Six steps down the stairs, I stop and ask for Tollison. The air is heavy and my throat is constricting. I step down again and shine my flashlight. I’m not convinced that the voice was that of a spirit. Most don’t speak to me directly, and I can’t recall a single one who ever knew my name.
“Mac? It’s okay, I’m not going to call the police. I just want to talk to you a few minutes. About the women on the thirteenth floor. It’s safe to come out.”
I’m near the bottom of the stairs now. I spray the light on the bottom step then I scan the back and side walls for another way someone could be getting in. Unless there is a very secret panel or Mac can walk through concrete, the voice was either from a spirit or it was a voice in my head.
�
�Mac. Are you down here? I’m not here to cause you any problems. I’m here to help the spirit or spirits who are trapped in this place to crossover. Maybe you’ve met the spirit. Why don’t you help me out?”
I’m shining my light one more time before giving up on my well wisher. As the light hits the window, I roll my eyes at myself. I never even thought about checking to see if it opens. I use the chair to reach it.
It’s a two pane window with a bottom pane that’s designed to push up. The wood is rotting and the paint is chipped away. I don’t expect it will open easily. When I feel for the latch I find that it isn’t locked.
A couple of slams with the palm of my hand and it raises a few inches, then it pushes up too easily for an old window. Someone is getting into the basement. Maybe someone who has been using this basement as a home for years. Maybe even someone brave enough to take off with Rita and fearful enough to bring her back. The thought is almost comical.
“Okay, I see how you’re getting in. Like I said, I’m not here to cause you any problems, so why don’t you show yourself?” I’m searching with my light. If there’s anyone down here, they aren’t talking. I hear a thump at the door upstairs and figure Mojo is getting restless.
“Last chance to make yourself known. Mac? Mr. Tollison? I’m listening if you have anything to say.”
I give up and climb the stairs. When I reach the top, I don’t hear a sound, but I feel a hard gust that pushes me forward. I stop and look down at the bottom step. “Goodnight, Mr. Tollison. I’m not sure if I can, but I hope to come back and help you finally leave this place.”
Alex jumps a foot when he sees me. “I thought you were in your room. Were you in the basement again?” His voice is panicky.
The Taw Ridge Haunting Page 16
