I was meeting them at the hotel with Reaver and Lucky. I’d done my research on Hellfire MC and had my eyes opened. My MC found trouble, but nothing like Hellfire had. These Americans, being on my turf, were causing me concern, but I needed Callie Dixon, and she came with Sunny.
I swung off my bike as Reaver and Lucky parked beside me. Angela, the owner of the Mermaid Inn, needed answers, and soon. The poltergeist activity was chasing customers off and was attracting attention from the wrong kind of people.
“We’re meeting in the bar,” I said to Reaver, who nodded. He fell into step beside me as Lucky brought up the rear. As we entered the hotel, several guests looked at our cuts and moved aside. The prejudice brought a smile to my face. On entering the bar, I caught sight of a man who matched my own height but was wider than me. He was also older. He wore a cut I’d permitted him to have.
Sitting down while he towered over her, was Callie Dixon. Naturally, I’d seen her on TV, and she was instantly recognisable, especially to someone in our line of work. Callie looked up from where she was speaking to Jack, one of her co-presenters. She said something to Sunny, and his gaze snapped toward me. He pulled himself up to his full height, no doubt trying to be intimidating, but he failed.
“Callie, thanks for coming,” I said, reaching out with a hand as I stopped at their table.
Callie smiled, shook my hand, and slapped Sunny’s stomach. “This is my husband, Sunny, Jack, and Michelle. The rest of my team stayed to finish an investigation we’d already booked. We could only spare this many from our group,” she explained.
“We’re grateful you came,” I replied. “This is Reaver, my VP, and Lucky, our exorcist. Do you need drinks?”
“We’re fine. Take a seat, and tell us everything,” Jack instructed.
“Okay, the Mermaid Inn is pretty famous for its hauntings. It’s known as one of the most haunted places in England,” Reaver stated. “Although there’s been minor disturbances, nothing compares to this.”
“Tell me about the hauntings,” Callie said with a glance at Sunny.
“Okay, so Room sixteen—the Elizabethan Bedchamber. Allegedly, a duel took place there, resulting in a man’s death. His body was thrown down the stairs of a secret passage into what is now the bar. Several guests have witnessed two spirits fighting, and someone took a picture of a ghost,” Reaver said.
“And they’ve never interacted with anyone?”
“No. It seems residual, although someone had reported bottles falling off the mantelpiece. The witness, an employee, quit and no longer works for the Inn. Room one—James—has a lady in white or grey. Reports vary. Guests have reported leaving their clothes dry on a chair, but the next morning they’re wet through. This has happened more than once. And, a man saw a ghostly family walk through the wall.”
“Okay,” Callie drawled. “The wet clothing is interesting. Any pipes or damp in the room?”
“Nope, everything has been ruled out. Room ten—Fleur de Lys—had a couple staying who reported a man walking through the bathroom wall towards them. The spirit didn’t interact with them but ignored them. I would guess another residual haunting,” I said.
“I agree,” Callie nodded.
“Room seventeen—Kingsmill—has cold spots that come and go without reason and a rocking chair that rocks on its own accord. Naturally, we set up tests for draughts and uneven flooring, but we’ve ruled that all out. Orbs have been seen and pictured, and we’ve caught some of our own. The room possesses an aura that maids find intimidating, and they’ll only clean in there in pairs. Although guests have reported cold spots, they have also reported hot spots.
“One visitor reported a normal temperature and then, walking to the bathroom, she walked through a hot spotand then cold. Very perplexing. We’ve also recorded these fluctuations and can’t find an excuse.” Reaver frowned.
“Room fifteen—Dr Syn’s Bedchamber—was made available to a film crew, and they tested their lights when the cameras started capturing orbs. But nobody could see them. Remarkably, some floated right past their faces, yet they noticed nothing. Angela allowed a medium entrance to the room to hold a seance, and five members of staff attended.
“Everything was fine until the medium’s face and voice changed. He also claimed he saw a male figure with a dog watching from a corner. He invited everyone over to move their arms to where he said they should stand, and, to their shock, their arms appeared to reach into a shadow. The experience was disorienting for them all, and they couldn’t explain what they saw. Each of them felt as if they had touched something,” Lucky stated.
Jack and Callie exchanged glances.
“In room five—The Nutcracker Suite—a lady in white has been seen walking through the room. Terrifyingly, she stopped above their bed, swooped over it, then exited through the door. And Room nineteen—Hawkhurst—a lady sleeping in that room, stated that a gentleman in old-fashioned clothes sat on the end of her bed and watched her. When he wouldn’t leave, she moved into the room where her children slept.
“In room three—Moreton—a man was kicked when he was alone. When his wife returned, the room felt normal again. And finally, a maid, thought to be the suspected girlfriend of a smuggler who wanders about the inn,” Reaver finished.
“Now tell us what’s not normal,” Sunny spoke for the first time.
“Angela called us in six weeks ago. She said a couple of her staff had noticed a darker presence in the bar. It had appeared about three months ago, but started slowly. At first, it felt like unwelcoming eyes. Then, a shadowy figure blinked in andout of view. Then, in Room Sixteen, a guest reported someone screaming at her. Everyone close by heard the scream and thought the lady was in danger,” I said.
“That’s a big escalation,” Michelle stated.
“Yes. Following this, bottles and glasses smashed, doors opened and shut, shrieks came from empty rooms. Rooms that hadn’t had paranormal activity before were now showing it. Whatever this is began growing quickly. By the time Angela called us in, she had a full-on haunting on her hands.
“We did the usual: Rem Pods, Spirit box, SLS and infrared cameras, and we’ve caught activity. But we’ve no idea what it is. Lucky performed two exorcisms, and they both failed. The Inn has always had a welcoming and friendly atmosphere, but now things have changed,” I explained.
“Darker, with traces of fear?” Callie asked.
“Not traces; fear is permeating the air. Staff go around in pairs, but the ghost isn’t stopping. It shows off even when two staff members are together. In fact, it amps up,” I stated.
